SAP SD : 2016

A. Basics

1) Backward Scheduling calculates the material availability date. This is the date on which sufficient material should be available(for activities such as picking,packing,loading and finally goods issue) so as to be able to successfully deliver the goods to the customer on his requested delivery date.(assuming customer requires complete delivery)

2) The delivery,therefore,should be created latest by this date or by transportation planing date,whichever is earlier.

3) Availability Check is a function of SAP SD module that along with Transfer of Requirements helps in checking if sufficient quantity of goods is available on the above calculated availability date.

4) If sufficient quantity is not available on this date then goods cannot be delivered on the customer's requested delivery date.

5) Forward Scheduling then calculates the new availability date and thus a new delivery date is confirmed in the schedule line.

6) Availability check is done at Plant Level.

7) Results of availability check may vary according to Replenishment Lead Time(RLT) , Partial Delivery Constraints or other such considerations.(described ahead)

8) Types of availability check :

a) Against ATP Quantities (with or without RLT)

b) Against Planning.

c)Against Product Allocation

9) Available-To-Promise or ATP : On any given date ATP quantities give the number one can commit for an order which is to be delivered on some future.

ATP= Warehouse Stock + Planned Inward Receipts – Planned Outward Issues

Where Stock can include unrestricted stock,stock in transfer,stock in quality inspection,blocked stock,restricted use stock etc

Inward Movements can include Purchase Orders,Purchase requisitions,Planned orders,Production orders etc.

Outward Movements can include Sales Orders,Deliveries,Reservations,Sales Requirements etc.

10) R-L-T : The time needed to produce or order the material. In other words it is the time by which the material is produced in house or if it is trading good the time by which it can be procured. If availability check includes RLT , the check is carried out only till the end of this time any amount will be available after this time.

For goods produced in-house :

R-L-T = Tot. Replenishment time (MMR-MRP3 View), If maintained

else if above field not maintained

R-L-T = In-House Production Time (MMR- Work Scheduling view) + GR

processing time (MMR-MRP2 View)

For externally procured goods :

R-L-T = Purchasing Processing time(MMR- Purchasing view) + Planned Delivery

time(MMR-MRP2 view) + GR Processing time (MMR-MRP2 view)

$$ RLT is included only in check against ATP. * MMR is Material Master record

11) Complete Delivery/Partial Delivery Indicator : Complete delivery indicator is specified in CuMR – Shipping Tab and is applicable at the header level of the Sales Order. This specifies if the entire order that is all the items in the order are to be delivered together.

The Partial delivery indicator(and the number of partial deliveries allowed) comes from either CMIR or CuMR- Shipping Tab. This specifies if all the quantities of the item has to be delivered in one single delivery or can be delivered in multiple partial deliveries. This is applicable at Header Level but can be changed at item level in the Sales Document.

* CMIR – Customer Material Info Record CuMR – Customer Master Record

Effects on Delivery date of complete and partial delivery.

% In above figure the End lead time(R-L-T) is 15.05.2013. Any quantity ordered will be confirmed for that date.

B. Customization

Since Availability Check lies within the integration precinct between SD and MM the control features can be found in both SD and MM module. The focus here is on customization in SD but a bit of MM features are also studied for getting a holistic picture.

1) Transfer of Requirements : Requirements are planned outward movements. All material orders are transferred to the MRP in the form of requirements by SD. This also helps in planning future requirements as procurement can further advice production(in case materials need to be produced) or purchasing(in case materials need to be procured).Without ToR availability check is not effective.

2) Planning Strategies : Are business procedures for planning the production (quantities and dates) of material.

3) Strategy Group : The allowed planning strategies (main strategy and further possible strategies) are combined in the strategy group. The strategy group is plant-wise assigned to MRP group. Also strategy group can be directly maintained in MMR-MRP3(which has priority over MRP assignment).

4) MRP group : Groups materials having the same MRP requirements and thus helps controlling these materials for MRP. This is maintained in MMR-MRP1 view.

5) MRP Type (MMR-MRP1 View) : Is a key that determines how the material is to be planned.

6) Requirements Type : Among other things Requirements types refer to the Requirements class. Requirements Types in turn are a part of Planning Strategy. If not maintained there they are determined from the combination of MRP type and Item categories.

7) Requirements Class : Apart from other things it controls globally if availability check and ToR is to be done for the material in SD Documents on the basis of ATP Logic.

8) Schedule Line Categories : Where Requirements Class determine globally if availability and ToR is to be done, at Micro level this is determined by Schedule Line Category. Thus if they are switch on at Requirements Class level they can be switched off at Schedule Line Level but if they are Off at Requirements Class level they cannot be turned on at Schedule Line Level.

9) Delivery item category : The delivery item category can be used to control whether an availability check takes place in deliveries.

10) Checking Group : Decides which requirement to transfer - individual(for each order) or summarized(Daily/Weekly) and whether to block the material(at plant level) during the time of availability check for simultaneous orders. Also can deactivate availability check. It is proposed in MMR.

11) Checking Rule : Along with Checking Group it decides scope of check for a particular transaction and id hard coded for example for Sales Order it is 'A' for delivery it is 'B' etc

12) Scope of check : Decides what kind of stocks,incoming movements,outgoing movments are to be checked during availability check and if check includes RLT. It also checks if Availability Check is to be done on Storage Location Level or not.

To summarize (Refer Snapshots below for all relevant transactions):

Strategy group contains planning strategies which in turn contain Requirement Type(if not there it comes from combination of MRP Type and Item Category) which in turn refers to Requirements class which globally determine, for the material, if Availability check and ToR are to be done and locally this is controlled by Schedule Line Category in Sales Document and by Delivery Item Category in Delivery Document.

Checking Group decides if requirements are to be transferred weekly,daily or per transaction. Also along with checking rule it decides scope of check.

SNAPSHOTS

1) T-Code: MM03