Planning Time Fence

Use

You can protect the master plan from any automatic changes to master schedule items in the near future by using a planning time fence. During the planning run, the system makes no automatic changes to order proposals within the planning time fence (which is specifically determined for every master schedule item). The system always dynamically calculates the end date of the planning time fence starting from the planning date.

Integration

You can use the planning time fence for materials in MRP, master production scheduling or long-term planning. The system only creates planned orders in long-term planning.

Prerequisites

You must maintain MRP types with Firming Types in Customizing for long-term planning or MRP. The firming type defines how the system firms order proposals and how it schedules them. You must enter an MRP type with a firming type in the material master record for planning time fence to have an effect.

Features

When specifying the planning time fence, you should bear in mind the maximum lead time of the master schedule items.

In the planning time fence, all order proposals are firmed:

Outside the planning time fence, the system creates order proposals based on the shortage quantity and the lot-sizing procedure as usual. When these order proposals move into the planning time fence, they are firmed automatically depending on the setting of the firming type.

You can define the planning time fence either individually per material in the material master record or via the MRP group.