Rule
Use
A rule contains information about substitutions of products, locations, and location products. Rules use this information to define how a rules-based availability check is to be performed.
Features
The following rule types exist:
The system includes the location products found by the rules-based availability check into the substitution list.
You can define consolidation locations for inclusive rules. The system transfers the substitutions from this rule into the consolidation location.
As of SAP Customer Relationship Management (SAP CRM) 5.0, you can transfer exclusions (locations, products, and location products) from this system to Global ATP. These exclusions are invalid substitutions and are therefore removed from the substitution lists of inclusive rules.
The system excludes the location products found by the rules-based availability check from the substitution list.
● You cannot assign a calculation profile to an exclusive rule. Since the calculation profile always refers to the location products determined by the rule, it does not make sense to define parameters that should be applied to zero results (= rule to be excluded).
● You cannot assign substitution procedures containing several substitution groups to an exclusive rule. Otherwise, this can lead to indeterminate results in rule evaluation.
● Exclusive rules consider validity periods for substitutions. The system does not remove those location products from the substitution list, for whose substitution you have defined validity periods. The validity periods are merely adjusted. For more information, see Example for Adjusting Validity Periods.
The system includes the locations found by the rules-based availability check into the substitution list instead of excluded substitute locations.
● You can only define locations in an alternative rule.
● In contrast to inclusive and exclusive rules, an alternative rule does not define any substitutions. An alternative rule defines alternatives for locations that were excluded from substitution lists. The system only evaluates alternative rules in exclusive rules strategies of a rule strategy sequence. For more information, see Evaluating Exclusive Rule Strategies.
● Multi-item single delivery location
The locations defined in the rule of a rule type are regarded as multi-item single delivery locations. The system checks if one of the locations in the substitution list can deliver all the requirements of a requirements grouping.
A rule can contain the following procedures:
● Product substitution procedure
● Substitute products from master data (with condition technique)
● Location determination procedure
● Substitute locations from master data (with condition technique)
● Location product substitution procedure
For more information, see Creating Rules.
● Characteristics substitution procedure
Furthermore, you can restrict the number of substitutions for the input location product. For more information, see Restricting the Number of Substitutions.
Activities
Creating Rules
To create a rule, on the SAP Easy Access screen, choose Advanced Planning and Optimization → Master Data → Rule Maintenance → Integrated Rule Maintenance. For more information, see Creating Rules.
Evaluating Rules
Evaluation of the rules depends on the rule type. The system evaluates exclusive rules and alternative rules before inclusive rules. The system evaluates inclusive rules according to their sequence, and forms substitution lists. The location products that originate from an exclusive rule are removed from the substitution lists of inclusive rules, or their validity periods are adjusted. For more information, see Validity Period in Rules and Adjusting Validity Periods: Example.
If alternatives exist for excluded locations, the system transfers these to the substitution lists of inclusive rule strategies instead of the locations excluded there.