Stock and Requirements Sorting 
Use
Using the sort rule you can sort requirements at order and schedule line level, and thus override the original sequence in which the orders were placed. The orders are put in a different sequence to meet your requirements. The new sequence is now the basis for the allocation. You can also sort stock in this manner.
You want orders of A customers to always be handled with a higher priority
than the orders of B and C customers. That means that the important customers
are served first in critical situations.
A stock sorting is for example useful if you want to make sure that the materials that are placed in storage first are the first to be consumed, that is, allocated.
Integration
The formation of the sort rule extensively influences other functions of the allocation run:
...
1. When using the sort sequence remember that the sorting is carried out first by fields at header level, then at item level and finally at schedule line level.
If this is ignored, splitting of the total order can occur, which in certain release rule combinations might lead to the requirements being split and thus to undesired partial deliveries: If you sort at a level that is below the level at which your release rule carries out the release check, the order or item can be split (for example, if sorting is carried out according to the confirmed delivery date, but the release rule checks the minimum quantities at item level).
If your business process does not allow any other option for sorting, you can repair and recombine these splittings in the allocation. To do this, use the function Final Release Check.
Item |
Schedule Line |
Pieces |
Color |
Confirmed Delivery Date |
10 |
1 |
50 |
Green |
5.12.1999 |
20 |
1 |
10 |
Red |
5.11.1999 |
20 |
2 |
20 |
Yellow |
6.12.1999 |
In this case the result of the sorting is as follows:
Item |
Schedule Line |
Pieces |
Color |
Confirmed Delivery Date |
20 |
1 |
10 |
Red |
5.11.1999 |
10 |
1 |
50 |
Green |
5.12.1999 |
20 |
2 |
20 |
Yellow |
6.12.1999 |
As item 20 was split into two parts, the system carries out the release check for both parts separately. If 10 pieces of color red are available in the example, but 20 pieces of color yellow are not, then the system would release the 10 red pieces, but not the 20 yellow pieces. To avoid this, you must always activate the final release check that is set in the allocation type.
2. If you want to sort by schedule line fields in all orders, you must use the function module Prepare 1 in the Allocation Logic during the preparation. This can negatively affect the runtimes during the allocation run.
Prerequisites
· Every allocation type must have a sort rule.
· The field catalog, which contains the sort criteria, can be enhanced in the IMG node Define Rules for Stock/Requirements Sorting. Remember that the enhancement of the sort fields is a modification.
Features
The sort rule contains a field catalog with sort fields. You choose the fields from the field catalog that are important for your business processes and put them in a sequence. In the next step you can compare the selected fields with constants. For example, you can define that customer X always has the highest priority. In the following step you can use your own sort logic with the help of a function module.
You can also sort by allocation groups.