Rule Control (SAP Library - Rules-Based Availability Check)

Rule Control

Use

In the rule control, you save information about the processing method of the procedures associated with the rule.

Features

The rule control consists of the following elements:

● Access strategy

● Qualified product or qualified location

● Combination sequence of locations and products

● Combination of the product and location lists

● Complement of the combination of the product and location lists

Access Strategy

First Access with Input

The access strategy determines the sequence in which the system accesses substitutions (products, locations, or location products).

During the first access, the system determines the substitution chain that contains the input product, input location, or input location product. Depending on the input location, input product, or input location product, the system determines a list of predecessors (and their predecessors) and successors (and their successors) from this substitution list.

You can choose the following access strategies:

● Start from top of list (01 = fixed value)

● Work forward from input, then backward from input (02 = fixed value)

● Work forward from input, then cyclic (03 = fixed value)

● Start from bottom of list (04 = fixed value)

● Work backward from input, then forward from input (05 = fixed value)

● Work backward from input, then cyclic (06 = fixed value)

● Work forward from input (07 = fixed value)

● Work backward from input (08 = fixed value)

● Start from top of list (09 = fixed value)

● Start from bottom of list (10 = fixed value)

The system can select substitutions in the sense of an upgrade (or downgrade) during the rule evaluation using the access strategies (07) to (10). This is necessary so that the rule-based availability check does not determine a “more inferior” version of the requested product, for example.

The access strategies (07) to () are only effective for inclusive rules. In the case of an exclusive rule, the system replaces the access strategy (07) and (09) with the access strategy (01), and the access strategies (8) and (10) with the access strategy (04).

Example: Access Strategies

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text

Second Access Without Input

You can set up the system to perform an access without input after the first access with input (location, product, or location product) failed.

During the second access without input, the system can only use access strategies that do not require an input. However, if you chose an access strategy that requires an input (for example, Work forward from input), the system replaces the access strategy you chose, either with the Start from top of list or Start from end of list access strategy.

The system replaces the following access strategies with the Start from top of list access strategy.

● Start from top of list

● Work forward from input

● Work forward from input, then backward from input

● Work forward from input, then cyclic

The system replaces the following access strategies with the Start from end of list access strategy.

● Start from end of list

● Work backward from input

● Work backward from input, then forward from input

● Work backward from input, then cyclic

Qualified Product or Qualified Location

The qualified product or the qualified location is used to restrict the substitution list. You can qualify an element of a substitution list (product or location). The respective substitution list is then restricted to this element for the combination.

The system performs two combinations, whereby a complete substitution list is always combined with a restricted list. When we refer to a restricted substitution list, we mean a substitution list for which a qualified element has been maintained.

You can perform the following restrictions:

● No restriction

Standard setting; the substitution list is not restricted.

● Input (requested product)

The substitution list is restricted to the requested product; that is, it contains only one entry.

● Start (first product in the substitution list)

The substitution list is restricted to the first element in the substitution list; that is, it contains only one entry.

If you have set the Complement indicator, the system behaves in the following way: it restricts the substitution list to the input or start product, in other words the substitution list contains all products with the exception of the input or start product.

This also applies to the qualified location.

Combination Sequence of Products and Locations

You define the sequence of the following two combinations:

● All products from the product substitution list are combined with the locations from the restricted location substitution list (combine qualified location with all products).

● All locations from the location substitution list are combined with the products from the restricted product substitution list (combine qualified product with all locations).

Combination of the Product and Location Lists

You define how the lists generated by the combination sequence should be combined.

The system always generates two ordered lists from location products when you apply the combination sequence to the substitution lists; for example, for the setting locations in products, then products in locations, the first list consists of locations in products, the second of products in locations.

● Union

Standard setting; all elements from the second list that are not contained in the first are added to the list that is generated first by the system.

● Intersection

The system deletes all elements not in the second list from the list generated first.

Complement of the Combination of the Product and Location Lists: Yes/No

The indicator controls whether the system issues the results list or its complement. Results list means the location product list generated by the system after you have performed the step Combination of the location and product lists. If you have set the indicator, the system issues the complement of the results list.

Substitution Level

In the rule evaluation, the substitution level controls how the sort should look after the PPM substitutions are combined with the location products.

● All PPM substitution levels for each location product (fixed value: 01)

The PPM substitutions are varied, first of all, in the substitution list; they are sorted according to level per location product.

● All location products for each PPM substitution level (fixed value: 02)

The level is defined in the substitution list and the location product/PPM combinations are varied within the level.

Evaluation Sequence of Substitutions

You determine the evaluation sequence of the check when specifying a product and location list simultaneously.

Sequence	Settings
Products in locations	● Combine qualified location with all products, then qualified product with all locations ● Qualified product: no restriction; qualified location: no restriction ● Union ● No complement
Locations for products	● Combine qualified product with all locations, then qualified location with all products ● Qualified product: no restriction; qualified location: no restriction ● Union ● No complement
Products/input location, then locations/input product	● Combine qualified location with all products, then qualified product with all locations ● Qualified product: entry (requested product); qualified location: entry (requested location) ● Union ● No complement
Locations/input product, then products/input location	● Combine qualified product with all locations, then qualified location with all products ● Qualified product: entry (requested product); qualified location: entry (requested location) ● Union ● No complement
Products at locations without source location	● Combine qualified location with all products, then qualified product with all locations ● Qualified product: no restriction; qualified location: start (first location in the substitution list) ● Intersection ● Complement
Locations for products without source product	● Combine qualified product with all locations, then qualified location with all products ● Qualified product: start (first product in the substitution list); qualified location: no restriction ● Intersection ● Complement

You can see a figure of the evaluation sequence in Example of the Evaluation Sequence of Substitutions.

You can test the effects of rule control in rule evaluation within Integrated Rule Maintenance.

Activities

To create a rule control, on the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Advanced Planning and Optimization → Master Data → Rule Maintenance → Integrated Rule Maintenance → Profile & Parameter. In the Overview frame, choose This graphic is explained in the accompanying text (Maintain Rule Control) and then Create New Rule Control.