Navigation Attributes in APO DP

[Former Member]

Hi Colleagues,

In APO Demand Planning, while defining the characteristics attributes, there is a option to view Navigation Attributes (in the POS). A couple of question on the navigation attributes:

1.What is the fundamental need of these navigation attributes from planning perspective?

2. Where and how they are defined and where/how they are changeable?

Thanks in advance and Best Regards,

Guru

[Former Member]

Navigational attributes are useful for slicing/dicing data, i.e. drilling up and down. For example, various Product Hierarchy levels can be defined as navigational attributes to Product (Material ID) as a characteristic.

[Former Member]

Hi

As explained above attribute are never part of unique combination of CVCs, hence do not require to be part of realignment. Whenever you update this information in infobobject for this attribute, it will update in CVC.

In the planning the attribute are used to view data at aggregate level.

Thanks

Amol

[Former Member]

Hi

Please find enclosed herewith the basic information for your information.

When defining a planning area you have the option of using either basic

characteristics or navigation attributes. With regard to the design the

following aspects should be considered:

• Navigation attributes:

===========================================================

• The use of navigation attributes adversely affects performance during

data selection and during navigation in the interactive planning. The

number of used navigation attributes is important and not the different

specifications of a navigation attribute.

• It is very easy to realign the planning objects since only the master

record table of the affected InfoObject has to be changed.

• Navigation attributes can not be used as a characteristic during the

definition of a fixed aggregate.

• During the disaggregation a navigation attribute can never represent the

lowest planning level.

• Navigation attributes can not be used in the promotion planning, in

other words an 'assign object' is not possible for navigation attributes.

• Basic characteristics:

===========================================================

• In comparison with navigation attributes, the exclusive use of basic

characteristics improves the performance.

• It is possible to realign the planning objects, but this is more

complicated.

• Basic characteristics can be used during the definition of aggregates.

Both navigation attributes and basic characteristics can be used during the

data extraction.

It is therefore not possible to give a clear-cut recommendation for or

against navigation attributes.

I think we define the Naviagation attribute during POS creation.

Thanks

Amol

[Former Member]

Hi Amol,

Thanks a lot for your response.

Another related query is what are the typical scenarios, where we mark an attribute as 'navigation' apart from realignment?

And in the planning board, how this attribute is made use of - for example what sort of navigation do I achieve if I mark say 'Product Group' as navigational attribute in the Interactive planning board.

Thanks in advance and Best Regards,

Guru