Transportation Resource with SNP Optimizer

[Former Member]

Hello experts,

I found this explanation on SAP help.

Transportation Resources - FROM SAP HELP

Available Capacity

1. You can assign transportation resources to multiple transportation lanes and so limit the transportation capacity on these transportation lanes. To do this, specify a transportation resource in the Resource field of the Means of Transport section in the transportation lane.
2. In the SNP optimizer profile, you can set that you want the available means of transport to be treated as discrete (in non-divisible integer numbers). If you do this, the means of transport is treated as discrete for each transportation lane. You define the capacity of the means of transport in the Transp.Res.Size field of the resource master data.

  You can use this option to model the means of transport that are available in your company (a truck, for example). However, if you commission external transportation service providers, considering means of transport as discrete is not relevant for you. 

With the first point I'm OK. For the second point I would like to have your input (opinion) about this:

• You define the capacity of the means of transport in the Transp.Res.Size field of the resource master data. You can use this option to model the means of transport that are available in your company (a truck, for example).

Second opinion - are the two points complementary?

Thank you,

Regards, Marius 

[rajkj · Accepted solution]

Hi Marius,

If you wish to constrain your model by transportation  capacity, you need to define a transportation resource in your model. As mentioned in the documentation, you have to maintain a transportation resource and assign that resource to your transportation lane's means of transport. In a nutshell, both of your points are complimentary.

The transportation capacity dimension (transp. res. size) requires a unit of measure e.g. a truck capacity of 60 pallets. You also need to define a capacity variant (normal available capacity) to maintain how many hours a day your capacity available along with an utilization factor and break periods similar to that of a production resource. This allows the optimizer to schedule the transp. resource.

Finally, you may choose either linear or discrete optimization. Discrete optimization is more complex and exerts significant load on the planning engine. However, it produces better results compared to that of liner optimization.

Thanks,

Rajesh

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Rajesh,

Thanks a lot for your opinion.

In the transportation capacity variant (normal available capacity) we can't maintain hours a day. We have just bucket capacity day or no period reference. The capacity variant is tied to Definition (quantities/rates) where we have the same limitation to period type day and bucket capacity/unit/cost.

Still confused with Trans.Res.Size. In this field we have just quantity and we don't have any unit of measure. The unit of measure available is for bucket capacity. However if I enter a quantity in the Trans.Res.Size the optimizer will not take in consideration this limit capacity of the means of transport capacity.

Can someone test this scenario?

Thank you,

Regards Marius 

[rajkj · Accepted solution]

Hi Marius,

I am not sure how your transportation resource is modeled. The following screenshot should give an idea in setting up a resource and pl check SAP note https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/722706 for details on resource consumption.

Probably, it would be a good idea to work with a simple model without quantity/rates etc. and introduce them in your model later once you satisfied with the Optimizer output.

Thanks,

Rajesh

[Parth_Soneji · Accepted solution]

Hi Marius

Were you able to understand how you can limit the Transportation capacity by using a Transportation Resource? I have created a transportation resource, have maintained bucket capacity, assigned the resource to means of transport and maintained consumption as 1 / unit in Product specfici means of transport.

I can see the maintained capacities in the Optimizer input log. However, in the result log, it is not consuming any capacity neither it is restricting the transportation by the capacity I have maintained. Can you tell me what am I missing?

Thanks

Parth Soneji