Season 

Use

In the fashion industry, seasons are an integral part of the business processes. Originally, seasons were only available in Sales and Distribution (SD). It has now been enhanced so that it can also be used for Materials Management (MM), Production Planning (PP), and Inventory Management (IM).

Now the process has even been extended for the Allocation Run (ARun), to ensure that the season-related information is considered while creating assignments.

Features

This function offers the following options:

Seasonality in ARun

This includes the following functions:

●      If you have activated the Season field check in the allocation rule attached to the allocation type, ARun will consider the requirement and stock season before assigning stock to requirements.  

●      A validation check is performed to check whether or not deallocation has to be triggered, if the seasonal information is changed in an allocated purchase order or production order on the basis of deallocation rule settings for purchase orders or production orders.

●      A validation is performed during goods receipt (GR) for an allocated purchase order or production order when the season information is changed. The deallocation rule settings for goods receipt handling will check whether the season information is appropriate, and then trigger deallocation if customized.

●      A validation is performed to check whether or not deallocation has to be triggered on the basis of the deallocation rule settings for sales orders, when season information in these allocated sales order is changed.

Seasonality in MM and PP

A season is determined when a purchase requisition or purchase order is created, either manually or by material requirements planning (MRP). In a purchase requisition, the season is determined based on the delivery date of the purchase requisition. However, in a purchase order, a season is determined based on the Creation Date and Delivery Date.

For multiple valid seasons, MRP selects the first valid season.

Material enabled for a season must find a valid season as the purchase requisition or purchase order is created, otherwise the document cannot be saved.

After initially determining a season, manual changes made to the season data invokes a season check. If a season is not valid, a message (based on the message type maintained in the condition records) is displayed. For a planned or production order, the behavior corresponds to a purchase requisition and purchase order, respectively.

Seasonality in IM

This option is enabled only if the Season Active in IM indicator is set in the material master. The Season Fixed indicator is a display only field and cannot be set for the new materials.

The information regarding season, collection, and theme is stored in the stock tables, in the batch tables, and in the material movement documents. In addition, the season, collection, and theme fields are validated during goods movement.

Stock determination and batch determination are based on grid value, stock category, season, collection, and theme.

Limitation

Materials with Season Active in IM indicator cannot be processed using MBXX transaction.

Activities

Seasonality in ARun

To activate seasonality for ARun during allocation:

●      Activate the Season field check during allocation for a particular allocation rule in Customizing by choosing AFS Allocation Run  ® ARun Detail  ® Define Allocation Logic  ® Allocation Rule.

 

To activate seasonality for ARun during deallocation:

       1.      Maintain the deallocation rule for a season change in allocated purchase orders (POs) in Customizing by choosing AFS Allocation Run  ® Cross Applications  ® PO Handling  ® Deallocation Rule. Here you define what action you want the system to take when the season in an allocated purchase order is changed. To attach this deallocation rule to the plant, in Customizing choose AFS Allocation Run  ® Cross Applications  ® PO Handling  ® Assign PO Rules to Plant.

 

       2.      Maintain the deallocation rule for a season change in allocated production/purchase orders during goods receipt (GR) in Customizing by choosing AFS Allocation Run  ® Cross Applications  ® GR Handling  ® Deallocation Rule. Here you define what action you want the system to take when the season during goods receipt (GR) for an allocated production/purchase order is changed. To attach this deallocation rule to the plant, in Customizing choose AFS Allocation Run  ® Cross Applications  ® GR Handling  ® Assign GR Rules to Plant.

 

       3.      Maintain the deallocation rule for a season change in allocated production orders in Customizing by choosing AFS Allocation Run  ® Cross Applications  ® PP Handling  ® Deallocation Rule. Here you define what action you want the system to take when the season in an allocated production order is changed. To attach this deallocation rule to the plant, in Customizing choose AFS Allocation Run  ® Cross Applications  ® PP Handling  ® Assign PP Rules to Plant.

 

       4.      Maintain the deallocation rule for a season change in allocated sales orders in Customizing by choosing AFS Allocation Run  ® Cross Applications  ® SD Handling  ® Deallocation Rule. Here you define what action you want the system to take when the season in an allocated sales order is changed. To attach this deallocation rule to the order type, in Customizing choose AFS Allocation Run  ® Cross Applications  ® SD Handling  ® Assign Rule to Order Type.

Seasonality in MM/PP/IM

To activate seasonality for MM/PP/IM:

...

       1.      Create a season in Customizing by choosing Logistics - General  ®Define AFS Seasons. Here you  create a season, a collection, and a theme.

       2.      Maintain the season on the Season tab page of AFS Basic Data, to link a season to a material. This is also possible at stock keeping unit (SKU) level depending on the relevancy for season in the characteristic. All linked seasons for the material are valid for SD and MM/PP/IM. For MM/PP/IM, the available season depends on the season level and the validity or period for that particular season level.

       3.      Activate the season in the material master for MM/PP/IM by using the following indicators in the material master:

●      Season Level

This indicator determines at which level the season is being used in MM. A season can be used only as season, season/collection, or season/collection/theme.

●      Season Active in IM

When you set the indicator, the season is used in IM by copying it into the batches and stock tables.

A season in SD can be different from a season in MM/PP/IM. For example, a material has a season level maintained only in Season. Sales orders are created with a season/collection/theme combination, but the purchase requisition or order can be created based only on a season.

       4.      Maintain the condition records related to the stock season on the SAP Easy Access screen, by choosing Logistics - General  ® AFS Central Functions  ® AFS Seasons  ® Change (transaction /afs/ss02).

You can maintain one record for a particular season/collection/theme combination. The creation of the record for a season is mandatory if the season is used in MM/PP/IM. Creation Date and Delivery Date are used for season determination and season check.

 

Limitations

●      Available-to-Promise (ATP) does not consider seasonality.

●      Season, collection, and theme are not relevant for valuation.

●      Season, collection, and theme are not present in reservation, deliveries and warehouse management (WM).