Entering content frameBackground documentation Defining Planning Layouts Locate the document in its SAP Library structure

Use

In this section you can define the screen structure or data entry screens for Merchandise and Assortment Planning. These screens are referred to as planning layouts and represent the line and column structures on the user’s screen.

Prerequisites

You can only create planning data for the planning levels (for example, sales organization) and respective characteristics that are contained in the planning hierarchy.

Features

Depending on your specific business requirements, you can define the following in the header area for the planning layout: the sequence of characteristics and key figures in the lines and columns as well as the formulae used for calculations.

Maintaining your planning layout is done with the programs defined in the Report Painter.

You can use Microsoft Excel as the interface for creating planning data in your SAP system.

Structure of Planning Layout

A line and a column are assigned to each input field using the position on the data entry screen. The content of each input field is determined using characteristics and key figures that are defined in the columns or lines belonging to the planning layout.

In addition to the planning levels (planning characteristics, for example, sales organization) in the planning hierarchy, you can use the version and period characteristics in the planning layout.

A planning layout consists of the following components:

Use the header area to define characteristics and characteristic values that are valid for the entire planning layout.

Use the key and value columns to define characteristics, characteristic values and key figures that you want to use in your planning data. Key columns are the leading columns in a planning layout. You can enter multiple key columns in each planning layout.

 

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text

Example for Structuring a Planning Layout

The following graphic illustrates the structure of a planning layout. Inverse formulae are used when defining formula columns.

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text

Definition of Header Area

Use General Selections to define the characteristics and characteristic values that are valid for all lines and columns in the planning layout, for example, the values for a specific version when a planning layout only refers to one version.

The relevant characteristic can then no longer be used to define lines and columns.

By selecting Edit ® General Selections ® General Selections you can choose any characteristics you may require and add them to the header area for your planning layout. These characteristics are valid for all lines and columns in the planning layout.

By selecting Edit ® General Selection ® Header Layout you can define the sequence in which the characteristics are later displayed in the header area for planning. Note that a maximum of nine selected characteristics can be used in the header area for each planning layout.

Definition of Key Columns

Key columns are the leading columns in a planning layout.

There are two ways for defining key columns:

  1. Use the header to define simple key columns:
  2. The first key column is defined by double-clicking on the column header for the key column. By selecting Edit ® Columns ® New Key Column you can add additional key columns. Ensure that each new key column be added before the key columns that have already been defined. Only one characteristic can be selected for each key column in this type of definition. By selecting Edit ® Columns ® Sort Key Columns you can change the sequence of the columns.

  3. Use lines to define only one key column (complex key column)

Each line (in the key column) has to be defined individually in this method. You can define characteristics, a key figure or a formula for each line. In doing so, you can map gross revenue to a key column, for example. The procedure works in exactly the same way as the definition of value columns.

Note

Note that you must make a final decision about whether or not key figures are entered in the lines or the columns of the planning layout when you begin defining your lines or columns. When you define the first element, a dialog screen in which you select the fields Characteristics or Key Figure With Characteristics is displayed.

Defining Value Columns

The following value columns are used in the planning layout:

Defining a Standard Column With Characteristics or Key Figures

Define the first value column by double-clicking on the appropriate column header. Additional value columns are defined by double-clicking on the empty area next to the first value column. You can select characteristics and characteristic values after you have selected columns.

Characteristic values in a line (for example, articles A to H) cannot be used. An exception to this is the characteristic Period.

It is very important that the same characteristics are selected for all columns.

Defining an Attribute Column

The following can be used as attributes:

The distribution key can be used to distribute cumulate values among period values. The distribution key can also be used to display seasonal trends over the course of the planning period within a fiscal year.

If Distribution Keys are not selected here as attributes, the distribution key in the planning hierarchy is used instead. If no distribution key has been defined in the planning hierarchy, meaning that if no data exists, distribution is run equally. If data does exist, distribution is run to reflect this data.

This column can be used to display the currency or the unit of measure used in planning.

Delta values can be entered when the Action field is used in the planning layout. Euro 15,000 are to be added to an existing planning value of Euro 40,000: the entry in field Promotion would be "+" while the figure entered in the value column would be "15000".

All planning attributes that have been selected in the details screen for planning characteristics in the network plan for individual planning levels are detailed in the report painter. This means that appropriate additional information, for example, the region or the country, can be displayed for the characteristics at store planning level.

For more information, see Planning Characteristics and Planning Key Figures for a Planning Step.

Select this attribute if you want to use a checkbox field to automatically display if a data or total cell is fixed not. You can use cell fixing without this display attribute also.

For more information, see Cell Fixing.

The listing attributes can be used to generate listing conditions in manual planning if the planning levels assortment and articles are to be used in the appropriate layout.

It is, again, important that the same characteristics are used for all columns. An exception to this is the Time characteristic. The Time characteristic cannot be selected for the attributes Distribution Key, Promotion and Unit of Measure.

The attributes Distribution Key, Unit of Measure and Promotion always have a direct reference to a data cell. Two definition alternatives are available for these attributes.

