Automatic Planning Methods (SAP Library - Profitability Analysis (COPA))

Automatic Planning Methods

Use

The automatic planning methods can be used to edit automatically a large amount of planned profitability segments that you first specify in a planning package.

Features

The following automatic planning methods are available:

Copy - for copying data from another year or another plan version, for example

Forecast - for forecasting data using specific rules and on the basis of data from a previous year, for example

Delete - for deleting a large amount of data

Top-down distribution - for distributing data from a higher planning level (such as the customer group level) to a more detailed level (such as the customer level)

Ratios - to valuate a quantity plan using reference prices from another plan version

Valuation - to valuate data using the logic stored in CO-PA Customizing for valuation

Revaluation - to calculate additions or deductions for data

Event - to take into account a short-term event (such as a sales campaign) during planning

Period distribution - to distribute data planned for the year to the individual periods

Customer enhancement - to apply the user-programmed logic from a customer enhancement on data

Caution

Note that all automatic planning methods have to be executed for the planning package for which the data is to be changed.

When you execute the automatic planning methods, the system automatically derives from the existing characteristics those characteristics that are not contained in the planning level.

Processing

For each automatic planning method, you can make processing settings in the parameter set. By making the appropriate setting, you specify, on the one hand, whether the planning method is to be executed in a test run or in an update run, or, on the other hand, whether this decision is to be postponed until the point of execution.

In the test run, no data is posted. A log is generated and displayed. If you execute the test run online, a dialog box appears offering you the option of displaying a report that simulates the data that would have been posted if the update run had been executed. However, this requires you to have created a corresponding report in the information system (see the section Defining Profitability Reports).

In the update run, the values are written to the database and a log is created and displayed. You can display the posted data in the information system by using a corresponding report or the Display planning data planning method.

Furthermore, for parameter sets that are saved as permanent, you can choose This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Background processing to jump to a screen providing you with all the background processing options that are offered in the standard SAP System.

Caution

In such cases, you need to choose the processing options Test run or Update run. The option Decision at point of execution causes the background job to terminate.

You can run in parallel several background jobs that execute automatic planning functions. However, this is only possible when each job deals with an independent set of data. This means that you cannot run planning methods in parallel for the same planning package.

Log

For each automatic planning method executed, a log is generated, providing you with information about which data has been changed, when, how and by whom, and whether any messages occurred. You find all the functions for a log provided by the SAP log tool, the Application Log (see the section Display Logs ). Alongside these standard functions, you can choose This graphic is explained in the accompanying text to call up a detailed log that provides information specific to the method used.

You can use the function Jump ® Administration to display all generated logs. You can set a filter for the log elements in this list so that you can display, for example, all runs for a given planning package or a specific user.

To delete logs, you can use the transaction SLG2. For more information, see the section Delete Logs.