Process documentationPhase-In Planning

 

The phase-in planning process calculates forecast values for new products that do not yet have historical data. This calculation is based on values derived from the experience of similar products.

Prerequisites

  • You have created phase-in groups and defined their characteristics in the IMG activity Define Phase-In Group in Customizing for Advanced Planning and Optimization under Start of the navigation path Supply Chain Planning Next navigation step Service Parts Planning (SPP) Next navigation step Forecasting End of the navigation path.

    For more information about phase-in groups and phase-in profiles, see Phase-In Profile.

  • You have created a product group type for phase-in planning in Customizing for Advanced Planning and Optimization under Start of the navigation path Mast. Data Next navigation step Product Next navigation step Product Groups Next navigation step Define Product Group Types End of the navigation path. You have assigned this product group type to the phase-in service profile in Customizing for Advanced Planning and Optimization under Start of the navigation path Supply Chain Planning Next navigation step Service Parts Planning (SPP) Next navigation step Forecasting Next navigation step Define Forecast Service Profiles End of the navigation path in the Product Group Type field under Phase-In Forecasting.

  • In the master data, you have marked the new product as a product for which the system is to carry out a phase-in forecast.

    To do so, you have marked the product on the SAP Easy Access screen under Start of the navigation path Advanced Planning and Optimization Next navigation step Master Data Next navigation step Product Next navigation step Product End of the navigation path as follows:

    • On the Properties 2 tab page, you have assigned the product group that belongs to the product to the new product belonging to the product group type defined in Customizing.

    • You have set the New Product indicator on the Properties of SPP tab page.

    • You have entered a production start date on the Properties of SPP tab page.

  • You have defined the following service profiles for the phase-in planning in the Planning Service Manager (PSM):

    • Generate phase-in profile

    • Phase-in forecast

    • Phase-in forecast based on BOD

    To do this, you have carried out the IMG activity Define Forecast Service Profiles in Customizing for Advanced Planning and Optimization under Start of the navigation path Supply Chain Planning Next navigation step Service Parts Planning (SPP) Next navigation step Forecasting End of the navigation path.

  • You have defined a planning profile in the PSM for phase-in planning.

    To do this, you have carried out the IMG activity Define Planning Profile in Customizing for SCM Basis under Planning Service Manager as follows:

    • You have created a planning profile under Header Data.

    • You have entered a selection name and a process profile in the Process Block field.

      Caution Caution

      You have to define the selection and process profile at product level so that the PSM can execute the phase-in planning service.

      End of the caution.

    • You have entered the SPP: Phase-In Planning Service (SPP_PHASE_IN) planning service and the service profiles you defined in the Planning Profile Service List.

    For more information, see Use of the Planning Service Manager in SPP and PSM Services for Forecasting.

  • You have scheduled the SPP: Forecast Approval Service (Regular) (SPP_FCST_RELEASE) planning service in the PSM after the SPP: Phase-in Planning Service (SPP_PHASE_IN) planning service.

Process

  1. In the Generate Phase-In Profile planning service, the system generates a phase-in profile for the product group chosen in Customizing. In doing so, the system takes into account the values you entered in the IMG activity Define Phase-In Groups. Depending on these values, the system generates either a standard profile or different profiles for low, medium, and high demand.

    Note Note

    The PSM can generate a phase-in profile only if you have chosen products that already have historical data.

    End of the note.

  2. The system carries out the phase-in forecast in the Phase-In Forecast planning service. The system assigns a phase-in profile to the new product and calculates the forecast for the new product from the production start date. The system also calculates the standard deviation for the product. For more information, see Calculating Standard Deviation for Phase-In Forecasting.

    If only a standard profile exists, the system automatically assigns this standard profile to the new product. If profiles exists for products with low, medium, and high demand, the system creates an alert so that the forecast planner can assign the product to one of these profiles.

    The forecast planner can make this assignment from the SAP Easy Access menu by choosing Start of the navigation path Advanced Planning and Optimization Next navigation step Service Parts Planning (SPP) Next navigation step Planning Next navigation step Forecasting Next navigation step Phase-In Forecasting End of the navigation path.

    On this screen, the forecast planner can also do the following:

    • See the phase-in profiles by entering one phase-in group only

    • See the forecast values of the phase-in forecast by entering one product only. The system then automatically assigns the relevant phase-in group to this product, and also displays the phase-in profile in addition to the forecast values.

    • Assign a phase-in profile to products by entering a product and a phase-in group, choosing the required profile, and assigning it

    • Manually change the final forecast values under Key Figures

    • Change the key figure selected in the Key Figure field for all periods according to the entries in the Operator and Value fields by choosing Distribute. If, for example, the key figure Final Forecast (Demand), the operator +, and the value 100 are selected, the system adds 100 pieces to the final forecast of each period.

  3. In the Phase-In Forecast Based on BOD planning service, the system transfers the phase-in forecast that it previously executed at product level to the bill of distribution (BOD) and disaggregates the calculated forecast values.

    If you want to use your own logic for disaggregation and this differs from the forecast disaggregation logic shipped as standard, you can define this in the GLOBAL_LOCDIST_READ method of the Business Add-In (BAdI) BAdI: Phase-In/Out Planning (/SAPAPO/PHAS_EXT).

    The forecast planner can see the results of the phase-in forecast at location product level from the SAP Easy Access menu by choosing Start of the navigation path Advanced Planning and Optimization Next navigation step Service Parts Planning (SPP) Next navigation step Planning Next navigation step Forecasting Next navigation step Interactive Forecasting End of the navigation path.

  4. The system executes the SPP: Forecast Approval Service (Regular) planning service so that the forecast results for the new product are also available for further SPP planning services such as distribution requirements planning (DRP).

Recommendation Recommendation

We recommend that you include the product for which you carry out phase-in planning in the product selection you specify for the SPP: Forecast Service (SPP_FCS_SERVICE) planning service, and select the Combined Forecast function in the SPP: Forecast Service planning service. This planning service then checks whether a specific number of historical periods have already elapsed in which demand for the new product was greater than zero. If this is the case, the service deletes the New Product indicator from the product master data. If this indicator is not set, the product becomes part of the regular forecast rather than phase-in planning.

You can specify the number of historical periods that must have elapsed before the planning service deletes the New Product indicator in the forecast profile in the No. Non-Zero-Dem. Per. for Phase-In to Forecast Mod. Switch field on the General tab page.

End of the recommendation.