Planning Object in Key Figure Planning
Planning in Business Planning and Simulation (BPS) uses, among others, the following types of planning objects:
Planning area
The planning area is the highest level of the planning architecture in BPS. The planning area is where the system establishes the connection to the InfoCube in SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence (SAP NetWeaver BI), which serves as a basis for all planning that is done in the context of the planning area.
Planning level
The planning level is the second node in the planning hierarchy. You use the planning level to restrict the data basis provided by the planning area to the business environment in which planning is done.
Furthermore, you can define characteristic value restrictions at planning level to further restrict the area to which the planning functions apply.
Planning package
The planning package is the lowest level of the planning architecture. It transfers the characteristics and key figures selected at the planning level and is used to further restrict the characteristics whose values have not yet been restricted at the planning level.
A planning level can contain any number of planning packages. The system automatically creates an ad hoc planning package at each planning level. You can use the ad hoc package in the same way as a planning package that you have defined yourself but it has the following special features:
The settings that you make for an ad hoc package are only valid for the duration of the current planning session. If you end the planning session, the settings for the ad hoc package are reset.
The ad hoc package is not blocked and can therefore be changed simultaneously by all users
The ad hoc package cannot be deleted from the planning level
Planning profile
A planning profile groups together a user-related selection of planning objects (planning areas, key figures, functions, and so on). Planning profiles filter the total quantity of planning objects available in the system and filter the ones in which you are interested.
Planning layout
A planning layout provides data records from an SAP NetWeaver BI InfoCube for manual planning or data entry. Planning level characteristics and key figures are assigned to the header, lead column, and data column area in a planning layout. In addition to the characteristics and key figures of the data basis, you can also define formulas for locally calculated key figures.