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  Heuristics

Use

In interactive planning and in the production planning run, you use heuristicsto automatically execute planning tasks in Production Planning and Detailed Scheduling (PP/DS). In PP/DS, a heuristic is a planning function that executes planning for selected objects (products, resources, operations, or line networks, depending on the planning focus). The heuristic does this using a particular heuristic-specific procedure. SAP delivers standard heuristics that you use for different planning tasks. For example, there are heuristics with which you can execute multilevel planning according to low-level codes for selected products, or with which you can schedule operations on selected resources in a specific sequence.

Features

Standard Heuristics

SAP standard heuristics are available in the following areas:

  • Production Planning

    These heuristics are used for procurement planning for products and other planning tasks.

  • Detailed Scheduling

    These heuristics are used for sequencing operations on resources. Your planning focus is on resources and operations. Examples of these heuristics include Minimize Runtime and Remove Backlog .

  • Repetitive Manufacturing

    These heuristics generate planned orders for requirements and take the resource capacity for all periods into account. The planning focus is on resources, line networks, and products.

  • Model Mix Planning

    This heuristic optimizes the sequence of configurable products while taking any restrictions into account. The planning focus is on resources and line networks.

Elements of a Heuristic

A heuristic is based on an algorithm in which the planning procedure is implemented. (Technically, the algorithm is a function module.) SAP delivers various standard algorithms. Generally, there are various settings for an algorithm, with which you can influence selected characteristics of the planning procedure. With these different settings, you can define various heuristics for one algorithm.

Defining Your Own Heuristics

To define your own heuristics,

  • You can use an SAP standard algorithm with your own settings

    You define heuristics in Customizing for Production Planning and Detailed Scheduling under Start of the navigation path Heuristics Next navigation step Maintain Heuristics End of the navigation path .You can also find detailed information on heuristics here.To call the system documentation for a heuristic, in Customizing for Production Planning and Detailed Scheduling (PP/DS), under Maintain Heuristics , select the Information icon for the heuristic.

  • You can define your own algorithms

    For more information, see Creating Heuristics Using your Own Algorithms .

Product Heuristic

A product heuristic is the procurement planning heuristic that is entered in the location product master for a product. The system uses the product heuristic in the following cases:

  • If it automatically and immediately plans a product after a planning-relevant event occurs

    You use the PP planning procedure in the location product master to specify for which planning-relevant events the system automatically immediately plans a product.

  • If you plan the product in an MRP planning run

If a product heuristic is not entered in the location product master, the system uses the product heuristic that you have entered in the PP planning procedure.

Heuristics in Interactive Planning

Using heuristic profiles, you can define which heuristics are available in general in interactive planning. In order that you can call a heuristic in the order view, in the detailed scheduling planning board , or in the product planning table ,

  • You must have entered this heuristic in the heuristic profile in Customizing for Production Planning and Detailed Scheduling

  • You must have entered the heuristic profile in the overall profile for the relevant application

SAP provides standard heuristic profiles that contain a selection of standard heuristics; for example, the profile SAP001 for the detailed scheduling planning board, the profile SAP002 for the order view and the profile SAPREM for the product planning table. If necessary, you can define your own heuristic profiles in Customizing for Production Planning and Detailed Scheduling .

Heuristics in the Order View

In the order view, you can call the product heuristic directly under Product Heuristic . Under Variable Heuristic , you can call one of the heuristics you entered in the heuristic profile. Before you start the selected heuristic, you can change the heuristic settings.

Example Example

In the Order View , you use heuristics to plan manually planned products, for example, or to use lot-sizing procedures for automatically immediately planned products that are different to the lot-for-lot quantities or fixed lot sizes that are allowed for automatic immediate planning. You can plan a product with the Product Heuristic or select another heuristic.

End of the example.
Heuristics in the Production Planning Run

You use the production planning run if you want to execute background planning on a large number of objects. For planning, you can use heuristics, detailed scheduling functions, and PP/DS optimization.

Example Example

You use the production planning run for products for which you have set standard planning procedure 3 ( planning in the planning run ), for example. In this case, the system creates a planning file entry for a product when a planning-relevant event occurs. In the production planning run, you can execute net change planning for these products. To do this, you can use an MRP heuristic, for example, that executes multilevel planning and uses the product heuristic to plan the products.

End of the example.

For more information, see Production Planning Run .