Use of planning characteristics vs navigation attributes in APO DP

[Former Member]

I am using APO DP V5.

I have a product characteristic.

Products are grouped into 'product groups'.

I want to be able to run stat forecasts at the 'product group' level, and also adjustments via key figures at the 'product group' level.

For the 'product group', I could set up a planning characteristic or a navigation attribute.

What are the pros/cons of setting up a planning characteristic or navigation attribute, bearing in mind the need to forecast and make adjustments at this level?

Thanks in advance...

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

The pros for using navigatyion attribute are quite easy: it will give you far more flexibility.

For example in case of change of hierarchy, you will not need to run realignment.

It simplify in the same way the data loading.

Now the cons: there is still some limitations: you can without any problem run stat forecast and adjustment for a navigation attribute. The only limitations I can remember are for promotion and store the assigment of a forecast profile to a selection (see /SAPAPO/MSDP_FCST2 - Assign Forecast Profiles to a Selection ).

this point might, or not, be the issue for you: do you plan to use the automatic forecast profile selection? If yes, then I suggest you to test it with navigation attributes; but as far I know it will fail. (note: I think there is workaround with a badi implementation, but can't remember which one now)

I hope it helps

Julien

[Former Member]

Hi Julien,

I'm not completely technical but we have encoutered this issue on a number of occasions now where selecting on the navigational attribute does not retain the GUID for the statistical model / selection. So far we have been told that there is no choice other than to create a Key Characteristic which for our requirement is totally out of the question because realignment times time taken to realign would be infeasible. The solution can only work with a navigational attribute.

Would it be possible to advise what the BADI name is stated in attached so I can take it to our technical people. Many thanks in advance for your assistance.

Mark