Basics of Sales & Operations Planning
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What Is Sales & Operations Planning?Planning Based on Information Structures
The Sales & Operations Planning (SOP) application is based on information structures. An information structure is a statistics file containing operational data. This can be either planning data you anticipate will happen or actual data that happened. An information structure contains three kinds of information: characteristics, key figures, and a period unit. Information structures are used for data evaluation, projection, and analysis in all the logistics information systems.
To find out more about information structures, see LO Logistics Information System.
Menus
The SOP application is offered in two menus: the Standard SOP menu and the Flexible Planning menu.
With Standard SOP, you work with just one organizational unit, the product group hierarchy, and plan predefined key figures in a planning table with a set layout. All plans in Standard SOP are based on the standard information structure S076.
To access Standard SOP, choose Logistics
® Production ® Standard SOP from the main R/3 menu. Alternatively, from the Flexible Planning menu, choose Planning ® Standard SOP.Planning carried out in Flexible Planning, on the other hand, can be based on any information structure of your choice, either a self-defined information structure or a standard information structure. (For an explanation of these two kinds of information structure, see LO Logistics Information System.) This means you can plan any combination of organizational units and any key figures. In addition, you can design your own planning table layouts, known as planning types.
To access Flexible Planning, choose Logistics ® Logistics Controlling ® Flexible Planning from the main R/3 menu. Alternatively, from the Standard SOP menu, choose Planning ® Flexible Planning.
You can also maintain plans using the Planning menu in the logistics information systems.
Planning Methods
Of key importance in SOP is the planning method applied to the information structure. The planning method determines how data is distributed to different corporate units. You define your planning methods in Customizing (in Set parameters for info structures and key figures). Three planning methods are available:
See also:
SOP Planning Methods Example of Consistent Planning Examples of Level-By-Level Planning Example of Delta Planning Planning Methods at a Glance