Demand Planning Configuration

vishnu pathangi 1/49
Demand Planning Configuration
The following are the basic Demand planning configuration steps:
1. Master Planning Object Structure

2. Storage Bucket profile
3. Time bucket profile
4. Planning area
5. Planning books and data view
6. Forecast profile
All that above steps should be configured in sequence.
In this document, I will present the required configuration steps in

detail and also their relevancy with demand planning
There are three types of master data in DP:
• Planning master data: BOMs, Routings, Material Masters, and

Resources, that are required to generate supply plans. This data uses
the CIF to populate SAP APO.
• BW Master Data: Data required for reporting that relates to

Characteristics, such as Text, Attributes and Hierarchies. This data uses
BW extractors to populate tables in SAP APO.
• Forecasting Master Data: Master data specifically for Demand Planning,

called Characteristic value combinations. This data is created in SAP APO
Demand Planning and stored in the Planning Object Structure.
In regards to Transactional Data, SAP APO will essentially store three

types:
• OLTP: Current planning data from your R/3 system such as Sales
Orders, Stock, Production/Purchase Orders. This data uses the CIF to
populate SAP APO.
• BW: Historical transactional data on Sales orders,

Production/Purchasing orders for forecasting or Analysis. This data uses
BW extractors to populate InfoCubes in SAP APO.
vishnuop@sapanalyst.net 1/49
Before configuring the above said requirements, it is important to

determine what the characteristics are and key figures are.
Let us take an example of Honda Company. The car by itself is a

Finished Product and then the nature of the car (Product Category)
like Sedan or an SUV and again it is further divided into standard
luxury Sedan or a limited edition (Product Hierarchy) one and so on.
So if we look into the above example, Product, Product category,

product hierarchy all form the Characteristics.
The Number of cars to be produced and the number of parts required

to produce a car all form the key figures (Example 100 cars to be
produced in Honda plant A, the 100 forms the key figure)
Characteristics and Key figures are usually defined in APO BW
All characteristics are selected in Planning Object structure

and All Key figures are selected in Planning area of APO DP
Back to the configuration steps:
1. Master Planning Object Structure
Log on to your SAP-SCM system.
In your SAP Menu ->Advanced Planning and Optimization ->Demand

Planning ->Environment -> Administration of Demand Planning and
Supply Network Planning
T.Code: /n/SAPapo/msdp_Admin
Once in the screen, select from the selection list “Planning Object
Structures” as shown below.
Now you will see the following objects:
Note: The objects starting with 9A (9AAPOCRM, 9ACBAS) are

SAP/System defined objects.
9ADPBAS is the standard planning object structure defined by SAP.

9ADP01 is the standard planning area defined by SAP
For our example let us create an object with the following

characteristics
Planning Object Structure ZV_MPOS
1. Brand ZV_BRND
2. Product 9AMATNR
3. Location 9ALOCNO
4. Customer ZV_CUST
5. Sales org ZV_SORG
For the Key figures we would have to get back to planning area screen
and copy some defined key figures from 9ADP01.
From the drop-down menu, select Planning Area and then double click
on the planning area 9ADP01
Click on the Key figs tab to see the available key figures.
In real time scenario it is always advisable to keep the Additional

Field1-5 as it is. In future if you wanted to add any new key
figure to the planning area, you can simply modify these buffer
fields. Deleting now and adding a key figure manually later is a
tedious work as system gets disturbed.
For our example, I have selected and re-named to the following
Planning Area ZV_PLGAR
1. ZV_DEPDM Dependent Demand

2. ZV_TOTDM Total Demand Plan
3. ZV_MANCOR Manual Correction
4. ZV_PLNDPR Planned Price
5. ZV_PROM1 Promotion 1
6. ZV_SLSFR Sales Forecast
7. ZV_STFR1 Forecast (Stat.1)
8. ZV_STFR2 Forecast (Stat.2)
9. 9ATOTFC Total Forecast
10. ZV_SLHIST Sales History
11. ZV_MANFIX Fixing Values
To create the Planning Objects structure we first need to create the

info objects in BW/BI (Business warehouse/Business Intelligence)
You have several ways to enter BW in SCM, from the same screen click
on or on the command line (in the Menu section)
enter /o/rsa1 -> or
another way would be to
SAP Menu ->Demand Planning ->Environment ->S_AP9_75000146-

