Checking components availability on MRS Planning Board

Hi All,

As far as working in SAP Plant Maintenance is concerned or SAP customer service is there, it is obvious to use components to rectify failures of asset and equipment. These are normally spare parts (Material Type:- ERSA).

With integration of SAP MRS and SAP ECC modules, now it becomes user friendly to check components availability from MRS planning board itself.

We can check materials (components) availability on MRS planning board using web based scheduler workplace or SAP GUI based scheduler workplace or we can do it using batch job. However recommendation is to perform this action using scheduler based workplace as planner or scheduler works on individual work order and its scheduling. So he can take decision with respect to each order. He can issue components if available or create follow PR/PO process to order components.

In MRS components or materials is also termed as “Parts”. So if we read it differently on websites, do not get confused.

Let’s talk about pre-requisite now.

We need to set up below configuration first.

1. Availability Check for Material, PRTs, and Capacities in SPRO

In this section we assign checking rules and checking group to execute material availability check. It is very important step without which we may not be able to execute material availability search.

Use both availability checking groups 1 and 2.

2. Activate Backward Integration of Data in SAP MRS

To update created assignments for the demand, we need to activate this configuration. System will then, transfer details from planning board table to work order after saving. This applies to parts availability check also, once we check parts availability in SAP, it will reflect in work order.

3. Activate 1:1 Relationship of Assignments and Demands for Demand Categories in SAP MRSS IMG

We need to activate 1:1 relationship between demand and demand items so that system ensures for each work order, there is assignment created and demand item exists for it.

For this setting, we need to complete step 2.

4. Define Profiles for Parts Availability Check

Specially for SAP ERP EAM and CS, we need to create profile for parts availability and then assign it in planning board profile. When we assign a demand that is based on a work order to more than one resource, then system automatically creates a copy of the demand for the second assignment on the planning board.

This configuration takes care of it.

All of the above are basic configuration setting for parts availability check.

Apart from it,we can also make sure that while we search suitable resource for demand, system automatically check whether parts available for that demand is available in stock or not. However in this edition of blog, I have shown manual checking of parts.

Highlighted points that we can see while checking parts availability.

We can see symbols. Red , Green and Gray . Each symbol has its meaning.
Green represents all parts are available in stock.
Red represents relevant parts are not available in stock.
Gray represents parts which are available cannot be checked in for work orders in combine.