The realignment process also lets you copy planning data for existing characteristic values to new characteristic values. You can then decide if the predecessor data should be deleted or copied, and if the target data should be overwritten or added to existing data. You can also determine the percentage rate of planning data transfer. You can realign planning areas and InfoCubes.
Figure 67: Realignment
In modern business processes master data is constantly changing, for example new products are introduced, organizational structures change, or existing products are manufactured in new locations. These changes need to be accounted for in your demand planning process. There are two distinct operations:
1. Generating new CVCs and deleting old ones, where necessary.
2. Copying planning data from one CVC to another.
Since doing this manually requires a lot of work, SAP provides functions to create new characteristic value combinations and to copy the data. This process consists of two steps:
1. Realignment: Characteristic value combinations are maintained for master planning object structures. Realignment itself works at this level. The system creates new characteristic value combinations based on selected values from existing combinations. The planning data, memos and generated selections of the old combinations are copied to the new characteristic value combinations (CVCs). But it is possible to initialize the key figures subsequently. If necessary, the old combinations can be deleted with the data.
2. Copy function: Data itself is stored at planning area level. If the characteristic value combinations already exist and you want to copy data from one combination to another, you use this function. Since the extent of the function is limited to the planning area, more selection options are available than for the master planning object structure. It is possible:
• To copy data from source to target version
• To select the key figures to be copied
• To restrict the periods in which data is copied
• To copy a percentage of planning data
There is also an extensive log function. Proportional factors are not copied. More Realignment Functions
• Copies notes to the target characteristic value combination, providing that in doing so it does not overwrite an existing note.
• Modifies generated selections (with selection IDs that were not created manually) according to the new CVCs. These selections are used: to assign forecast profiles; to assign alert profiles; with consumption groups (descriptive characteristics).
• Copies promotions to target characteristic values, providing you delete the source characteristic value combination. Promotions with the new characteristics combination are given In Process status.
The copy function is similar to some of the functions available in Copy
Management. However, copy management does not allow you to copy data from individual characteristic value combination to other combinations.
You cannot carry out realignment for CBF characteristics including the product.
The characteristics for the CBF profile table and line are not visible in realignment.
You can use the product as a selection criterion. It is possible to use realignment for the non-CBF characteristics in a CBF planning area.
Similarly, you cannot carry out realignment for the DP-BOM characteristics 9ABOMID, and 9ABOMIO. You can only use the product (for example 9AMATNR) and 9APPNAME as selection criteria.
During the realignment process, navigation attributes can be ignored, since these attributes are not part of the characteristic values combination. They only “point”
to another characteristic's value. Navigation attributes can be directly altered by loading the BW master data.
InfoCubes can also be reorganized in realignment. The InfoCube must contain all the characteristics that are in the realignment table for the master planning object structure. You choose the InfoCubes that are to be realigned (you can select several InfoCubes). If you only want to realign the InfoCubes and not the master planning object structure, select the Only Realign InfoCube indicator.
In general, you run realignment periodically as a background job, for example, at night or during the weekend. This is not only critical to performance; it also prevents characteristic values in the realignment table from being locked by selections made in interactive or background planning.
Realignment is performed for the planning object structure, since that is where the characteristic value combinations reside. The copy process is carried out for the planning area or the InfoCube, whichever is designated, since that is where the data is stored.
The process consists of two major steps – maintenance of the realignment table and execution of the realignment run.
Exercise 10: Creating Characteristic Value Combinations
Exercise Objectives
After completing this exercise, you will be able to:
• Create characteristic value combinations manually
• Create characteristic value combinations using realignment
Business Example
Precision Pump Company is introducing a product called NEW. The master data to support the planning of this new product will need to be created.
Task 1: Manual Creation of Characteristic Value Combinations (CVCs)
You want to plan demand for a new product, NEW. You do not need a product master record to do so. Instead, you copy the characteristic value combinations of the predecessor product, P-104.
1. First check whether the planning object structure, DPPOS##, already has characteristic value combinations for products P-104 and NEW.
2. Load the existing characteristic value combinations for the old product, P-104, to the worklist and use it to generate master data and/or characteristic value combinations and time series for the new product, NEW.
3. Check the characteristic value combinations in your planning object structure to see if any now exist for your NEW product.
Task 2: Creating Characteristic Value Combinations (CVCs) and Copying Planning Data (Optional)
Realignment enables you to create characteristic value combinations (CVCs) and copy planning data. If you are using a preliminary product number for your planning, for example, you can simply copy the data to the final product number.
You can also reorganize history and planning data at your company.