Data Warehousing workbench
Steps to create Info Objects in BI
1. Create Info area

2. Create Info objects catalog
3. Create info objects (characteristics and key figures)
To create Info area, right click on Info provider and select create info
area
Enter the info area name and long description

For our example,
Info area: ZV_infoarea

Long Description: Info area for DP ractice
This will create a transport object and should be treated as a transport

request to be release via se09/se10
The next step is to create the info objects catalog
For this, select info objects, and right click on your info area and select
create info objects catalog
Next we need to create 2 infoobject catalogs, one for characteristics

and another for key figures
In the next screen click on activate icon to activate the char info obj
catalog.
The system will ask for package details. For test purpose we shall
assign it to /SAPapo/demand_planning
Once the required info for the transport is entered and saved you
would see the char info objects created as shown below
In the same manner create another catalog for Key figures. Once both
are completed you should be able to see them under the infoobjects
Next and the last step in this BI are to create info objects for the
characteristics and keyfigures. (The characteristics that we discussed
in the planning objects and keyfigures in the planning area are to be

created here.)
Characteristics Key figures
Brand ZV_BRND ZV_DEPDM Dependent Demand
Product 9AMATNR ZV_TOTDM Total Demand Plan
Location 9ALOCNO ZV_MANCOR Manual Correction
Customer ZV_CUST ZV_PLNDPR Planned Price
Sales org ZV_SORG ZV_PROM1 Promotion 1
ZV_SLSFR Sales Forecast
ZV_STFR1 Forecast (Stat.1)
ZV_STFR2 Forecast (Stat.2)
9ATOTFC Total Forecast
ZV_SLHIST Sales History
ZV_MANFIX Fixing Values
In the same screen right click on the
In the next screen enter the characteristics that we would like to have
When creating characteristics select BW function.

When creating Key figures select APO function.
Once you selected enter it would take you to the screen where you
would enter the attributes of the characteristics like data type and
Length.
For ZV_BRAND, I have selected Char and length to be 10. Click on the
activation icon on the top. You should be able to see that the Version
and Object status are in Active state as shown in the fig.
Similarly create for other characteristics too.
For creating key figures, right click on the
And enter the Key figures that we have discussed.
Enter the quantity and unit of currency in the next screen. Demand
Planning is always with 0unit.
Similarly create the same for other key figures.
Please note that the key figures can be added here at any point of
time. But it should be avoided to change in the Master planning
objects.
Once the BW part is complete, our next step is to create the Master
Planning Object structure

Once in select the Planning objects structure right click on the planning
objects structure folder and create
In the next screen enter the long text and also select the planning
object structures.
Once all the object structures are in, Activate. This inturn will activate
an infocube in the same name in BW.
To check this click on the . Click on the Info

provider and search for the Planning Object that you have created. In
this case, “ZV_POS”
Double click on the instance and it will show
With this we complete the first step in Demand Planning i.e, Master
Planning Object Structure
The next step is the creation of storage bucket profile.
2. Storage Bucket Profile
The storage bucket profile is also called Periodicities for planning area.
The path for creating the storage bucket profile is SAP menu->Demand
planning ->Environment->Current settings ->Periodicities for Planning
Area
T.Code: /n/SAPapo/tr32
Here we enter at what period we would be planning the DP. Like

weekly or monthly or yearly
For test purpose we will keep the horizon for 10 years.
The next step is the creation of Time bucket profile
3. Time bucket profile
For this we need 2 types of profile, one for future and the other for
history
So let us name the future as ZV_TBFUT and for history ZV_TBHIS
The path for creating Time bucket profile is

SAP menu->Demand planning ->Environment->Current settings
->Maintain Time bucket profile for Demand Planning and Supply
Network Planning
T.Code: /n/SAPapo/tr30
The next step is the creation of planning area.

4. Planning Area

Enter the T.code and right clock on Planning Area to create the
planning area.
Enter the following details and save.
Once you click enter you will be taken into the detail view of the
Planning Area.
Select the Key Figs tab and add all the key figs that you have
described
In the locking logic, unlock the deactivate the “Activate livecache

Lock”
Once saved it will appear in as following
Next step is to create Time series objects for the planning area.
Right click on the created planning area and select “Create Time series
objects”
As we enter the “000”, the planning version we described, it would

automatically populate the start and end date. But the dates should
reflect the exact date of when the planning would take place. I.e this
should reflect the 18 months period (or the client’s time period)
The date entered in the planning version is like a safety cap. If we give
a range of 10 years, then we do not need to go and change it every 18
months and also once the first 18 months planning is done, and if we
did not give that vast time period, then the there is a huge gap and
discrepancy created. At any point of time it should have 2 years of
past history and 18 months of future history.
So enter the required planning time period in the Time period section
Once you clicked on the execute icon, It would through the following
error
This is because we did not maintain the characteristic combinations.

