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Author's profile photo Rahul Agarwal

Global Available to Promise as a part of S/4HANA 1610 – What’s new ? OR We Call it aATP now !

There have been many key innovation in the latest SAP S/4HANA 1610 suite in the core features of Finance & Logistics. In this blog I would like to focus on the ATP capability offered by S/4HANA 1610 & how we can be sure to call it Advanced Availabity to Promise or aATP & that can be a great option for clients who plan to have this core APO functionality with S/4HANA earlier known as gATP.

This blog should work as end to end source of knowledge on below areas relevant to aATP-

  • Business challenges
  • Key Capabilities
  • Business Benefits
  • Future roadmap from SAP in this area.
  • Set up aATP in S/4HANA 1610.
  • Bonus as of 1610 – New aATP Fiori apps.

Primary business challenges which aATP targets are –

  • Difficult to fulfill customer orders on time with the proper quantity.
  • Inability to promise accurate and reliable order dates.
  • Inefficient strategies to fulfill orders from the entire network or to substitute products automatically.
  • Inefficient strategies to sell scarce products in a fair manner.
  • Inefficient ways to manage order backlogs.

 aATP Key Capabilities

S/4HANA utilizes well the in-memory computing to find mass product availability for Sales, Planned & Production orders, giving business new levels of visibility.

  • ATP check for all items of an order at once.
  • Significant performance improvements for releasing large production orders.

Data and process innovations in back-order processing and sales product allocation

  • New concept of confirmation strategy.
  • Product allocation in SAP S/4HANA has a completely new design and implementation based on neither SAP ECC nor SAP Advanced Planning and Optimization application.

Product Allocation

  • Supports the business decision if a sales order should be confirmed and, if yes, to which extent.
  • aATP can be used for scarce product allocation based on almost any attribute of the underlying sales order, material, plant, or customer so that one can achieve maximum customer satisfaction as per set business rules.
  • Grouping and aggregation capabilities (collective allocations) for simplification and ease of maintenance.

Back-Order Processing

  • Back Order Processing can be completed easily via Fiori apps utilizing requirement classifications that helps to identify & fulfill most critical orders in timely manner.
  • New concept for requirement classification, like winner, gainer, redistributor, filler, loser.
  • New SAP Fiori app to display the BOP result–result is displayed on different aggregation levels and allows an easy identification of (and fast drill-down to) confirmation issues.

Business Benefits from aATP

  • Fulfilling an order on time and in the desired quantity using different kind of checks for different business scenarios.
  • Performing automatic back-order processing.
  • Reducing inventory carrying cost.

What’s next – Future Road maps

SAP is planning key innovations further on below specific areas under aATP which we might see in coming time.

  • Back Order Processing – BOP Analytics, Automatic exception handling (fallbacks), Provide extensibility features.
  • Product Allocation – Extensibility and flexibility, Instance-based authorization, Alternative sources of supply, Analytics: explanation component, Modeling of constraints production and supplier capacity in multilevel scenarios, PAL for transportation and warehousing.
  • Rules-based ATP (RBA) -Alternative plants (Determination of allowed alternatives, Mass check of allowed alternative plants, Selection of best-alternative plant). Integration of RBA result in SD sales order (Replace existing line item, Add additional sub items), Machine-learning capabilities in rules-based ATP.

 

Set up aATP in S/4HANA 1610

To keep it simple most of the configuration will be in-line with the normal ATP setup i.e. Defining Requirements Classes, Maintaining Checking Groups, Defining Checking Rule, Carrying Out Control For Availability Check. Most of these are available under Best Practice documentation provided with the release documents.

Bonus as of 1610 – New aATP Fiori apps.

There are 7 apps which have been introduced to harness the aATP capabilities in S/4HANA & we will discuss each of them one by one.

  1. Configure Product Allocation

With this app, one can create, find, display and change the schema for a product allocation object. The schema of a product allocation object comprises, among others, the ID and description of the product allocation object, periodicity, characteristics structure and their hierarchy, the unit of measure for the planned allocation quantity and the date time type (material availability date, good issue date and requested delivery date) used for the product allocation check.

Key Features

  • Create new product allocation objects.
  • Search for, display and edit product allocation objects.
  • Define the period types for product allocation objects.
  • Define and order the characteristics for product allocation objects.
  • Deactivate and delete product allocation objects and their characteristics

  1. Manage Product Allocation Planning Data

With this app, one can maintain characteristic value combinations and planned allocation quantities for the time periods of the characteristic value combinations. Characteristic value combinations and the corresponding time series can be maintained by uploading CSV files. This app also enables to change the activation status, the constraint status of the characteristic value combinations as well as the lifecycle status of the product allocation object.