Create a direct reference to from the attribute column to the value column by selecting Edit ® Columns ® Add Additional Fields. If you want to change the characteristic value for the appropriate value column at a later date, the system adjusts the attribute column (using the appropriate dialog screen) if requested by the user.

By double-clicking on the free area next to the existing value column, you do not create a reference to the value column. This means that the characteristics have to be redefined with the appropriate characteristic values. If you select the Unit of Measure attribute, this field then contains the unit of measure at the time of planning.

The attributes defined in the network plan and the predefined attributes (cell fixed and all listing attributes) that are delivered as standard cannot be defined using the menu with a direct reference to a value column. It is defined by double-clicking on the empty field next to the value column.

Definition of a Formula Column

Two different types of formula are available:

To define a formula column, proceed as follows:

Double-click on the empty field after to the value column and select element category Formula. In the next screen, create a formula using the formula components and the defined value columns that are suggested.

Use the function Format ® Activate/Deactivate Ready for Input in the report painter menu to indicate the lines or columns in your planning layout as being for display purposes only. This may be useful if values are display for information purposes only and not planned directly (for example, comparison data for a different planning version).

Working With Inverse Formulae

You cannot assign formulae to the key figures within the planning layout. The values for the formulae are read from the info structure. To include key figures in your planning, you can however use inverse formulae. Inverse formulae are used to exchange the link between key figure cells and formulae cells.

The following example indicates that the equation

C = A / B can be represented by

A= B*C

Example

The amount "Markdown in %" is calculated from the business volume using the following formula:

Markdown in % = absolute markdown / business volume * 100

"Absolute markdown" and "Business volume" are key figures, "Markdown in %" is calculated using the formula.

Instead of the absolute markdown, you want to enter "Markdown in %" directly in your planning, calculate the "Absolute Markdown" key figure and enter the data in your database. This means, therefore, that the formula detailed above must be inverted:

Absolute markdown = Markdown in % * business volume / 100

Proceed as follows in your planning layout:

  1. You define "Business Volume" and "Absolute Markdown" as value columns and "Markdown in %" as the formula column.
  2. The formula column contains the following formula.
  3. Markdown in % of business volume = absolute markdown / business volume * 100

  4. Switch the formula column to be ready for data input while ensuring that data cannot be entered in value column "Absolute Markdown".
  5. In value column "Absolute Markdown" define the inverse formula for the formula column (Edit ® Element ® Inverse Formula).

When you start planning, the value belonging to key figure "Absolute Markdown" is read from the database and "Markdown in %" is calculated. If you change "Markdown in %" manually, the appropriate absolute value is calculated using the inverse formula. When you save the data in your planning session, the values belonging to the key figure "Absolute Markdown" are entered in the database.

Examples of inverse formulae can be found in planning layout 1SAP31 that is delivered in the standard system. See: Markdowns, Price Reduction, Shrinkage, Returns or Gross Revenue.

Manipulating Cells in Planning Layouts

For more information, see: Cell Manipulation in Planning Layout

Integrating Microsoft Excel in Planning

For more information, see: Integrating Microsoft Excel in Planning

Default Settings for Displaying Decimal Points or Values

When you define a planning layout, you can predefine the number of decimal points and a scaling factor (for example, planning in 1000) for each of the columns. These settings can then be changed again at a later date.

Characteristic Value Flexibility

You should design your planning layout so that it is as flexible as possible. This can be done by defining your characteristic values so that you enter the actual values during the planning session.

You have the following options:

In single key columns, enter "*" as your characteristic value.

If you do this, all assigned characteristic values are pulled from the planning hierarchy when you run planning.

To add a variable for characteristic values, select the Variable On/Off indicator or flag it under General Selections. This variable is supplied with data from the Characteristics Screen in manual planning.

If this is the case, you can use the Manual Planning Variants.

Individual variables are not valid throughout the system. They are only valid in the planning layouts to which they are assigned. The name of each variable can be selected as required. It is unique to each characteristic and can, therefore, be used for various different characteristics within a planning layout (for example, variable "1" for characteristic Version is different to variable "1" for the purchasing organization.) A single variable can be used more than once in a planning layout (for example, variable "1" for characteristic Version in columns one and two.)

Note

It is also permitted to add values together for variables for characteristic values that relate to numeric fields. The relevant variable is enhanced with + or – by a maximum 2-character figure.

Example

Use the following planning layout to plan data for the current fiscal year by entering a variable and then display data from the previous year in a column for comparisons.

Column 1: variable A (period from) and variable B (period to)

Column 2: variable A-12 (period from) and variable B-12 (period to)

Column 1 could, for example, contain 01.2000 (period from) and 12.2000 (period to)

Column 2 could, for example, contain 01.1999 (period from) and 12.1999 (period to)

In complex key columns and value columns in which you cannot enter ‘*’, single values or variables should be used as they can be replaced with the data selected in the characteristics screen when planning is run.

Text variables can be used to create parameters where text can be entered. To do this, enter a local variable (starting with special character $) in text creation for the element.

By selecting Extras ® Variables ® Variable Definition (Details screen for variable), you can assign a characteristic to your text variable. When planning is then run, the system automatically calculates the value of the variables using the characteristics that have been assigned previously. Examples of this can be found in planning layout 1SAP31.

 

 

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