Optimizer: Time Aggregation Enhancements

When used with time aggregation, static periods of supply and periods of maximum coverage are now considered during the whole planning horizon. Previously they were ignored.

For example, for a static period of supply covering three weeks and four days, with the last day of coverage on Thursday, the constraint is adapted to cover three weeks and 4/7 of the fourth week (Monday to Thursday = four days).

New Planning Operator for Simulations in the Past

You can now schedule application jobs in your test systems to execute the new Update Offset V2 operator. This operator allows you to run simulations for past periods in an automated way. For example, you can use the operator to see how your forecasting algorithms would have performed if they had been implemented several months before the current date.

S&OP Operator V2 Available in the Application Jobs Group of the SAP IBP Ribbon

With version 2208.2.0 of the Excel add-in, the same improved functions have been provided by the application job templates S&OP Operator V2 and S&OP Optimizer Explanation V2 are available in the S&OP Operator function of the Excel add-in.

Using S&OP Operator V2 and S&OP Optimizer Explanation V2 provides more flexibility in time selection and subnetwork selection when compared to the previous S&OP Operator function. To reduce the scope of the operator run, you can plan subnetworks by selecting predefined subnetwork IDs, or specifying a filter along with an environment policy. This enables you to plan or replan just an affected part of a large supply network to see the impact of a change.

New App: Manage Historical States

This app is used to view the configuration state for the planning area and to perform various actions such as

• View the list of all historical states available for each planning area and the number of deltas saved between a state and the following state.
• Navigate to the details of any selected state.

The details of the state are opened in the Planning Areas app.

• Archive a planning area state to ensure that it is retained beyond the retention period set for historical states.

The retention period is controlled by the HISTORY_RETENTION_RELEASES global configuration parameter. Unarchived historical states with an expired retention period are automatically deleted upon upgrade.

• Delete the archived instance of a state.

When you archive a state, an archived instance is created. You can delete the archived instance. The deletion doesn’t affect the state itself, which is retained throughout the retention period.

Creating Analysis with Multiple Versions in Inventory Analysis App

The Inventory Analysis app now allows you to create scenarios that analyze and compare multiple versions at once. With this feature, you can adjust the input key figure values of each selected version and, after running your scenario, compare the scenario outputs of each version with their corresponding baselines.

Addition of Forecast Model for Intermittent Demand

A new, separate BestFit_Intermittent_Demand forecast model has been added, which can be used for products with intermittent demand. This new forecast model includes the Croston method and Croston TSB method algorithms and does not apply pre-processing steps, in particular outlier correction, as required by this type of algorithm.

Consideration of Change Points in DemandSensingGB Forecast Model

The demand sensing with gradient boosting algorithm can now consider change points. This new option has been activated in the DemandSensingGB forecast model of the SAPIBP1 sample planning area.

External Pre-processing

Now we can add an external pre-processing algorithm to a forecast model in the Manage Forecast Models app.

Enhancements to Simulate Key Figure Calculations App

Now we can run simulations by entering the data manually for the existing combinations in the Simulate Key Figure Calculations app. We can change the values of key figures (Stored) only after running the simulation on the existing data.

Disaggregation Based on Calculated Key Figures

Now we have an option “other key figure – Calculated values” to disaggregate key figure values proportionally to the calculated values of another key figure.

Enhancements to Planner Workspaces

• Planner workspace has been enhanced to support a Value-based filter for the key Figure values
• Navigate To option was added to this app which has a list of configured navigations, user can select from the list to navigate from a planning view to other systems.
• In addition, you can now add the new component for transportation load building to your Workspaces.

Show Details in Context Menu

A new function show details have been added to the context menu. This function is used to get additional details of the key figure, attributes, versions, scenarios, and time periods that are included in the planning view you currently have open.

We can see this option by a right click on any of the cells containing key figures, attributes, versions, scenarios, and time periods. The context menu opens, and you can select Show Details.

Keep Clipboard Entries​ After Refresh

In the previous versions When we are doing a copy function from a different Microsoft application the clipboard entries were not kept after refreshing the Planning View/ Master Data Workbook. This problem was resolved by the 2208 version where the clipboard entries were kept even after refreshing the Planning View/Master Data Workbook

Take Over Changed Version or Scenario in the Alerts Tab

If you change the version and scenario selection in the Edit Planning View dialog, the version or scenario you select is taken over in the Alerts tab in the Version and Scenario fields, if alerts have been configured previously.​

Improved Behaviour of Microsoft Excel Native Sorting Function

You can sort the values in a column of a planning view by using the Microsoft Excel Filter dropdown. Changed key figure values in the sorted planning view are recognized when you save the planning view. In previous versions, an error message was shown in such cases.

Status of Tasks Can Be Set from In Progress to Completed

Now you can set tasks with the status In Progress and Open to Completed in the Excel add-in.

Enhancements to the Change History Analysis App

In the Change History Analysis app, you can now see the progress of the collection of your selected key figure data.  If the collection takes longer than 5 seconds, the app displays the progress bar automatically.

Enhancements to the Manage Planning Notes App

With this new enhancement, we can now edit the planning note text and the keywords assigned to the planning note. in the Manage Planning Note app.

Enhancements to the Manage Planning Objects App

When you create planning objects, an auto-complete and auto-suggest feature in the attribute fields helps you to speed up data entry.

You can now copy up to 500 attribute values from a list or spreadsheet and paste them into the attribute selection UI in one go. This feature makes it a lot easier to work with complex selections.

Sharing Enhancements in Dashboards – Advanced

In the Dashboards – Advanced app, the columns in the list and information dialog have been enhanced to allow you to view more information about which users and user groups have the dashboards shared with them, and whether they have write access.

Enhancements to Job Runtime Outlier Analysis

We can now view application job runtime outliers in a scatter chart, where job runs of a standard duration are represented in blue, and outliers in orange. In addition, we can navigate to application job logs by selecting a job in the Outlier Analysis view.

New Validation Check for Attributes as Key Figures

A New validation check is to be introduced for attributes as key figures in SAP IBP 2211. please check that attributes as key figures are configured correctly.

For example if the master data type for the attribute as key figure has the key attributes PRDID, LOCID, and CUSTID, the base planning level of the key figure needs to have the non-time root attributes PRDID, LOCID, and CUSTID. As of SAP IBP 2211, selecting a base planning level that only has PRDID and LOCID as non-time root attributes will lead to issues during data integration and inconsistent data.

Deprecation of File-Based Transport of Planning Filters

As announced in SAP IBP 2205, file-based transport of planning filters will be replaced by collection-based transport in SAP IBP 2211. As of SAP IBP 2208, file-based transport of planning filters is deprecated, and we have to switch to collection-based transport using the Export Software Collection app.

Deprecation of the Export Software Collection and Import Collection Tiles

The tiles for the Export Software Collection and Import Collection apps have been deprecated and are now displayed on the SAP Fiori launchpad as Export Software Collection (Deprecated) and Import Collection (Deprecated), respectively. We have to use the successor tiles, which are shown as Export Software Collection and Import Collection.

Deprecation of the Planning Operator’s App

As announced in earlier releases, the Planning Operators app is deprecated. We no longer use it to create or edit planning operators. We can create profile-based planning operators in their respective apps. By the next release, the Planning Operators app will be deleted from the SAP Fiori launchpad.

How can SBP help you?

SBP Consulting is an SAP preferred partner in Supply Chain and has assisted in the success of global businesses across industries & geographies. We have helped businesses through the successful integration & implementation of SAP IBP and the VC Planner Solution. If your organization needs help with supply chain activities, SBP can help you. Please email getIBP@sbpcorp.com for further information.