The SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP), add-in for Microsoft Excel allows you to review and modify your planning data and run simulations. Depending on the SAP IBP applications that your company has licensed and configured, it also provides advanced planning functions, such as inventory optimization and statistical forecasting methods for creating accurate forecasting data from historical sales figures.
Planning View, Template, and Favorite Prerequisites
Before you start working with the Microsoft Excel planning tool, you need to have done the following:
Configured the planning model (set up planning areas, master data, key figures, calculations for key figures, and activated key figures)
Integrated the required data into the system
Set up users and authorizations
Installed the SAP IBP, add-in for Microsoft Excel for users
Microsoft Excel Planning Tool
The Microsoft Excel planning tool provides the following features:
Defining planning views:
A planning view is a user-defined Microsoft Excel data report that allows you to view, edit, and share planning data stored in the database. For example, if you perform capacity planning, you can define a planning view that allows you to compare the capacity load, required capacity, and available capacity in particular locations on a monthly or quarterly basis.
When you define planning views, we recommend that you use the available planning view templates. Templates are provided in Rapid Deployment and can be used as a starting point for setting up SAP IBP, add-in for Microsoft Excel for many business processes.
Using planning views:
In your planning views, you can do the following:
Edit the data according to your requirements and save the changes to the database.
Simulate different planning scenarios and save the changes to the database, or save the simulation as a user-defined scenario that can be shared with other users.
Compare different versions in one planning view.
The changes to key figures can be recorded in the change history.
Managing master data:
You can make on-demand changes to master data.
Performing advanced planning and forecasting:
If your company has implemented the relevant applications and you have the required permissions, you can perform advanced planning and forecasting from the SAP IBP, add-in for Microsoft Excel, either in real time or as a scheduled job. SAP IBP includes sets of algorithms for supply planning, inventory optimization, and statistical forecasting. You can also create snapshots of key figure values at a specific time.
Creating an Excel Template and Favorite
A template is a stored planning view that can be used to create a planning view. Templates are available to users who create planning views. Access to templates can be controlled by authorizations. Template administrators can add new templates and edit or delete existing templates. This permission should only be assigned to template administrators, and not to all end users.
When a user creates a planning view based on a template, the system defaults settings from the template, such as time, key figure, and planning levels. The new planning view is based on the Microsoft Excel workbook of the template. Therefore, any items stored in the workbook, such as formatting, charts, or formulas, are also part of the new planning view. However, the system does not save the filter criteria as a template setting.
If there are no templates listed when you choose Templates in the Template Admin group, contact your template administrator.
If an attribute description has been changed in the configuration of a web client, but the changed attribute description does not appear in the templates or in your favorites in the Microsoft Excel add-in, try clearing the metadata cache.
You can use some of the functionality provided by the SAP IBP, add-in for Microsoft Excel when in offline mode. You can include local calculations that function offline, and you can edit key figures offline.
A favorite planning view is user-specific, but it is possible to share a favorite planning view with others.