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 Overlay of Packaging Specifications

Use

If the system finds multiple packaging specifications for certain search criteria (for example, product, location, or application), it overlays them. This means that the system lays the packaging specifications it found on top of one another in a pattern, so that one logical packaging specification arises from all packaging specifications found. The advantage of this overlay is that the number of packaging specifications can be greatly reduced.

Prerequisites

SCM Basis

  • You have defined level sets. For more information, see the Implementation Guide (IMG) for SCM Basis under Start of the navigation path Packing Next navigation step Packaging Specification Next navigation step Maintain Structure of Packaging Specification Next navigation step Define Level Set End of the navigation path .

  • You have assigned the same level set to the packaging specification groups whose packaging specifications you want to overlay. For more information, see the Implementation Guide (IMG) for SCM Basis under Start of the navigation path Packing Next navigation step Packaging Specification Next navigation step Define Packaging Specification Group End of the navigation path .

  • You have assigned your packaging specifications to a packaging specification group. You have made this assignment on the SAP Easy Access screen under Start of the navigation path Advanced Planning and Optimization Next navigation step Service Parts Planning (SPP) Next navigation step Environment Next navigation step Packaging Specification Next navigation step Maintain Packaging Specification End of the navigation path .

The system can only overlay packaging specifications that either belong to the same level set or that belong to different level sets in which the sequence of the rounding-relevant level types are not contradictory.

Service Parts Planning

Before the system overlays the packaging specifications found, you must assign a standard packaging specification and a determination procedure to a rounding profile and set the Overlay Packing Instructions indicator. You do this in Customizing for Advanced Planning and Optimization under Start of the navigation path Supply Chain Planning Next navigation step Service Parts Planning (SPP) Next navigation step Basic Settings Next navigation step Define Rounding Profile End of the navigation path . If you do not set the indicator, the system chooses the first packaging specification it finds as the valid packaging specification and does not carry out an overlay.

Global ATP

In Global ATP the overlay of packaging specifications is always activated. You do not have to make any special settings.

Features

The overlay of packaging specifications occurs field by field, this means that header information fields can only overwrite header information fields, content fields can only overwrite content fields , and so on.

According to the rule for overlaying packaging specifications, the filled fields of the packaging specification last found overwrite the filled fields of the packaging specification found next to last. The filled fields of the next to last packaging specification then overwrite the fields of the previous packaging specification, and so on.

The system also considers level types when overlaying packaging specifications. You have defined level types in level sets (see prerequisites). Each level type can only overwrite the same level type.

Example Example

The system first finds packaging specification A, which contains level types 1, 2, and 3.

The system then finds packaging specification B, which only contains level type 3.

In this case the system adopts level types 1 and 2 from packaging specification A and overwrites the fields of level type 3 of packaging specification A with the fields of level type 3 of packaging specification B.

End of the example.
Smallest Permissible Pack Size

If the system finds multiple packaging specifications in which the Smallest Permissible Pack Size indicator is set on various levels, the system chooses the highest level.

Example Example

The system finds two packaging specifications. In the first, the smallest permissible pack size is the fourth level, and in the second it is on the third level. When overlaying these two packaging specifications, the system thus determines the fourth level as the smallest permissible pack size.

End of the example.

Example

You deliver product X to 40 locations.

Location Z , one of these 40 locations, has a very small warehouse. You therefore define a smaller rounding tolerance interval for location Z .

When the system looks for a valid packaging specification for product X at location Z , in other words for location product XZ , the system first finds the packaging specification for product X . It then finds the packaging specification in which you defined a smaller rounding tolerance level for location Z . All filled fields of the packaging specification for location Z now overwrite the filled fields of the packaging specification for product X . As you only defined a different rounding tolerance interval in the packaging specification for location Z (in other words, you only filled the fields for the upper and lower limits of the rounding tolerance interval), the system also only overwrites these fields in the product X packaging specification with the information from the location Z packaging specification. This means that two packaging specifications are enough to cover 40 location products.