Model Mix Planning (SAP Library - Automated Production Planning and Optimization)

Model Mix Planning Run

Use

With this function you can carry out automatic planning over a large planning period, which you divide into several planning horizons.

In this way you can gradually increase the level of detail of the planning by using procedures of varying complexity in the corresponding planning horizons. The gradual planning could take the following form, for example:

In the long-term horizon, you want to achieve a 100% line load, and thus create cumulated planned orders on a period level.
In the medium-term horizon you want to create a provisional sequence and thus take all quantity restrictions into consideration.
In the short-term horizon you plan the final sequence considering all restrictions and customers’ preferred dates.

Integration

Customizing

You define the composition of the planning run in Customizing for model mix planning in a procedure package. Here, you enter the individual procedures and determine the length and number of planning horizons. You assign any procedure to each horizon. You can also determine the following functions:

Adjustment periods

Using the adjustment periods between the procedures, you can allow the planning horizons to overlap. Then the system transfers the orders that it scheduled at the end of a planning horizon to the next planning horizon and thus the next procedure. This makes sense, as the orders from a procedure that cannot be brought into a permitted sequence, are scheduled at the end of the planning horizon.

Planning offset

If you do not want to make any more changes in the short-term horizon, you can enter a planning offset in the procedure package. Then you can start the first horizon of the planning run starting from the current date, delayed by a few days or shifts.

Planning basis

The planning basis determines whether:

the system carries out a net requirements planning before the procedure
the system creates cumulated or individual planned orders as the planning result.

Processing profile

For the prioritized equal distribution and the genetic algorithm, you can create a processing profile in Customizing for model mix planning. You then enter the processing profile in the planning horizon.

Heuristics

You can start the planning run manually or schedule it as a background job. In addition, you can integrate the model mix planning run as a heuristic in the production planning run of the APO System. For example, you can carry out a planning run every night, and thus periodically update your planning.

Prerequisites

In Customizing for model mix planning you have defined a procedure package for the planning run.

You have defined the restrictions corresponding to your requirements.

There are orders (evaluated) or requirements in the planning period.

Features

If you start the planning run, the system processes the horizons per time period, beginning with the short-term horizon. It deals with each horizon in the following way:

The system imports the orders and the requirements for the relevant horizon.

Depending on the planning basis you have set in the procedure package, the system only considers:

the orders that are already in the system

the orders that are already in the system as well as the requirements. In this case it carries out a net requirements calculation.

The system determines the restrictions that are valid and activated in the planning horizon.
The system compare the characteristics of the orders determined with the characteristics of the restrictions determined. Only the characteristics in which restrictions are maintained are relevant for planning.
The system calls up the procedure and proceeds as follows;

If you have set a planning basis with cumulated planned order quantities for the relevant procedure, the system schedules all orders in parallel with the period start as the start date. Sequencing does not, therefore, take place.

In this case you display the planning result in the product planning table , and if necessary you process it manually.

If you have set a planning basis with individual planned orders, the system carries out sequencing in connection with a finite takt-based scheduling without gaps.

In this case you display the planning result preferably in the interactive sequence schedule. Here you can view a tabular overview of the order sequence with the relevant data, such as the dates or the characteristic evaluation.

If you have defined an adjustment period, the procedure transfers the orders within the adjustment period to the following procedure.
The system compares the planning results and posts the changes.
The system continues with the following procedure.

Example

The following diagram displays a possible planning run with three procedures that SAP delivers as standard: