Executing Repetitive Manufacturing

As already mentioned, the production versions in repetitive manufacturing (REM) represent the available production lines. In this sense, line loading means allocating suitable production versions to the planned orders. 

You have the following options to perform line loading:

• Automatic selection of the production version in the MRP run:

  If several valid production versions exist, the alphanumeric first version is selected for the planned orders in the MRP run. 

• MRP run with quota arrangement:

  If several valid production versions exist, you can define quota arrangements to distribute the available production versions in a certain quantity ratio to the planned orders in the MRP run. 

• Line loading in the REM planning table:

  In the REM planning table, the planned order quantities can be manually distributed to the available production lines, simultaneously displaying the resulting capacity utilization.

The figure shows a schematic layout of the REM planning table.

A production planner in repetitive manufacturing uses the REM planning table to process the production plan. He checks production quantities, changes them if required, and creates new production quantities, that is, planned orders. He also can determine the capacity utilization of the production lines as well as the availability situation of the products. In addition, he can display the source of the capacity requirements.

Since planning in repetitive manufacturing is based on quantities and periods, the display in the REM planning table is quantity-based and period-based. You can choose any planning period (shift, day, week, month, planning calendar period).

In assignment mode, the planner can assign the production quantities to production lines. If this has already been done in MRP, the planner can also change existing assignments.

Each dependent requirement, that is, material component of a planned order, can be assigned a default issue storage location. This default enables automatic replenishment and goods issue postings. It can be defined in the bill of material, in the material master, or in the production version.

To organize material staging in repetitive manufacturing, SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, provides the following options:

• Pull List

  With the help of the pull list, you can manually or automatically organize stock transfers from replenishment storage locations to issue storage locations in production.

• Kanban

  In Kanban, the material flow is organized using containers that are kept directly at the issue storage locations in production. Each contains the quantity of material that production line personnel need for a certain period of time. As soon as a container is emptied, replenishment is triggered. Replenishment can be organized via stock transfers, in-house production, or external procurement. The production line personnel can use material from other containers until the actual container has returned full.

In repetitive manufacturing, goods receipt confirmations of the produced quantities with simultaneous backflushing of the components are posted on a regular basis.

When a goods receipt confirmation is posted with the confirmation, various actions are performed by default. These are largely controlled by the repetitive production profile. They include the following:

• An automatic goods receipt for the product is posted.

• Automatic goods issues for the components are posted (backflushing).

• The performed activities are confirmed.

• The planned orders quantities and the associated capacity requirements are reduced.

• Actual production costs are posted to a product cost collector.