Automatic Supply-to-Production

Use

You can also use the automatic supply-to-production in the DI System for interchangeable products. Here, the DI System uses the Remote Function Call (RFC) to fetch the component requirements from the SAP APO System.

Integration

The component requirements are read from SAP APO (using RFC) for automatic supply-to-production and for displaying the dependent requirements in the current stock/requirements list (transaction MD04) . However, the system can only read the requirements of the components that are contained together in one integration model.

Prerequisites

For every product in an interchangeability group, you have created a component variant with a change number or, in the assembly, an assembly item with change number in the product variant structure. The members of an interchangeability group must be included in the iPPE product structure to enable the DI System to request component requirements from APO. If you use the direction of interchangeability, fully interchangeable , you must include the interchangeable components of a supersession chain as early as possible in the iPPE product structure. This ensures that all the interchangeable components are included in the same integration model for the data transfer to the SAP APO System.

If you have not included a successor material in the product structure and transferred it to the APO System using the CIF, the DI System is not able to read the requirements from the APO System.
For every product in an interchangeability group, you have created a control cycle in the DI System.
You have entered the products in an interchangeability group in the selection for automatic supply-to-production.
As soon as the component to be substituted is no longer valid and may no longer be used you must delete the control cycle manually as control cycles have no validity periods. Otherwise, the invalid material can still be requested when stock levels fall below the minimum stock level.
In the APO System, you have executed an ATP Check for Planned Orders in Repetitive Manufacturing . Therefore, the system has adjusted the components in the planned order and has substituted the product in the order. The ATP check for planned orders with interchangeable components is mandatory when working with automatic supply-to-production.

Features

Creating Summarized JIT Calls

The system calculates the missing quantities taking account of the component requirements, stocks and receipts (if necessary, on basis of a minimum stock). The replenishment quantity to be requested depends on the missing quantities calculation. Here, no availability check is carried out which means it is possible in certain circumstances to request more of a material to be discontinued than is actually available in stock.

Example Example

According to the planned order, the following requirements exist for component A (to be discontinued) and its successor B: A = 3 pieces; B = 7 pieces. The total plant stock of A is only 3 pieces.

In the control cycle for A, a minimum stock level of 5 pieces has been maintained. In the control cycle of B, a minimum stock level of 10 pieces has been maintained. As the supply area stock is zero, the system now creates a summarized JIT call for A for 8 pieces although only three pieces of A exist in the plant. As the supply area stock of B is also zero, the system creates a summarized JIT call for 17 pieces for B.

End of the example.

Considering Partial Backflushes

In automatic supply-to-production, the system always determines whether partial backflushes exist for a component in the order that belongs to an interchangeability group to ensure that the correct requirements quantities are taken into account. Because when executing partial backflushes in the Product Backflush function in APO, the requirements quantity of a component may not yet have been reduced due to a possible delay in the goods issue posting in the DI System . For this reason, the system has to calculate the component quantity to be reduced in advance. Here, the sequence in which the components are to be substituted is determined and the system calculates which quantity of the current requirements quantity of the component has to be reduced.

Example Example

Partial Backflushes: Example

Order 4711 for the finished product Y for 40 pieces triggers a dependent requirement for component A for 40 pieces. Start of the navigation path Component A is to be substituted by B and later B is then to be substituted by component C (A Next navigation step B C). End of the navigation path For this purpose, you have created an interchangeability group of the type supersession chain in APO.

Using the ATP check, the product substitution is executed in order 4711 and the corresponding components are created in the order. The following situation now exists in the order:

Component A: 10 pieces

Component B: 15 pieces

Component C: 15 pieces

As a result of a partial backflush for 7 pieces and the resulting goods issue posting, the requirement for component A is reduced by 7 pieces in the planned order. Now, the following situation exists for the three components:

Component A: 3 pieces

Component B: 15 pieces

Component C: 15 pieces

Another partial backflush for Y for 10 pieces is carried out. A little later, automatic supply-to-production is started for component B. Here, the system determines the requirement of 15 pieces for order 4711. The system also determines that no goods issue posting has been carried out yet for the partial backflush. To be able to calculate the physical stock for component B, the system first has to reduce the requirement quantity by 10 pieces in order 4711. Then, the system reads the sequence of the substitution in the interchangeability group. The system first reduces the requirement quantity of A to 0 and then reduces the requirement quantity of B by 7 pieces. A requirement of 8 pieces for B remains that can still be requested.

End of the example.

Considering the Time of Material Consumption

In the iPPE activities of the routing you use for non-configurable products, in the Assignments tab page, you can define when the assigned components are to be consumed – that is the time that they have to be staged. If you set the staging setting to the beginning or to the end, or if you have set no consumption the system delivers the correct requirements. However, if you chose the setting continual consumption , the requirements quantities may be incorrect as product interchangeability does not take account of the continual consumption of components in planning.

Example Example

Continual Consumption: Example

Requirement for component A: 40 pieces between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

In planning, 20 pieces of the requirement were diverted from component A to component B. This results in the following planning situation:

Requirement for component A: 20 pieces between 10a.m. and 2p.m.

Requirement for component B: 20 pieces between 10a.m. and 2p.m.

If you set a planning horizon up to 12 p.m. in automatic supply-to-production the system determines a requirement of 10 pieces for A and a requirement of 10 pieces for B.

The correct result should be:

Requirement for component A: 20 pieces between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Requirement for component B: 20 pieces between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

In a planning horizon until 12 p.m., the system would then deliver the correct requirement of 20 pieces for component A.

End of the example.