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First Post - APO Finite Scheduling

Former Member
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My SAP experience - Only a user, not a programmer. I can maintain master data, but that's about it.

Currently, I have a list of sku #'s assigned to an MRP controller ( 482 ) that designates a certain group of sku's that share a common work center and therefore the same capacity with planning.

Current setup -

1. I have a 35 day time fence, so APO free-fall planning happens outside of the 35 day time fence.

2. On day 36, it will 'plan' enough production in one week, to get to the pre-set coverage ( 30,60,90 days ) - based off of secondary goals.

But APO, will plan more than my capacity to achieve this level of coverage.

Example - I can only produce 4000 total units per week for MRP 482, but APO keeps planning over 6,000 per week.

Therefore, I am having to manually decide which 4000 to run, rather than APO do it for me.

Can I set a limit in APO( per MRP controller ) to a maximum number of units ?

Thanks,

Alan

Accepted Solutions (0)

Answers (3)

Answers (3)

Former Member
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Thanks everyone for the information.

Yes, it seems to be an uphill battle. An APO user, with zero support, spending all his time making APO match my plan, rather than APO taking into 1 single consideration that would do it for me.

I do have access to RES01, but again - I know nothing about how/where to make changes ( so I better not ).

I can only explain what I think that will work:

List of sku's assigned to an MRP Controller for clustering reasons only.

Example - 5/8 Panels MRP 482 has 100+ items that will share a capacity of 4000/week.

Those sku's ( or MRP controller ) is then attached to a "resource: or work center ,and that work center has a min/max capacity.

Then APO will run and fill the 4000/week in the best possible optimization for coverage ( this logic IS there currently ).

Am I way off base?

Former Member
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Alan,

You are not 'way off base'; there are standard functionalities within APO that can be set up to meet all the business requirements.you have put into this SCN post so far.

Best Regards,

DB49

former_member189901
Contributor
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Hii Alan,

You can decide the limit on resource basis. IF all the SKU in a single MRP controller shares common resources. You can restrict the capacity planning on basis of resource capacity available.

1. First of all the resource has to be relevant  for finite scheduling.

2.  In resource master you can  put available capacity  and can  define shift, break and down times of the machine.

3.  You can define the standard values in Work center or in routing. Maintaining Standard values in routing give the flexibility to  define SKU specific values. And in rate routing you can define base quantity.

using those things the capacity utilization will take place.

In APO there are lot of Detail scheduling  heuristic. which will take care of scheduling based on capacity  available.

There are some PP heuristic and REM heuristic  which also creates order with considering capacity available

So you need to specific which heuristic fits on your requirement.

Regards

DEbashis

Former Member
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Thanks for the quick responses.

I am sorry for the vagueness. SAP/APO was thrown together with 1 programmer, and of course he left for greener fields.

I will try to to answer your questions :

1. First of all the resource has to be relevant  for finite scheduling.

     I assume by grouping my parts into families is the answer.. This is completed - by MRP controller.

2.  In resource master you can  put available capacity  and can  define shift, break and down times of the machine.

     I know nothing of the resource master. I can only assume that you are asking that does the MRP family assigned to a machine or work center ? I do not know this answer, but highly doubt it.

3.  You can define the standard values in Work center or in routing. Maintaining Standard values in routing give the flexibility to  define SKU specific values. And in rate routing you can define base quantity.

     This sounds like what I want to do

MRP 482 - has a list of 100+ items that are all common parts, same machine, same labor force, same scheduling rate.

This work center ( or MRP ) needs APO to schedule exactly 4000/week - no more, no less.

Former Member
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Alan,

Question is a bit vague.  There are many varieties of planning in APO.  It is also unclear to me what "APO Free-fall planning" is.

Anyhow, capacity planning can be managed in APO.  Within PP/DS, SNP, CTM, and Optimizer, it is possible to produce a "capacity constrained" plan, it just has to be set up and executed.  Each of these modules have different solutions for this common business problem.

