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 Form-Fit-Function Classes

Purpose

In this process, you can plan the exchange of service parts that have the same relevant properties. In order to interchange these service parts with one another in planning, you can group them into form-fit-function classes. The advantage of working with this type of product interchangeability is that you will be more likely to cover requirements that occur at one location without having to make any new procurements. Even if a particular product is not available, you may be able to cover demand for this product by using another product with the same form-fit-function class. This makes it possible to save ordering and procurement costs and shorten your delivery times.

Prerequisites

Master Data

In the master data for product and location interchangeability, you created form-fit-function classes and you created location-specific form-fit-function subsets (FFF subsets) for each form-fit-function class. You defined a leading product for each FFF subset.

Caution Caution

You have to define the same leading product for all the FFF subsets in a form-fit-function class.

End of the caution.

You can access the master data for product and location interchangeability from the SAP Easy Access screen via Start of the navigation path Advanced Planning and Optimization Next navigation step Master Data Next navigation step Product and Location Interchangeability Next navigation step Interchangeability Group End of the navigation path . For more information, see Master Data for Product and Location Interchangeability .

Customizing

  • You activated S_V23 validation in Customizing. For more information, see the Implementation Guide (IMG) for Start of the navigation path Advanced Planning and OptimizationunderMast. Data Next navigation step Product and Location Interchangeability Next navigation step Consistency Checks Next navigation step Maintain Validation. End of the navigation path

  • In Customizing, you assigned the S_V23 validation with the Error message category to consistency profile S_3 . For more information, see the IMG for Start of the navigation path Advanced Planning and OptimizationunderMast. Data Next navigation step Product and Location Interchangeability Next navigation step Consistency Checks Next navigation step Maintain Consistency Profiles and Assign Validation. End of the navigation path

Planning Service Manager (PSM)

In order to avoid planning the products in an FFF subset twice, you selected the Location Product (Product: Prod:Suerps. + FBG) (LOCATIONPRODUCT_PRODUCT_INCFC) method as the package creation method in the process profile for the SPP: DRP Service (SPP_DRP) planning service. For more information, see Use of the Planning Service Manager in SPP and PSM Services for Distribution Requirements Planning (DRP) .

Process

  1. Distribution requirements planning (DRP) checks if you have defined the same product as the leading product for all the FFF subsets in a form-fit-function class. If this is not the case for a form-fit-function class, DRP does not include this form-fit-function class in planning and generates an alert. Otherwise, the system continues to step 2.

  2. DRP determines the sequence in which it processes the products in a form-fit-function class. DRP defines the leading product as the last product in the form-fit-function class because, in step 3, DRP consolidates all the net requirements and overstocks for the non-leading products in the leading product and only calculates procurement receipts for the leading location products.

  3. DRP consolidates the net requirements and overstocks for all the non-leading products of each FFF subset in the leading product of the FFF subset.

    Note Note

    Since you defined FFF subsets to be location-specific and DRP consolidates the requirements of the individual products for each FFF subset, DRP plans requirements and stocks in this step at the location product level.

    End of the note.

    DRP generates substitution orders in order to consolidate the net requirements and overstocks for the non-leading products in the leading product. For more information, see Consolidating Demands and Generating Substitution Order .

  4. DRP covers the net demand consolidated in the leading product. DRP proceeds in the same way as for other net requirements for products that are not part of a form-fit-function class. For more information, see Distribution Requirements Planning (DRP) .

  5. If subsequent services, such as deployment, inventory balancing or the inbound delivery monitor call the DRP Matrix for a non-leading product, the system temporarily specifies this product as a leading product and carries out DRP calculation.

    For more information about how the inventory balancing service plans inventory transfers for the products in an FFF subset, see Inventory Balancing for the Products of an FFF Subset .