This is nothing but, a combination of (values) key figures and
characteristics. To maintain these values, go to the planning objects,

select the one that we created ZV_POS, right click ->Char.
Combinations->Maintain
This would take you to the following screen.
Here you have two options to enter the data, If you select “Single
characteristic combination” In APO itself you can create the location,
Product Brand, Customer and so on. This is helpful if you wanted to
enter 1 or 2 set of data (1 or 2 row).
To enter more than one record at a time you can select “create
characteristics combinations”.
For our example I am selecting the create characteristics
combinations”. This will take you to the next screen where you can
load data
There are several options to load the data again. The “Create
manually” option will let you enter the data one by one. The “Load to
worklist” and “Generate Immediately” options would let you upload the
file in several ways, using info cube, from CSV file, using BAdI or even
from other Planning objects.
To load from ECC to SCM you would first have to enter the data in the
Info Cube (BW) and then transport from BW to SCM.
In real time scenario the data are uploaded from Info providers. The
reason is there might several changes to the master data and hence
maintenance is easier with info providers.
For our example I am selecting the option of loading from a file. This
file will be created with format shown in the next figure.
Let us create a new file “DP_POS_Data.txt” attached below
C:\Documents and
Settings\Owner\Desktop\DP_POS_Data.txt
Make sure that the columns and rows match. You might have to “tab”
twice in your keyboard to adjust the key figures as per the columns
Once executed your data will be displayed in SAP as:
Once you see the data entered. Click on and generate

combinations by clicking
To view in detail, go back to the previous screen. Select the option Yes
and proceed
Select Display Characteristic Combinations and in the next screen click

on the execute icon. This will display all the uploaded data
Please note that the BOM Char Comb ID column will not be displayed
as it is Internal
Now that the Combinations are maintained go back and activate the
Planning Area.
Create the Time series objects for the planning area.
Right click on the created planning area and select “Create Time series
objects” and enter the required details. Take care of the start and End
date of Time period.
Once you clicked on the execute icon, It will be activated this time
This finishes the setup of planning area. The next step in the DP
configuration is the Planning books and data view.
5) Planning books and data view
Planning book is the most important tool for demand planner. The data
for planning is derived from the planning area. Although the Demand
Planner does not maintain the Planning area, the data stored in the
Planning are maintained by him.
There can be n-number of planning book per planning
To define a Planning book,

Planning ->Environment -> Current Settings -> Define Planning book
T.Code: /n/SAPapo/SDP8B
Once you enter the T.Code, Enter the name of the planning book. Let
us name our planning book as ZV_PLGBK and click on create
In the next screen enter the planning book description and planning
area. The navigational views in the same screen represent the
planning model type and the screen selections associated with it.
Select all the views and continue.
For our example I am selecting all the key figures from the planning
object and characteristics from the planning area.
Click “Continue” to select the characteristics.
The next step is assigning Data view for the Planning book.
Planning book is a subset of Planning Area and Data View is a subset

of planning book. You can have n number of Data view for 1
planning book.
Here, the Planning start is the day on/from which you want the
planning to start. If left blank the planning will start automatically from
today (default value).
Offset field represents the buffer period given in days (offset in

buckets). This represents the number of days after which the DP to be
started. For example if the Planning start is 10-oct-2009, and offset
entry is 10, then the DP would start on 21-oct-2009.
The TB represents the Time bucket profile that we assigned to planning

area. The visible and Input fields are related to the Time bucket history
profile, whether you wanted to view past history and if so from when
and whether you wanted to manually enter/add history data in the
planning book if so from when.
For our example I have given from October 2007 onwards.
The Table1 field represents a name for this Data View table.
Once you click continue, you would again see the key figures, but this
time it is from the Planning book. You are the key figures here to add it
to the data view. Again for our example, we select all the key figures.
Please note that the characteristics are not/cannot be selected, only
the key figures. Once selected, click complete to activate the planning
book.
Now to see how all the description/data entry we did in the previous
step, go back to the same transaction

