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Function documentationInbound Processing of Customer Forecasts

 

This function receives and stores incoming original customer forecast data and links it to a Business Intelligence (BI) InfoCube. This enables the vendor to process the data in Customer Forecast Management.

Prerequisites

You have received customer forecast data from the customer, either in a CSV file or as an IDoc.

Features

  • This function uses both IDoc types PROACT and DELFOR with a new message variant CFM for both message types PROACT and DELINS.

  • If the forecast data provided by the customer is in the form of an IDoc, the system first loads the data to a temporary table, and then a background job uploads it to the InfoCube. If it is a CSV format, a different process chain uploads the data directly to the InfoCube.

  • If the system finds that there is already data stored for the current version of the relevant location product for the period in question, it updates the data using the new forecast.

  • While processing the IDoc, the system checks the following:

    • Whether the IDoc contains values for location, customer product and vendor product

    • Location validity, customer product validity, vendor product validity and customer-vendor product assignment

    If any of the checks fails, the system outputs an error and does not process the IDoc.

  • The system also checks whether the data (quantity and date) is syntactically correct, and only saves valid daily and weekly buckets. If the customer provides the data in monthly buckets, the system splits the buckets down into weeks.

  • The system reads the customizing settings for the expected forecast horizon, and if the actual horizon length does not match the settings, it raises an alert.

  • The system checks the unit of the forecasts, and if it differs from the base unit defined in the product master, it converts it. If the conversion is not possible, it generates an error message.

Activities

You execute or schedule the process chain for uploading the data to the target InfoCube. On the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Start of the navigation path Information Systems Next navigation step Business Information Warehouse Next navigation step Modeling Next navigation step RSA1 - Data Warehousing Workbench: Modeling Next navigation step Administration Next navigation step Process Chains End of the navigation path.