Finalizing the Inventory Plan

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to explain how to finalize the inventory planning and optimization process.

Step 4: Finalizing the Inventory Plan

The last step in the inventory planning process finalizes the process, making sure all updates are made based on analyses and providing the inventory planning results to the downstream processes—typically, the supply planning process.

The figure describes the Step 4: Approve and Update the Inventory Plan.

In this step, manual adjustments can be performed to change the outcome, and the outcome is copied into the right key figures for downstream processes. Reports are published, and the overall process is closed in the process management view of the dashboard. Since the 1902 release of SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP) for Supply Chain, it is possible to leverage the web-based planning capability to make these final edits. Just like in the Excel planning views, users can use the web-based planning views to visualize and edit data. In other words, the inventory planner or the inventory planning manager can make the changes directly in the web browser, save their changes, and complete the inventory plan.

The figure describes the Finalizing of the Inventory Planning Process.

Approve and publish the inventory plan

ExerciseStart Exercise

Business Example

As inventory planner you would like to be able to control the results of the multistage algorithm, publishing the updates to trigger further steps within the supply chain planning process. To do that we will work during this exercise with the connection ZIOUNIFIED within the Planning Area ZIOUNIFIED.

Steps

Open the IO 220 Planning Result ##.
1. Log on into the SAP IBP, add-in for Microsoft Excel.
2. Open the planning view IO 220 Planning Result ##.
3. Filter by Planning Unit ## .
Add important additional key figures within the Detailed Results tab.
1. Change attribute to Product ID.
2. Add key figure Safety Stock (SOP).
3. Update your favorite with these new changes.
In the Safety Stock Adj. (from IO) (LPA) key figure, enter different values increasing and decreasing recommended safety stock values for each period from the second week to the end of the planning horizon.
1. Go to the Safety Stock Adj. (from IO) (LPA).
2. Maintain different values for FG1## in the future periods updating the results of multistage algorithm if needed.
3. Click on Simulate (Basic).
4. Observe how the key figure Final Safety Stock (from IO)(LPA) changes. We see this behavior because manual adjustments are rewriting recommended safety stock values.
5. Save the new values.

Create a copy operator to publish the results.

In the WebUI, navigate to the General Planner Group and open the Copy Operator Profiles app.
Open the Copy Operator Profiles app.
Click on Create → Copy Within Planning Area.

Use the following settings to create a new Copy Operator.

New Copy Operator Profile

Item	Field
ID	40##
Planning Area	ZIOUNIFIED
Name	Copy to SafetyStock (SOP)##
User Filter	Optional
Description	Copy to SafetyStock (SOP)##
Display	Selected
Key Figure Selection
Source Key Figure	Final Safety Stock (from IO)(LPA) (FINALIOSAFETYSTOCK)
Target Key Figure	Safety Stock (SOP) (SOPSAFETYSTOCK)
Attribute	UOMTID equal to EA

Click on Create under Key Figure Selection to add the mentioned key figures in the table.
After having selected the source and the target key figure, click on Apply.
Click on Create under Attribute Selection to add the mentioned attribute in the table. Do not change any other detail at this stage.
Click on Create.
Observe that the created copy operator profile appears on the list.

Open the IO 220 Planning Result ##.
1. Log off via the Disconnect button and the appearing Log Off in the drop down menu in the upper left corner of the IBP ribbon.
2. Log on into the SAP IBP, add-in for Microsoft Excel.
3. Open the planning view IO 220 Planning Result ##.
4. Filter by Planning Unit ##.
5. Go to the Detailed Results tab.
Run the Copy Operator Copy to SafetyStock (SOP)##.
1. Click on Copy Operator in the application jobs group.
2. Select Copy to SafetyStock (SOP)##.
3. Choose EA in the Target UoM field.
4. Click on Run.
5. Control the status of the copy operator to verify that the job is Finished.
6. Click on Refresh in the data input group.
7. Observe that the values from Final Safety Stock (from IO) were copied to Safety Stock (SOP).

Result

Results

The key figure Safety Stock (SOP) will trigger now supply planning processes within SAP IBP for response and supply. With this input is now possible to calculate the target inventory, financial plan, projected stock, etc.; and in further steps to run the supply optimizer or the supply heuristics.

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