Planning ->Environment -> Current Settings -> Define Planning book
T.Code: /n/SAPapo/SDP8B
Enter the Planning book name we created and the corresponding

forecast in the data view. Click on Edit
In the next screen you would see,
The table name we gave DP_FCST1, the fields we described in the data
view, TB past and future and it will also be in Edit mode as during the
planning book creation we selected the input option for TB past.
Please note that whenever we change the TB history and future, same
is affected here.
For example, Go to /SAPAPO/TR30 - Maintain Time Buckets

Profile for Demand Plng and Supply Network Plng and change
the month and week in the TB profile,
This completes the creation of planning book and data view. The next
is creation of Forecast profile.
6. Forecast Profile
In order to do the Demand planning we need to forecast. For that

forecasting we need to assign some algorithms/formulas to a profile.
This assignment is done in the forecasting profile. This forecasting
profile is assigned to the planning area.
To create a forecasting profile, go to SAP menu-> Advanced Planning

and Optimization ->Demand Planning -> Environment-> Maintain
Forecast profiles.
T.Code: /n/SAPAPO/MC96B - Maintain Forecast Profiles
Once in, select the Planning Area and enter a name for the forecasting
profile.
The forecast figure key represents the key figure to which the
calculated forecast to be saved. For our example let us take ZV_STFR1.
The forecast horizon represents the restricting period for this master
forecast profile.
Here u can either enter the “From” and “To” or you can just enter the
period as shown in the figure above.
The next step is to select a model for the master profile to do the
forecast.
Here we choose Univariate profile.
For our model parameters, we choose Moving Average and for Forecast
errors we choose, all the error type.
Once the details are entered on this screen click on the

to save this profile. Then go to the main profile tab and assign this
profile there.
Save the profile and exit.
This completes the configuration required for the Demand Planning

concept. From this we would be seeing the processes in DP or
Interactive Demand Planning.

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vishnu pathangi 1/49

Demand Planning Configuration

The following are the basic Demand planning configuration steps:

1. Master Planning Object Structure

All that above steps should be configured in sequence.

In this document, I will present the required configuration steps in

There are three types of master data in DP:

• Planning master data: BOMs, Routings, Material Masters, and

• BW Master Data: Data required for reporting that relates to

• Forecasting Master Data: Master data specifically for Demand Planning,

In regards to Transactional Data, SAP APO will essentially store three

• BW: Historical transactional data on Sales orders,

Before configuring the above said requirements, it is important to

Let us take an example of Honda Company. The car by itself is a

So if we look into the above example, Product, Product category,

The Number of cars to be produced and the number of parts required

Characteristics and Key figures are usually defined in APO BW

All characteristics are selected in Planning Object structure

Back to the configuration steps:

1. Master Planning Object Structure

Log on to your SAP-SCM system.

In your SAP Menu ->Advanced Planning and Optimization ->Demand

Now you will see the following objects:

Note: The objects starting with 9A (9AAPOCRM, 9ACBAS) are

9ADPBAS is the standard planning object structure defined by SAP.

For our example let us create an object with the following

Planning Object Structure ZV_MPOS

In real time scenario it is always advisable to keep the Additional

Planning Area ZV_PLGAR

1. ZV_DEPDM Dependent Demand

To create the Planning Objects structure we first need to create the

on or on the command line (in the Menu section)

enter /o/rsa1 -> or

another way would be to

SAP Menu ->Demand Planning ->Environment ->S_AP9_75000146-

Steps to create Info Objects in BI

1. Create Info area

Enter the info area name and long description

Info area: ZV_infoarea

This will create a transport object and should be treated as a transport

The next step is to create the info objects catalog

Next we need to create 2 infoobject catalogs, one for characteristics

in the planning objects and keyfigures in the planning area are to be

In the same screen right click on the

When creating characteristics select BW function.

Similarly create for other characteristics too.

For creating key figures, right click on the

And enter the Key figures that we have discussed.

Similarly create the same for other key figures.

In your SAP Menu ->Advanced Planning and Optimization ->Demand

To check this click on the . Click on the Info

Double click on the instance and it will show

The next step is the creation of storage bucket profile.

2. Storage Bucket Profile

Here we enter at what period we would be planning the DP. Like

For test purpose we will keep the horizon for 10 years.

The next step is the creation of Time bucket profile

3. Time bucket profile