Using clients in APO - pro and con ?

[thomas_schulze2]

Hello experts,

I'm trying to find an answer whether to use a separate client in APO or not for the following case:

1 R3 System has 2 Clients for each company - lets say:

• Client A - for company A

• Client B - for company B

We have an APO system (SCM5.0) connected right now

• Client A - for DP, SNP, GATP for company A

Now company B comes and says they also want to have APO. I wonder if I can simply set them up on the existing APO Client A ... or do I better create a new Client B in APO ? If anybody has had a similar situation - I would be interested what the key points /findings /stumblings blocks are either for or against a second APO Client B.

Just a few "loud" thoughts around this topic

• CIF --> is it possible to connect R3 Client A und B to 1 single APO Client A ?

• Can APO truly operate on 2 different clients - is there any known limitations like DP PLOBs won't be client-dependend since the underlaying BW is not client-capable ?

• If I keep 1 APO client A - can I generate PREQs and Planned Orders in SNP and send them to different R3 clients ?

• Can SNP handle to get data from to 2 different R3 Clients via the CIF (9ASNPBAS) ?

• Can the APO Material Master be filled from 2 different R3 Clients ?

Regards

Thomas

[Former Member]

Hi Thomas,

Its an interesting query.

The favourable model would be to have both SAP R/3 client A and B connected to the same APO client .

Even if product portfolio is same, planning in APO is primarily based on product location, therefore, planning processes should not have problems.

For CIF you will have integration models with different logical systems for A and B client, therefore CIF will operate . You will have decide and configure one client as a master system out of the two clients.

Therefore in the supply chain model, you can model the company A and B in one APO client itself.

Even though from SCM 5.0 multi client functionlity is availble , there are many restritctions and that may not be favoured in this case There is oss note availble ( note 832393).

I hope this gives some insight.

Regards

Datta

[thomas_schulze2]

Hi Datta;

I saw the note 832393 -- seems the bifg bullet point is the BW integration since BW is not multi-client-capable. Especially for DP and the data extraction out of DP and SNP planning areas there will be certain limitations or better ... you have to logon always to the Master BW client to get things activated and running.

What I don't understand is your comment "... You will have decide and configure one client as a master system out of the two clients..." .. can you further elaborate what that means ? Lets say I stick to the idea of having 1 R3 system wih Client A and B and will connect both to APO Client A - what is the consequence of saying R3 Client A ist the "Master".

Regards

Thomas

[Former Member]

Hi Thomas,

In SAP R/3 u2013 APO landscapes, SAP R/3 is the driving system for master data.

When we have two SAP R/3 systems connected with one APO system, then we need to make one SAP R/3 system as master ( or main system ). This helps in case there are same products in the 2 systems and we want to CIF only from the main system.

Here instead of 2 SAP R/3 systems, there will be 2 clients on SAP R/3 instance.

Regards

Datta

[thomas_schulze2]

Hi Datta,

in my case R3 Client A and B have completely different products and locations - means the master data are unique per R3 Client. That also means I'll have 2 product and location master CIF models into 1 APO Client. I still wonder if there is any other stumbling block going down the path with 1 APO Client in this case.

Regards

Thomas