A S&OP solution based on DP technology. Why DP? Why not ECC S&OP? Why not ECC Flexible planning? Why not SNP? Why not SNP Propagation? Why not S&OP HANA?
Think customers! Their job is nothing related with software. They need one solution, according to their size and business. Say SAP! Okay but even with a single editor, you have nothing less than 6 ways of doing, without counting other version that were dropped.
1- ECC – PP S&OP
Simple & easy solution it allows simplistic simulations and S&OP activities. Way unsufficient to help a company creating a relevant S&OP plan to be decision supportfull. Despite it is outdated, this is still in operation, mostly to help simulation with capacity concerns.
May dimensions Product group & locations (sites)
2-ECC – PP Flexible planning
It is just going further with flexible dimensions like customer or other groups of product, locations etc.. Based on disk management the performances are weak, likewise option 1. Complexity is high and usability almost absent. Depsite these downside, this is still in use in 2013!
3- APO SNP
Interesting but limited. to product ad locations, like ECC-PP. Aggregation is possible using hierarchy, however this is bringing complexity for so little in grouping product and location. Master data setup is really cumbersome and rigid so that simultation cycle become a matter of days whenever S&OP analyst expect minutes and simplicity. From calculation power that is great moreover if you use Optimizer. So I would say this is a valid option for company with a stable model, no need for 10 years anticipation
4-APO SNP Propagation 9ASNP01
THis is a special in APO. Read OSS notes if interested. Prepare for a very technical project. Behind 9ASNP01 you have in fact a technical concept that propagates planing result in real-time over your network and recipes. So from the simulation perspective this is quite interesting. Downside, this is SNP therefore master data and modeling are complex.
5- S&OP HANA
Most recent version of S&OP solution since 2012, it is based on In memory technology (HANA). Apprently only available in the CLOUD. It is said to be the right answer. Looked to me as a reporting tool with fast calculation and aggregation. It comes with a non conventional approach stating visions and strategies are a result of aggregation of all details BOTOOM UP, and not like APICS propose a TOP DOWN one even if the top as sometimes to be sized according to details. I may write something on that product soon.
6- APO DP and propagation
Here is what we are doing at DOWAP. A RDS solution for S&OP, based on DP.
Initial idea is that APO DP allows quick maintenance of dimensions like product, customer, location, resources etc.. Nothing more than minutes to create a new value in a dimension and create a CVC to represent a new segment in an S&OP cycle.
Aggregation is just amazing versus S&OP expectations and performances good. Calculation capabilites are low but enough to carry stock and capacity projection.
4 planning areas.
1- Product, location and customer , with groups and families defined. Here the demand extrapolation over 10 years is carried out
2- Resouce and location, with groups and families. Allows defining the constraints of the S&OP. Can be production resources also defined in SNP (integration) or virtual resource for product like milk, silicone, or Transport, storage etc..
3- Rough Recipe. This establish the relation between all dimensions You can define a product calls for one to many resources in a timeline sequence, like a routing. Simplicity 1′ minute to create a new recipe (CVC and planning book). Aggregation is inherited from product resources, providing average rough recipe.
4- Planning. This planning area combine all dimensions and reads in realtime the data from other to avoid duplication. We developped ABAP readers. In planning you can simulate different version of demand , compared to different version of capacity, whereas using multiple recipes. In the end you can run a bespoke capacity leveling and finally post result in SNP in a reporting keyf.
Want to learn more ? please ask!