Planning Step Methods (SAP Library - Merchandise and Assortment Planning)

Planning Step Methods

Use

Assign one or more planning step methods when you define a planning step in Customizing. You can use the planning step method function to define the type of procedure for your planning step.

Features

You can define the following methods for a planning step:

Documentation:

You want to create and assign office documents for your planning step. You can, for example, state who is responsible for running a planning step or you can state your strategic targets. If necessary, you can also define graphics for your planning step.

Manual planning:

In manual planning, you can enter planning data manually using self-defined entry screens. Planning layouts and database tables (info structures) used for storing planning and actual data form the basis of manual planning. You can also use selected characteristics and key figures from the database table. In manual planning, you can only run planning for characteristic values (for example, purchasing organization 0001) that already exist in the planning hierarchy.

Automatic planning:

In automatic planning, the system runs planning activities automatically. Planning layouts and database tables (info structures) used for storing planning and actual data, form the basis for automatic planning. You can also use selected characteristics and key figures taken from the database table.

You can run the following planning activities in automatic planning:

SAP Copy Management:

Planning data and actual data is copied and, if necessary, processed simultaneously using SAP Copy Management. The copy method in SAP Copy Management defines the method used to process data. For example, data is aggregated while it is being copied.

For more information about SAP Copy Management in Customizing for Merchandise and Assortment Planning, see Tools.

Copy planning data or actual data to a different plan version.
Delete the planning data for a plan version.
Release the planning data for a plan version to the active plan version, whereby the planning data for a plan version is copied into the active plan version.
Copy key figures between planning versions with converted data (absolute or percentage-based data).
Reference using converted data: generate planning data for new planning characteristic values (for example, purchasing organization R300) with references to existing characteristic.

Transaction/program:

You can use this function to integrate customer developments (transactions/programs) in planning scenarios and then run them. You can use this method, for example, to include an external tool for planning space in stores (Space Management).

You can combine different planning step methods.

Example

You can define the following methods for the Store planning planning step:

You want to define office documents for Store planning (à method "Documentation").
You want to run manual planning (à method "Manual planning").
You also want to copy a plan version to a different plan version (à method "Automatic planning", planning activity "Copy version").
You want to release a suitable plan version for the active plan version (à method "Automatic planning", planning activity "Release version").
You also want to create store groups that are later to be used in planning before running the follow-on step (àmethod "Transaction/program to be executed" - a self-defined program groups stores).

You thus assign four methods to this planning step. Each method is assigned to at least one activity.