Key Features

  • Maintain characteristic value combinations and planned allocation quantities for their time periods.
  • Use CSV files to maintain characteristic value combinations and their time series.
  • Change the activation and constraint status of product allocation objects.
  • Display the availability situation (planned, available and consumed quantity) for the materials in product allocation objects.
  • Release product allocation objects and their planning data for productive usage.

 

  1. Assign Products to Product Allocation

With this app, one can assign materials and material-plant combinations to product allocation objects that were created in the Configure Product Allocation app and for which one defined planning data in the Manage Product Allocation Planning Data app. The assignment activates availability checks against product allocation for sales order requirements for the assigned materials and material-plant combinations. The assignment of materials and material-plant combinations is time-dependent and enables user, for example, to react easily to temporary or seasonal fluctuations of supply and demand.

Key Features

  • Assign materials or material-plant combinations to product allocation objects.
  • Define validity periods for any assignments.
  • Define the consumption range (number of backward and forward consumption periods), consumption unit and allocation factor for the product location assignments.

  1. Configure BOP Segment

With this app, one can define a set of rules with which to prioritize the distribution of supply when the demand for the materials in sales orders exceeds the available inventory or capacity. Using a combination of filters and prioritizers, you can automate rescheduling and redistribution in line with your company strategy.

User can use the “Configure BOP Variant” app subsequently to create a BOP variant and execute the corresponding backorder processing run either directly in the app or in the “Schedule BOP Run” app.

Key Features

  • Define new BOP segments to prioritize requirements.
  • Display and change existing BOP segments.

  1. Configure BOP Variant

With this app, one can define a variant for backorder processing (BOP), including an optional combination of filters and prioritizers, with which you can automate rescheduling and redistribution of materials in limited supply.

Results of the backorder processing run can be checked in the “Monitor BOP Run” app.

Key Features

  • Display, change and re-use existing BOP variants.
  • Define new BOP variants.
  • Assign confirmation strategies.
  • Define new requirement categories.
  • Define global filters.
  • Simulate and schedule backorder processing runs in one step.

  1. Monitor BOP Run

With this app, one can display the results of backorder processing runs that have been setup in the “Configure BOP Variant” app. The app shows the confirmation status of requirements at different levels of granularity, helping user to confirm that the backorder processing runs complies with your company’s strategy.

If the results of the backorder processing run are not as required, one can change the setup of the corresponding BOP variant and execute the run again. Alternatively, one can use the “Release for Delivery” app to adjust the confirmation data manually.

Key Features

  • Display overall results of backorder processing runs executed in simulation mode or with document updates.
  • Display data about backorder processing and confirmations at predefined aggregation levels by material-plant combination, confirmation strategy and sold-to party.
  • Drill down to the requirement level to display the confirmation details.

 

  1. Release for Delivery

With this app, one can prioritize due sales orders containing materials with limited availability in the order fulfillment responsibility to which user is assigned. The app allows one to view the material availability situation of materials for which he/she is responsible as well as assess the potential financial impact of being unable to fulfill sales orders. This, in combination with other factors, helps one decide how to distribute material quantities between sales orders, before he releases the sales orders for subsequent logistics processes.

Key Features

  • Display sales orders containing materials for which one is responsible during a specific time period, including sales order items for materials with limited availability.
  • Display the availability situation for the materials for which user is responsible.
  • Display the potential financial impact for your organization if materials are not available and material redistribution is not optimized.
  • Manually redistribute material quantities between sales order items, as required, to fulfill a sales order partially or completely.
  • Apply confirmation strategies such as Confirm from Top to enable efficient, semi-automatic processing of mass data.
  • Protect quantities of sales order items from further processing.
  • Postpone further processing of sales order items.
  • Release materials for delivery, thus triggering subsequent logistics processes (for example, picking).

 

hope this proves helpful for the 1610 implementations pertaining to aATP.

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      19 Comments
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      Author's profile photo Manoj Gaikwad
      Manoj Gaikwad

      Good One Rahul, Consolidated Doc with a setup guide for all the new apps. You could have also added information related to Global filter in Configure BOP Variant.

      Where You can restrict the selection further in the BOP run also have an added option to add remaining items of Global filter a particular confirmation strategy.

      Author's profile photo Monika Patel
      Monika Patel

      Yes Global fliter helps restrict the scope of run.

      one Question - how to view the error of BOP-RUN status "RED !" ? any idea?

      Author's profile photo Kiran Kumar Vadrevu
      Kiran Kumar Vadrevu

      Hi Rahul,

      It is not clear that aATP included capacity of resources and components availability, can you  clarify on this?

