APO Data Realignment & its importance

[Former Member]

Target Audience

The Target audience of this document are the Business process managers, Production Support and Project teams who need to change master data as per the business need.

Importance of Realignment -

In modern business, chnge is the only constant thing. There could be changes in processes, changes in products, changes in plant locations, changes in Distribution center locations. So in turn master data is constantly changing, for example new products are introduced, organizational structures change, or existing products are manufactured in new locations. These changes need to be accounted for in your demand planning process. Two processes are involved:

1. 1. The system generates new characteristic value combinations. If required, it later deletes the old combinations.
2. 2. The system copies the planning data to the new combinations.

Example & Methodology of Realigning the data -      

The Characteristic value combinations are maintained in the Master Planning Object Structures. Realignment itself works at this level. The system creates new characteristic value combinations based on selected values from existing combinations.  It then copies the data from the old combinations to the new ones.  The data of all key figures in all planning areas based on the master planning object structure is copied.

If required, the old combinations are then deleted together with the data.

To specify the realignment/copying characteristic values, an input table is created for the selected planning area. This consists of a key column for the record ID (numbered sequentially) as well as two columns for each characteristic of the planning area:

the source column (prefix 'F_' + information object name of the characteristic) and

the target column (prefix 'T_' + information object name of the characteristic).

Number	Country	Location	Brand	Product
5	IN	PU01	STD	P3

An inconsistent dataset is thus avoided.
The /SAPAPO/TS_REALIGNMENT report creates the input table and also carries out the actual realignment/copying process.

Note that no locks are set for the realignment. Generally, planners should not edit characteristics combinations to be changed (both in the source and in the target) during the realignment.

Example:

The following characteristic value combinations exist in a master planning object structure:

Number	Country	Location	Brand	Product
1	IN	PU01	STD	PNEW
2	IN	PU02	STD	PINTRO

Planning data exists for combination no. 1.

1. 1. Transfer History from old temporary product code to product code generated and delete temporary code:

Number	Country	Location	Brand	Product
3	IN	PU02	STD	PINTRO

The data from combination no. 1 is copied to combination no. 3.

Copy Factor	100	Copy Logic	M	Delete Source		X
Country	From		To
Location	From		To
Brand	From		To
Product	From	PNEW	To	PINTRO

The Delete Source indicator had been set, the system would need delete the planning data for combination no. 1 and transfer history data from combination no.1 to no.3.

1. 2.You want to introduce a new product PINTRO into both locations, where the other characteristic values are the same as for PNEW. The expected demand is as for PNEW. You intend to continue to sell PNEW.

You create a new realignment step:

Copy Factor	100	Copy Logic	M	Delete Source
Country	From		To
Location	From		To
Brand	From		To
Product	From	PNEW	To	PINTRO

1.    You want to introduce a new product P3 into location PU01 ONLY. However you only expect the demand to half that for PNEW.You create the following realignment step:

Copy Factor	50	Copy Logic	M	Delete Source
Sales Org.	From		To
Location	From	PU01	To	PU01
Brand	From		To
Product	From	PNEW	To	PINTRO

In this case one new characteristic value combination is created

The planning data from combination no. 1 is copied to combination no. 5 and multiplied by a factor of 50%. This factor is valid for all key figures.

Use

In this process you generate new characteristic value combinations based on existing combinations and copy data from the source combinations to the new combinations. You can specify that the original values of both the characteristic values and the data are deleted.

The process consists of two major steps – Maintenance of the realignment table and execution of the realignment run.