Planning book vs Input Ready query in IP

[Former Member]

Hi All,

I have to develop a Input Ready query in IP or a Planning book in APO. The requirement goes like this.

We are forecasting for products(huge no of products) based on previous 1 year data. This data is available at weekly level granularity.

The planning book has to calculate 8 recommondation values based on the 1 year data. It also has to do a look up on a control dso where some data is maintained by the end users. This data from the control dso will be used for forecasting calculations.

Out of these 8, 4 will be based on weekly level data and 4 on monthly level.

When the planning book is opened it has to show the 8 values as 8 key figures against a particular product.

There will be a 9th field in the Plannng book which is ready to input.

Based on the 8 recommonded values, the end user will give an input in the 9th or the input enabled field.

Each recommonded value will have its own formula which has to be coded using exits or macros in the planning book.

1. Is this possible in the planning books.

2. Can I give my own formula using ABAP coding/exits for each of the 8 recommonded fields?

3. If the formulas or code in the exit is very complex, is the performance still good in the planning books?

4. If the user changes the data in the control DSO and want to try some simulations, will it be possible real time? That is can he see the changes in the values of the 8 recommonded values immediately?

Regards,

Nageswara

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Nageswara,

I don't know what a 'Control DSO' is. Please keep this in mind when you review my answers below.

1. Is this possible in the planning books

Yes

2. Can I give my own formula using ABAP coding/exits for each of the 8 recommended fields?

Yes

3. If the formulas or code in the exit is very complex, is the performance still good in the planning books?

Well, you haven't defined 'good'.  However, as a general rule of thumb, I can tell you what you already know.  Complexity slows performance.  Large Datasets slow performance.  Many performance problems, if they exist, can be overcome by doing the bulk of the work in batch processing, long before the users actually open the book and execute any macros.  There are also many other tools available to the expert DP analyst to improve performance.

That being said, the answer you are looking for is unknowable until the design is finalized.  There are so many variables that affect performance in DP I could never answer that question without knowing a whole lot more.

4. If the user changes the data in the control DSO and want to try some simulations, will it be possible real time? That is can he see the changes in the values of the 8 recommended values immediately?

Depending upon what a DSO actually is, the answer is 'yes'.  DP can be set to read external data interactively if required.  Simulations are possible.  Immediate recalculation of values are possible.

Best regards,

DB49

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Sorry. Control DSO is like a table where I can maintain a value for a field X. When the ABAP code is executed it does a look up on this table, takes the value of X and uses it for calculation purposes. I can quickly change the value of X in the same table and simulate the ABAP code and see the new result.

Let me give more details to define good performance.

1. There are around 1 million products i have to plan for.

2. I should be able to plan for atleast 20 products at a time.

3. Also when I change the value of X in the above control table, the simulations should work for the 20 products and show me results real time.

4. To open such a Planning book, it should not take more than 15 seconds. The simulation calculations after changing the value of X should not take more than 15 - 20 seconds.

5. When the 9 field is filled based on the recommended values for 20 products, and Save button is executed, it should not take more than 20 seconds to save the data to Livecache.

Regards,

Nageswara

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Nageswara,

I wasn't soliciting more details.  My comment

That being said, the answer you are looking for is unknowable until the design is finalized. 

is the one you should take away from this posting.  There is no way for me to evaluate this requirement to give you an answer you can take to the bank.

Here are my comments:

1. There are around 1 million products i have to plan for.

I don't know if there is a maximum in DP; I have never run across if in fact one exists.  I have worked through DP implementations myself which support hundreds of thousands of products. 

I add that most users do not have a realistic concept of the number of materials that should be planned.  I have never seen a company that actually has a million products that really need to be manually managed in DP.  Just because a product exists in the catalogue does not mean it makes sense to plan it in DP. 

2. I should be able to plan for at least 20 products at a time.

Number of products is irrelevant.  The defining factor is the number of Characteristics Value Combinations (CVCs).  20 CVCs in a single DP book/view/selection variant is a trivial load. 

3. Also when I change the value of X in the above control table, the simulations should work for the 20 products and show me results real time.

Macros can be seet to run automatically upon the execution of certain events (e.g., open the book, close the book, drill down, etc etc).  Macros can also be triggered manually from within the book if desired.  A Macro can be created to extract current data from an external source.  A Macro can be created that will take the extracted data and perform calculations on any Key figure that exists in the Planning book.  So, generically, the functionality exists.

4. To open such a Planning book, it should not take more than 15 seconds. The simulation calculations after changing the value of X should not take more than 15 - 20 seconds.

This is the unknowable part.  I can easily set up a simple book and view and selection variant that will meet this requirement.  However, I don't know if YOUR book with YOUR view and YOUR selection variant on YOUR planning area in YOUR system that meets all of YOUR requirements will also do meet this performance goal.

5. When the 9 field is filled based on the recommended values for 20 products, and Save button is executed, it should not take more than 20 seconds to save the data to Livecache.

Same answer as 4.  'Plausible but not confirmed'.

I am guessing you have never done a DP implementation before.  My suggestion is not to try this by yourself.  Most companies engage an expert DP resource to help them work through the requirements gathering process and design prototyping.  It is usually money well spent.

Best Regards & Good Luck,

DB49