In general, capacity limitations are USUALLY entered at the resource, not at the MRP controller or other data object.  However, if your list of materials consuming a single capacity is the same as your list of materials assigned to a specific MRP controller, then there is opportunity to produce a capacity constrained plan that meets your requirements.

Again, in general, you can enter the amount of capacity that is available.  After this, planning can be made to produce plans that do not exceed this capacity.  Depending upon your solution, you would probably enter your available capacity in ECC in CR02, or in APO using /SAPAPO/RES01

Unless you can elaborate details of your current solution, I suggest that you speak to your local planning functional expert to determine the best path to satisfy your business requirement.

Best Regards,

DB49

Former Member
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I call 'free-fall' planning is what APO does outside my time fence.

The reason for the time fence is I would like to 'freeze' a 5 week schedule" and because APO will schedule the quantity in 1 week to get me to the required coverage ( 30,60,90 days ), it exceeds my weekly capacity for production.

My current process is to delete week 6 ( first time APO can schedule because of time fence ), but the quantities are always more than my capacity, so I delete the entire week, schedule by hand, then input my schedule. Crazy as it sounds... I think APO should do this for me, but I know there are hundreds of parameters that have to be in place, in which I do not know if they are set up ( or set up correctly ).

Also - there is no 'local planning functional expert'  - company wide... So I am trying to be that person.

Former Member
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Alan,

I delete the entire week, schedule by hand, then input my schedule. Crazy as it sounds... I think APO should do this for me

APO can be made to finitely schedule (e.g. perform scheduling such that all capacity constraints are respected) just about any kind of manufacturing order.

From your response to expert Debashis

I assume by grouping my parts into families is the answer.. This is completed - by MRP controller.

No.  In general, MRP controller is not directly related to capacity planning.

I can only assume that you are asking that does the MRP family assigned to a machine or work center ?

No, MRP family assignment is irrelevant with respect to capacity planning.  Capacity is consumed by orders (planned orders or production orders).  Orders have Routings assigned to them in ECC, (PPMs or PDSs in SCM).  Routings have Work Centers assigned to them in ECC (Resources in SCM).  Resources are the object in which you tell the system how much capacity you have available.Using this path, a resource is related to a material.  In this way, an order (planned order or production order) can consume capacity against a work center or resource.  It is possible for the system to track and summarize these orders' capacity consumption, and ensure that they do not exceed the amount of capacity remaining in the work center (resource).

I know nothing of the resource master.

You are really facing an uphill battle.

Your responses indicate that you are unfamiliar with the technology of the original solution.  Depending upon what already exists, and all the existing business requirements that must continue to be respected, there can be dozens of possible solutions.  Unfortunately, It is beyond the scope of an SCN forum posting to guide a novice through a new cap planning implementation.

Also - there is no 'local planning functional expert'  - company wide... So I am trying to be that person.

Well, yes there is one.  This would be an external consultant that your company would hire for a limited engagement, who could guide you through such an implementation.  Believe me, although it sounds expensive, hiring the right consulting resource to help you with an SCM solution is money well spent.

If you wish to self-train, your first and foremost reference is SAP online help.

For APO

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_scm700_ehp03/helpdata/en/7e/63fc37004d0a1ee10000009b38f8cf/frameset.htm

PP/DS module of APO

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_scm700_ehp03/helpdata/en/c1/147a375f0dbc7fe10000009b38f8cf/frameset.htm

SNP module of APO

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_scm700_ehp03/helpdata/en/1c/4d7a375f0dbc7fe10000009b38f8cf/frameset.htm

There are also many books available to assist you.  If your solution is within PP/DS solution, try

http://www.sap-press.com/products/Production-Planning-with-SAP-APO-%282nd-Edition%29.html

If your solution is within SNP, try

http://www.sap-press.com/products/Demand-and-Supply-Planning-with-SAP-APO.html

SAP offers classes, and SAP also has educational partners who can bring you up to speed more quickly than self-training.  Start with

https://training.sap.com/us/en/courses-and-curricula/

Best Regards, & Good luck,

DB49