1.

Stage-Numbering Algorithm The Stage-Numbering Algorithm (SAP_PP_020) for determining the

low-level codes should be executed regularly to guarantee consistent planning. You can begin by
scheduling planning it for all products.

2. Material requirements planning Normal MRP occurs with heuristic SAP_MRP_001. Select all the
relevant products (end product, subassembly, and components) for the heuristic. With this planning,
the individual products are planned according to the product heuristic from the product master or
from the planning method.

3. Propagation or delays from the component level MRP occurs top-down and infinitely, so some
delays might occur because of the lead times. The delays typically appear in date and time violations
in the components. You can use heuristic Rescheduling: Bottom-Up (SAP_PP_009) to resolve the
backlogs — they can be propagated to the end product from the component level.

4. Capacity planning for the subassembly The step of (finite) capacity planning can occur with the
function for detailed scheduling, SAP001 (Schedule Sequence). This step typically refers to bottleneck
resources. In this example, it refers to the resources of subassembly manufacturing for which an
exact scheduling sequence can be required based on the strategy profile.

5. Adjustment to the date shifts of the subassembly Capacity planning for the subassembly generally
leads to a shift in subassembly orders. These shifts can affect the end product and the components.
You can use heuristics SAP_PP_009 and SAP_PP_010 with bottom-up (for the end product) or top-
down (for the components) to propagate the data shifts in the BOM structure.

But the plan is not yet consistent — even after these planning steps. When adjusting the dates for
subassembly planning, problems can also occur when procuring the components. These problems
can then force delays in the subassemblies and in other areas. Additional planning steps might be
necessary, meaning that the planning complexity will quickly increase with the number of low-level
codes and the resources to be planned finitely. When you consider these potential problems, you
realize the importance of avoiding all unnecessary complication ahead of time and, in particular, to
limiting finite planning to as few resources as possible.
Finite Planning as Multi-Step Procedure

The planning procedure that we selected in this example involves the following steps:

1. Determining the low-level codes of the materials involved from the underlying master data using
the service heuristic Stage Numbering (SAP_PP_020)

2. Multilevel infinite requirements planning of the materials involved according to the low-level code
method (process heuristic SAP_MRP_001)

3. Rescheduling of operations on the bottleneck resource Paint shop (finite scheduling) with the
detailed scheduling function Reschedule

4. Optimization run for the remaining resources

Partially Automated Variant

As an alternative to the procedure just described above, you may want to allow the knowledge and
first-hand experience of the capacity planner to flow directly into the planning, and to perform the
capacity planning by primarily manual means. This is often vital if there are several bottlenecks in
complex, multilevel scenarios and additional setup difficulties need to be taken into consideration.
Such a process may look like this:

1. Stage numbering to determine the low-level codes

2. Infinite multilevel requirements planning, generation of deallocated orders via settings in the
planning procedure

3. If necessary, some manual rescheduling in advance to alternative resources (infinite), so as not to

exceed the overall available capacity of the standard resource

4. Sequencing, heuristic Schedule sequence manually, for example, in the detailed scheduling
planning board with a finite strategy, mode Insert operation, dependent operations initially planned
infinitely and compactly, relationships taken into account

5. Scheduling of additional operations (including assemblies) according to the top-down principle,

sort sequence according to the strategy settings

Fixed Material Flow Using Pegging ATP

1. Receipt of sales orders: Sales orders arrive continuously and are — if possible — directly confirmed
in the dialog ATP.

2. Application of the heuristic SAP_PP_019 to create fixed pegging: The heuristic is performed on a
single level for the finished products and links the last confirmed allocations of the sales order, in
order to maintain the generated assignments. This process should run periodically and frequently
(for example, hourly).

3. Infinite multilevel requirements planning, for example, via the process heuristic SAP_MRP_001:
Sales orders that are not already covered receive receipts on all BOM levels from this. As usual, the
requirements planning can be triggered periodically (for example, every night).
4. Repeated use of the heuristic SAP_PP_019, in this case multilevel, for example via process
heuristic: Existing receipts are multilevel-linked with the requirements. In the course of this, priorities
of alreadylinked requirements are passed on to dependent requirements.

5. Finite planning: Create a feasible production plan via the PP/DS Optimizer.

6. Backorder processing: Due to the current planning situation, unconfirmed sales orders and new
sales orders are ATP-confirmed where possible, if necessary including the checking horizon

Fixed Material Flow to Support the Optimization

1. Entry of sales orders: A continuous process, where a confirmation is possible but not imperative.

2. Infinite multilevel requirements planning, for example, via the process heuristic SAP_MRP_001:
Sales orders that are not covered receive the required receipts. The requirements planning must be
triggered periodically (for example, nightly).

3. Fixing the pegging using the heuristic SAP_PP_019, in this case multilevel — for example, using a
periodically (nightly) scheduled process heuristic: Existing receipts are multilevel-linked with the
requirements. Selection criteria for creating the fixed pegging links can be taken into account in the
heuristic SAP_PP_019

4. Finite planning: The PP/DS Optimizer can be used to create a feasible production plan including the
fixed pegging relationships, also to be triggered periodically (for example, nightly).

5. Employment of the heuristic SAP_PP_011 to delete the fixed pegging links — these have fulfilled
their purpose once the optimization is complete.

6. Backorder processing in the same way as for the preceding processes