Weird problem with STS data locking

[Former Member]

Hi all,

I have a weird problem with data locking in STS. I have set up several subplans for a planning area, and customized the hierarchies involved for each subplan.

Each of the subplans has only one planning session.

The system will be used for budget planning, and business requirements are that planning for the first subplan will set the pricing increments for the next year, at product level, for all sales offices. This is done by a Commercial Mgr. only. The second subplan will be for setting the sales targets for each of the sales offices, in a bottom-up scenario, and it will be done by each of the sales offices responsibles, with approval of the Comm. Mgr.

At the STS customizing, I have set the Header Characteristics to be equal to those of the Layout. These are Sales Org., Currency, Unit, Fisc. Variant. I cannot tell you why these characteristics are used in the header, as this is an existing implementation I am migrating to Web Interfaces + STS.

It is also important to note that, even though I should be able to use variables in the "Define Header Char. for Planning Session", the button is grayed out and It cannot be done.

So, when I test for locking with the first of the subplans (this one is a Top Down session), It does work as expected. So It looks as I have correctly followed the guidelines explained in Note 530285...

But then, If I keep the first subplan as finished and released, as would be the case when working with the system in production, and then I try to access the second subplan's web interface, the system will tell me there is a lock for the first subplan and I cannot access the data. Moreover, this error is only shown when the user accesing the web interface is the Commercial Manager. If a Sales Office's Manager acceses the layout, everything works fine. Just to clarify a bit more, the layout is the same one for both users, and it has the sales offices as a key field, meaning that a S.O. Manager views data only for his office, and the Comm. Mgr views them all at the layout (this is being controlled via a Variable with Authorization substitution class)

I am probably misunderstanding Note 530285, or forgetting something. Maybe it is that the characteristics selected are blocking the whole planning area, but at this point, I am not sure of what to do.

Could you please assist me on this one?

Thanks in advance,

Eduardo.

Message was edited by: Eduardo Molina

[former_member93896 · Accepted solution]

Hi Eduardo,

if I understand it right, the header combinations for both STS planning sessions are the same. This is why you get the locking problem.

The system first compares the data selection (planning package) to the STS header selection. If there's a match with any STS session, then the system will check if the user is locked in this session.

So if you want to keep the sessions independent from eachother, then there must be a difference in the header (or the plan data) that the sessions are related to.

Regards

Marc

SAP NetWeaver RIG

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Marc, thanks for your assistance

I have already input an OSS Note but It would be great to keep on discussing the issue here if you don't mind, I think that others will find this information useful.

I am not using two STS planning sessions, but two subplans with one planning session for each of them. Is it true then, that the system checks the way you said even though the sessions are linked to different subplans?

As for header selections, If I am right, the data selection for the planning package is then impossible to match with the STS header selection, because it is based on variables substituted via authorizations for each user, and in the STS header selection, the variable selection button is grayed out. The variables are specified at planning level, because at package level, it is also not possible to use variables even though the button is there (it says it is not possible to use variables..) Even the SAP Press book "Business Planning with SAP SEM" says variables should be used in STS header selections, so....¿?¿?

The planning level and package for the first subplan, have the following data selection (variables specified on the right where used):

0CURRENCY (VMONED01)

0CUST_CLASS

0FISCVARNT K2 (Fixed)

0FISCYEAR

0G_CWWCCO (VCCOM01)

0MATL_GRP_3

0PROV_GROUP (VCATEG01)

0SALESORG (VORGV01)

0SALES_OFF (VOFVEN01)

0UNIT (VUNIT)

0VERSION (VERSIO01)

0VTYPE

C_CTR_MES

C_KONDM

Header Characteristics for the Layout (web interface) are:

0SALESORG

0UNIT

0FISCVARNT

0CURRENCY

The second subplan is using another planning level and package, which contain the same data selection, and the header for the layout (web interface) is also the same.

The first layout will set pricing increases for all products, independently of sales offices.

The second one, will allow the responsibles to set budget figures for their sales offices and based on the pricing set in the first subplan and layout.

At STS, I have setup 0SALESORG, 0UNIT, 0FISCVARNT, 0CURRENCY to a fixed value (although I need to know how to use variables here).

Now, when the commercial mgr., who has access for all sales offices, finishes the subplan #1 and sets the status to finished and released:

• If the commercial mgr. accesses the second layout to view the changes done for all the sales offices, the system will give the lock error.

• If a sales office responsible accesses the second layout (which will be filtered for his/her sales office given that we are using authorizations-substituted variables), the system will let him/her access!

So, If you are right, my concern is that I have yet to implement other subplans in which the sales offices responsibles will have to submit detailed budget figures for each region, based on data input in the second layout, and they will fail to access.

If the scenario described is being locked because of the reason you explained in your post, what characteristic (among the ones already included or not) could I use that would allow me to get the system to work as I expect?

