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SOP: Master Data

Description

Several types of master data are possible in Release 3.0 of Sales & Operations Planning:

To find out which types of master data are relevant for which planning method, see SOP: General Concepts.

Characteristic Value Combinations

A characteristic values combination is a combination of characteristic values that provides a framework for your planning activities.

Characteristic value combinations were available in the Logistics Information System in Release 2.2. In Release 3.0 you can plan them in Sales & Operations Planning. There are two ways to create a characteristic values combination:

A characteristic values combination that you create manually is known as a planning hierarchy. You base a planning hierarchy on the characteristics in a chosen structure.

A characteristic values combination that is generated by the system creates planning objects for the characteristic values of an information structure which are already present in the system. The structure may resemble a network rather than a hierarchy.

Generating Characteristic Value Combinations Automatically

To generate characteristic value combinations automatically, you run the Actual Data Generator. This is a program that determines the characteristic values (such as sales organization North) for which data (such as invoiced sales) has been recorded as of a given date and creates one or more characteristic value combinations to reflect this situation.

Note
SAP recommends that you run the Actual Data Generator before you start using Release 3.0 of Sales & Operations Planning. Background processing is the most suitable mode of execution for this program.

If necessary, you can change the results of the Actual Data Generator using the Change -> Planning hierarchy function; for example, if you want to plan a new product line that has not existed until now.

You can also reduce the number of records found by the Actual Data Generator to those which are relevant for sales and operations planning. SOP allows you to define your own user method for this purpose. You configure a user method in Customizing for Sales & Operations Planning. To decide whether a user method is required to reduce the number of records included in the planning process, you run the Actual Data Generator with the Simulation indicator switched on.

Product Groups

A product group contains either other product groups or materials. You assign members to product groups according to whatever criteria best meet the needs of your enterprise, such as manufacturing procedure, product design, market niche, and so on.

You can create product group hierarchies manually as you did in Release 2.2.

You can also generate them automatically by running the Actual Data Generator in standard SOP. In this process, the system obtains the actual data for standard SOP information structure S076 from the actual data of another information structure. This is any information structure specified by you which contains the characteristic "material". If "plant" is also a characteristic of this information structure, a planning object is created in S076 for each combination of material and plant. If "plant" is not a characteristic of the source information structure, planning objects are created in S076 for each plant in which a material is managed in the system.

It is possible to include a product group in a planning hierarchy. To find out how to link the two, see SOP: General Concepts.

Note
If you used Sales and Operations Planning in Release 2.2 and you want to continue working with the product groups and planning versions you created then, program RMCP6SOP must be executed when you upgrade to Release 3.0. Unless you specify otherwise, this program runs automatically as part of the implementation process. For further details, see the program documentation.

Materials

A material can be a member of a characteristic values combination or a product group. As in Release 2.2, there is a direct link between the material master and Sales & Operations Planning.

Change system parameters in customizing

A characteristic values combination is based on an information structure. You configure the unit values of this information structure in Units of fields from info structures .

You configure the number range intervals of characteristic value combinations in Number range for combinations of characteristics .

You configure a user method to reduce the number of records found by the Actual Data Generator to those relevant for planning in Define user methods.

Changes to the interface

You create a planning hierarchy manually in the flexible planning menu Master data.

You run the Actual Data Generator in flexible planning with Master data -> Generate master data.

You run the Actual Data Generator in standard SOP with Product group -> Generate master data.