1. Use realignment for planning object structure DPPOS##, to transfer the existing characteristic value combinations for P-104 and the planning data to characteristic value combinations for product NEW123. To do so, create a realignment table for characteristic APO Product and enter Replace.
2. Now check interactive demand planning to see whether you can plan the characteristic value combinations for products NEW and NEW123. Create a selection called NEW## for the new products and assign it to your selection profile. Is there planning data for these products? Why or why not?
Solution 10: Creating Characteristic Value Combinations
Task 1: Manual Creation of Characteristic Value Combinations (CVCs)
You want to plan demand for a new product, NEW. You do not need a product master record to do so. Instead, you copy the characteristic value combinations of the predecessor product, P-104.
1. First check whether the planning object structure, DPPOS##, already has characteristic value combinations for products P-104 and NEW.
a) Follow the menu path Advanced Planning and Optimization → Master Data → Application-Specific Master Data → Demand Planning → Maintain characteristic values
b) Enter planning object structure DPPOS##.
c) Choose Display Characteristic Value Combinations.
d) Press Selection Condition and use the multiple selection to enter products P-104 and NEW in the Product field. Choose Execute.
e) Choose Execute.
Only records for the old product, P-104, are displayed, since no characteristic value combinations have been defined for your NEW product yet.
2. Load the existing characteristic value combinations for the old product, P-104, to the worklist and use it to generate master data and/or characteristic value combinations and time series for the new product, NEW.
a) Press Create Characteristic Value Combinations, load them into the worklist, and specify planning object structure DPPOS## as the data source. Press Selection Condition and enter product P-104 in the Product field. Execute.
b) Select the Adjust Time Series Objects Immediately indicator and then Execute. A dialog box will appear - "Adjust Time Series Now?".
Choose Yes.
c) Select all the rows and press Replace Characteristic Values. Select APO Product and enter the Value of Source as P-104 and Value of Target as New. Next
d) Select all the rows and press Generate Combinations. Create the time series as well.
Continued on next page
3. Check the characteristic value combinations in your planning object structure to see if any now exist for your NEW product.
a) Choose Display Characteristic Combinations at the bottom.
b) Press Selection Condition and enter NEW in the product field. Choose Execute.
c) Choose Execute.
Task 2: Creating Characteristic Value Combinations (CVCs) and Copying Planning Data (Optional)
Realignment enables you to create characteristic value combinations (CVCs) and copy planning data. If you are using a preliminary product number for your planning, for example, you can simply copy the data to the final product number.
You can also reorganize history and planning data at your company.
1. Use realignment for planning object structure DPPOS##, to transfer the existing characteristic value combinations for P-104 and the planning data to characteristic value combinations for product NEW123. To do so, create a realignment table for characteristic APO Product and enter Replace.
a) Follow the menu path Advanced Planning and Optimization → Demand Planning → Environment → Data Administration → Data Realignment b) The Realignment application is already selected.
c) Enter planning object structure DPPOS##.
d) In the realignment table section, select Create and answer YES to create a table and restrict the characteristic selection.
e) Deselect the selection and select only the characteristic APO product. Choose Continue.
f) You'll find yourself back at the realignment main screen. Now select Maintain Entries. An empty table will appear.
g) Now choose Create Step.
h) Change Copy Logic to Add and accept the defaults for the remaining fields and enter P-104 in the From field and NEW123 in the To field.
Choose Save. Choose Back to return to the realignment main screen.
i) Choose Execute and the CVCs for NEW123 are created. Watch the status bar for messages. After successfully completing the realignment, choose Back to return to the main menu.
Continued on next page
2. Now check interactive demand planning to see whether you can plan the characteristic value combinations for products NEW and NEW123. Create a selection called NEW## for the new products and assign it to your selection profile. Is there planning data for these products? Why or why not?
a) Use the menu path: Advanced Planning and Optimization → Demand Planning → Planning → Interactive Demand Planning.
b) Make sure your planning book, DPBOOK##, and the Demand Plan data view are selected.
c) Choose Selection Window. Choose Show APO Product. Only version 000 is displayed by default. In the second row, choose APO Product and use the multiple selection to select products NEW and NEW123.
To save the selection as NEW##, choose Save Selection and enter NEW## as the selection description. Choose Save. Choose Transfer.
d) To enable easy access to this selection, assign the selection to the selection profile by pressing the Selection Profile button. A dialog window opens. Drag your selection from the right side of the window to the book on the left side. Click Save and then Adopt.
e) Double-click products NEW and NEW123 in sequence to load the data.
Product NEW does not have any planning data yet, because only the characteristic value combinations were copied. The planning data for P-104was copied for NEW123.