Using Configuration
SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain solution provides extensive functions for creating, updating, and capturing information in a plan, configured using a planning model.
Sample Planning Areas
SAP IBP for Supply Chain is delivered with sample planning areas, which can provide an excellent starting point for IBP projects and for Proof of Concepts. Of these sample areas, SAPIBP1 is the most comprehensive and widely used. The majority of expert business users, consultants, and others who are creating, changing, or extending a company planning model, will be referencing SAPIBP1 in one way or another.
Reference materials that you can access in SAP Help (Model Configuration Guide, and so on) are based, wherever possible, on the SAPIBP1 sample planning area.
Complexity Challenges
The complexity of SAPIBP1 is due to the fact that all functionality of SAP Integrated Business Planning (outside of Order Based Planning), lies within it. The time profile structure of SAPIBP1, where all granularities above sub-daily are represented, in addition to the number of attributes and Key Figures, creates this complex environment. SAP IBP configurators may choose to use the pre-delivered planning area, like SAPIBP1, but reduce the number of standard key figures to come up with a leaner structure. At the same time, there may be considerations, like below, which will necessitate creating a planning area from scratch, without any reliance on standard SAP Sample.
Necessity to plan with non-standard calendars (fiscal calendars, and so on).
Necessity to stand up a lean POC to quickly demonstrate some features or test a certain scenario.
Necessity to deal with complex aggregation or disaggregation of key figures data, and so on.
Taking into consideration the above scenarios, it is important to be aware of the process that needs to be followed to create planning areas from scratch.
Well-rounded configuration skills include: understanding of the data model, ability to use pre-delivered planning areas, adapting them to the business needs, and creating planning areas from scratch. All this must be supplemented with an understanding of the supply chain and the IT ecosystem that exists in each business.