Integration of RPM for Repetitive Manufacturing in the SAP APO

This process describes how to proceed when planning products with many variants and large numbers of orders. This is necessary, for example, in the automotive industry. The production is make-to-order; the planned orders for the product ordered by the customer and for important components are assigned to the pegged customer order.

You can use this planning process for final products and for important assemblies, such as engines.

You can use this form of repetitive manufacturing only when you use Integrated Product and Process Engineering (iPPE) to manage master data (BOMs, routings, production lines). In this case, you can use the SAP APO only together with a DI system (from 4.6B).

Prerequisites

You have set up an interface between the DI system and the SAP APO. See also: Transfer of iPPE Data to the SAP APO.

Process

The following graphic shows the planning process for repetitive manufacturing for configurable products with a DI system and the SAP APO:

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text.

You maintain the master data in the DI system and transfer the master data to the SAP APO.
You check and complete the transferred master data in the SAP APO.
You maintain the PP/DS settings, such as the factory calendar, propagation area, and so on, in the SAP APO.
You transfer the necessary movement data, such as sales orders, stocks, receipt elements, and so on, to create a uniform planning situation in both systems.
You run model mix planning for the RPM product in the SAP APO. Model mix planning generates an APO planned order with quantity 1 for each sales order, depending on the settings. Model mix planning assigns the planned order to the line resource on which the final assembly is to take place and defines the order sequence with the start and end dates of the planned orders. This APO planned order does not have a component list.
The last step of the planning run is to explode the product variant structure and to create a Rapid Planning Matrix. The Rapid Planning Matrix determines the requirement quantities and dates for the components required for each order. If you have specified that an activity matrix is to be generated for the product being planned, the planning run determines the activities required for each order. See also: Planning.
You can update the Rapid Planning Matrix at any point in time when changes are made. You start the planning run for the RPM from the product view or directly in the menu for the RPM. See also: Updating Matrices.
We recommend that you use the DI system rather than the SAP APO to plan less important components (B and C parts), so as not to overload the SAP APO. The procedure is as follows:
1. The planning file entries for these components are transferred automatically to the DI system.
2. You plan requirements for these components in the DI system. Requirements planning uses the dependent requirements for the components from RPM in the SAP APO.
3. You use the MRP list and the stock/requirements list to evaluate the results of requirements planning.
4. You produce/procure the components in the DI system; you convert the planned orders or purchase requisitions that are generated to cover the dependent requirements in the matrix, backflush, if necessary, post the goods receipt and goods issue, and so on.
We recommend that you use the SAP APO to plan important components that are produced in-house or that are procured externally (A parts), such as the engine or the wiring harness in the automotive industry.
1. You run planning in the SAP APO for these components. The planning run generates APO planned orders to cover the dependent requirements determined by the RPM. The planning run executes a single explosion of the iPPE data for components produced in-house to determine the dependent requirements for the subordinate components.
2. You evaluate the planning results for the final product and for the components that you have planned in the SAP APO and, if necessary, process the procurement elements generated by the SAP APO. To do this, you use planned order management, the product planning table, or the product view, for example.
3. You can transfer the APO planned orders for the components to the DI system where you can produce/procure (conversion, backflush, and so on).
  or
4. You can use the Collaborative Procurement component in the SAP APO to process and convert the APO planned orders and the APO purchase requisitions for the components that are procured externally. This component supports you in determining the source, in using scheduling agreements, and so on.
5. You plan and control the production of the final product (final assembly) in the SAP APO, by using the product planning board and sequencing, for example. You also enter the production backflush in the SAP APO. The backflush data is transferred to the DI system. The goods receipt for the RPM product and the goods issue for the components are automatically posted at the same time in the DI system (backflush). The updated stock values for the components are transferred from the DI system to the SAP APO. The dependent requirements in the RPM are updated simultaneously; the component requirements are reduced.
  When you have specified that the system is also to generate an activity matrix, you can backflush production activities in addition to components. The mode data from the process structure is used when posting production activities. You have maintained Controlling-relevant data for the production resource in the DI system (cost center/activity type/business process). When the backflush data is entered, the system uses the activity matrix to determine which activities are required for each order. It uses the mode data (duration and primary resource) to determine the production activities.
  
  See also: Production Backflush.