A master planning object structure contains plannable characteristics for one or more planning areas. In Demand Planning, the characteristics can be either standard characteristics and/or ones that you have created yourself in the Administrator Workbench. Characteristics determine the levels on which you can plan and save data. Specific characteristics are required for Supply Network Planning, Characteristics-Based Forecasting and forecasting of dependent demand; these characteristics can be included on demand in the master planning object structure.

The use of additional characteristics for Supply Network Planning is not supported. For an example of a master planning object structure with the correct characteristics for Supply Network Planning, see 9ASNPBAS.

The master planning objects structure is the structure on which all other planning object structures are based. Other planning object structures are aggregates and standard SNP planning levels.

A master planning object structure forms part of the definition of a planning area. The existence of a master planning object structure is therefore a prerequisite for being able to create a planning area.

Before you can start planning, that is entering data for key figures, you must have created characteristic combinations. You do this for each master planning object structure.