I hope I have made myself clear, so that you can give me

some help...

Many thanks in advance,

Eduardo.

[former_member93896 · Accepted solution]

Eudardo,

planning sessions or subplans do not matter. The system will check all of them (if the data selection is a subset of the STS header selection). Variables are not the problem.

As a consequence, you can not have two open planning sessions/subplans in parallel for the SAME data.

Either change the process to finish on session/subplan before the next starts. Or change the level and STS header so that they work of different data sets (for example different versions).

Regards

Marc

SAP NetWeaver RIG

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Marc,

Many thanks again.

I have already finished the first subplan, and It is marked as Finished and Released at its three nodes (main node plus two child nodes), all of them managed by the same person.

The nodes are marked with a closed lock as soon as I click the Finish and Release button (this is supposedly what should happen), and I cannot enter any of the layouts.

I can still put the layouts back to in process status with the specified user (should that user be allowed to??), and if I enter that subplan with a user with R_STS_SUP authorization, I can modify the Visualization / Manage button, but cannot put the status back to In Process.

Dont know if this info. might be helpful but anyhow, what I mean is that as far as I can tell, the subplan and session are indeed completely finished. So, in theory, the two subplans are not being run in paralell, right?

At this point, If I enter the second subplan with a sales office mgr. profile, STS will allow me to access the data, which is a subset of what the Commercial Mgr. accesses. However, the Commercial Mgr. gets the error about a lock in the previous subplan.

I would like to make sure that there is no other choice before adding a version...

Many thanks in advance,

Eduardo.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Eduardo,

Why would you want to have 2 different people planning on same set of data and differentiating it with versions unless it is plan vs actual or budget....

Once a data is locked for a unique set of characteristics it cannot be changed unless the lock is released which would mean changes to your config in production which is not a good process.

Akash

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Akash,

If that is correct, how can I explain that a user with a restricted set of sales offices can actually enter the second subplan's layout, but the Commercial Mgr., who has access for all of them, cannot?

We have thought of adding a Version or similar to uniquely differentiate the sets of data, but It would be a nightmare given the current customizing and the effort to be put into it..

Also the OSS people is having a look at the issue, but I still have no news from them. I will come back here and post the conclusions whenever I get them.

Any other ideas, please?

Maybe a bit off-topic, but It is also a locking-related thing:

At our system, the layout is accesible even when the process is reinitialized and the status is set to new... Is it normal and can It be changed so that It forces users to put the session as "In process" prior to opening the layout?

Also, can I modify the system so that a user cannot put his/her own session back to "In process" once he/she has Finished/Submitted for Approval?

I guess that the most straightforward way to do it would be to make a copy of Tunguska and make the required changes, but the thing I do not know how to do is: How do I force the STS to use that custom copy for emails, etc..?

Thanks a lot in advance,

Eduardo.

Message was edited by: Eduardo Molina

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Eduardo,

There are two groups in STS:

1. Planners and 2. Approvers

1. Planners usually plan data and submit for approval to the approvers

2. Approvers can either reject or approve, once approved data is locked for that planning period.

This procedure leaves a good audit trail and also authroization for both groups could be set accordingly.

Based on your scenario you want both Sales Officer and Commercial Mgr to plan on the same set of data and then Commercial Mgr to approve that plan. It could be done if you add both user id in the STS configuration for that sales office and have appropriate authorization. But this defeats the purpose of having an organizational structure for the review process.

I did not understand why you wanted to re-initialize your planning session unless you have only one which you are using it for every cycle. A better way to do it would be to create a planning session for each cycle so that you would have a history till a year. And yes once you re-initialize all the history is lost and the status is set to new.

Hope this helps.

Akash

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Akash,

Thanks for your comments. I did not mean that I wanted to reinitialize that planning session, what I intended to explain is that STS allows access to the layout by default even before the users (planners) set their status as "In process", and that I would like to change that behaviour.

Regarding my planning scenario, I know that it is far from being an ideal one, but these are business requirements... I finally succeeded at setting locks for all planing sessions successfully without interference among them, but It has been nightmare..! Just imagine, I have the following business rules:

step 1: Commercial Mgr. sets price increases for current year

step 2: sales officers set forecast for the current year based on step 1

step 3: Commercial Mgr. sets price increases for next year

step 4: Commercial Mgr. sets sales objectives for next year

step 5: sales officers set net sales for next year based on directives of step 4

step 6: sales officers distribute net sales at region level based on level 5

With an scenario like that, we finally managed to get the proper locking by using a combination of 0version and 0vtype.

Oh, and just to give some more information from my research to anyone who may read this post, the STS also includes the UserId as a part of the locking....

PS: Points awarded to you both. thank you for helping me better understand this whole sts locking thing. Very appreciated!

Message was edited by: Eduardo Molina