Transporting planning models are based on the Change and Transport System in Application Server ABAP.
From mid- 2021 SAP started transitioning customers to the new process of export/import.
This is a significant change, with new apps, additional features becoming available and (even) new terminology.
Additional Features Compared to the Old Process
Manual import into target system via new app Import Collection
Flexible grouping of items to be exported in one go
Transparency when import cannot be done because of newer software release in target or because it's not needed (newer version is already imported)
Insight into item dependency via new app Extensibility Inventory
Notes/ comments per export which are part of the export and visible in import system
Preview of import content
- Transparent import status → all exported versions are shown and when and by whom import was done is recorded
- Import and Export are decoupled → it is possible to export often (when there is a consistent state in configuration) and only import at a time when it makes sense and only importing what is needed
Items and Extensibility Inventory App
The Extensibility Inventory app is used for checking what items are in the system and which dependencies are published.
These dependencies can be used in the creation of groups of items for export.
Be careful with "high level objects" like forecast models, copy operator profiles, and so on. The dependency trees can be big.
Collections
With old tool users would pick the "main" entity and dependent objects were exported. With the new process there is going to be more control over what is exported.
Collections can contain any list of items.
Only collections are exported, imported and forwarded.
Collections have versions and you can see which items in a collection are new, changed, deleted.
Once a collection is exported, you can not move items from one collection to the other!
Only possible activity is to merge collections.
Best Practices for Using New Import/Export
Collections play an important role in development process. It is important to spend time to understand what objects have to be grouped together in a collection.
Some ideas about a list of collections are to group items by type as follows:
Attributes, time profiles
Master data types and planning areas one collection per planning area
Forecast models, operator profiles, etc. one collection per planning area
Planning filters one collection per planning area
Permission filter one collection per planning area
Business roles, attribute permissions
Additionally, it is suggested to build collections per organizational entity, by process, project, or project phase. For example:
- On a larger SAP Integrated Business Planning implementation project, team members working on demand configuration stream should be using one set of collections so the team can do changes in the demand forecast models, the demand planning area, relevant operators, and so on.
Teams or people working on items in the same collection have to align on export and import times.
Maintain text notes for the exports (for example, noting the date of configuration change and change request number).
Same as before, imported objects are inactive after import and activation will be needed. If importing to production system it is important to do it at a time when there are no critical processes running.
Possible System Layouts
SAP IBP configurators can choose to have a configuration planning area and maintain consolidation planning area that will be on a transport path. Additional planning areas can be used for training, testing big change requests, and so on.