      Thanks,

      Kiran Vadrevu

       

      Author's profile photo Monika Patel
      Monika Patel

      @Kiran - as far as I have studied resource and component availability is not included in current version.

      Author's profile photo Babu Kilari
      Babu Kilari

      Hi Kiran -

      At the moment, it is only plain PAL and PAC that is available and BOP respects both.  Advance Availability topics like RBA, CTP, MATP are yet to be designed and developed. Currently, SAP is working on RBA Plant substitution. I guess you need to wait for ~1.5 years or so to see the AATP in good shape.

      Babu Kilari

      Author's profile photo Monika Patel
      Monika Patel

      @S4Experts - After configuration of BOP segments, filter and scheduling the BOP run, when I access "MONITOR BOP RUN" - it  displays variant-name and processing status as "RED !"

      Where/how can we check the eRRORs ? and why the processing status is RED ? Any NOTEs required to be applied ? I am wanting to understand KNOWN FIORI apps issues here.

      BOP runs fine when using V_V2 code.

      Thanks & regards,

      MP

      Author's profile photo Manoj Gaikwad
      Manoj Gaikwad

       

      Hi Monica,

      Please refer to note: 2400537 -Advanced ATP Backorder processing in S/4HANA. As suggested by Eric you need to maintain HRF for BOP to work correctly.

       

      Thanks,

      Manoj Gaikwad.

       

      Author's profile photo Monika Patel
      Monika Patel

      Thx for reply. Yes HRF is activated. however still issue remains.

      Author's profile photo Babu Kilari
      Babu Kilari

      What is the exact error message that you are seeing ? If the HRF has already been activated, the issue could be due to the way the Segments have been setup. Are you able to display the BOP results correctly, Monika ?

      Author's profile photo Eric Hassenberg
      Eric Hassenberg

      Monika, you need to install the HANA Rules Framework and be careful since this involves extra license costs... without the HRF the BOP run will not work.

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member
      1. In current S4 HANA 1610 aATP, There is no features of Dynamic BOPs which we have in GATP like.

      i .Event-Driven Quantity Assignment (EDQA)
      ii. Reassignment of Order Confirmations (ROC)

      Are we going to have this functionality in 1709 release ?

       

       

      Author's profile photo Monika Patel
      Monika Patel

      Yes there are on Roadmap of SAP S/4HANA

      Author's profile photo Babu Kilari
      Babu Kilari

      EDQA and ROC are not part of the roadmap yet. The current idea of SAP is that the Advanced BOP should be fast enough allowing you to setup the same more frequently ( like every 20 mins or so ).

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      Hi All,

      Any idea whether we are going to have RBA - location substitution will be available in S4 1709 Beta version ? Or any new functionality in 1709 beta version ?

       

      Author's profile photo Venkata Shanmuga Sundaram P
      Venkata Shanmuga Sundaram P

      Whether Production allocation feature can be used independent of BOP for restricting availability of  constraint product?

      Author's profile photo Chandrashekhar Mahajan
      Chandrashekhar Mahajan

      Nice blog! I have one question. How S/4 HANA aATP and IBP for inventory are related with each other?

      Author's profile photo Former Member
      Former Member

      What about characteristics-based availability check that is in gATP. Is this on the roadmap for aATP and if so, when?

      Author's profile photo Adi Mogilevsky
      Adi Mogilevsky

      Could we call Vehicle Constraint Allocation during Product Allocation at Sales Order?

      I mean use Advanced ATP fucntionality, which will look into the Inventory availability as well as the Truck/Vehicle availability

       

      Hi all

      I have another question related to this topic indirectly: if I have my products always available in Plant A and Plant B, but trucks in plant A and Plant B are not always available, could I actually take ATP on the means of Transport (Trucks) instead of on products?

      If yes, how? Could I split Sales Order Item (at the Sales Order Save) to two lines based on the availability of the Truck in plants A and B instead of based on the availability of the product itself?

      And if yes, how?

      We are on S4HANA 2020 if this helps (the latest and greatest SP)

      one person posted a blog, but we need wider understanding

      Kind regards

      Adi

      P.S. One person posted this Blog https://blogs.sap.com/2020/01/14/new-product-allocation-pal-features-in-advanced-atp-aatp-of-s-4hana-1909-release/

      Author's profile photo Mrinal Kanti Roy
      Mrinal Kanti Roy

      Hi Adi,

      Yes, "Vehicle Constraint Allocation will be chacked during Product Allocation at Sales Order".

      ATP check can happen at plant or storage location level i.e not at truck level.

      Referred blog is written by me .

      With regards,

      Mrinal