SAP Blog

If your MRP is not working how would you troubleshoot it? It is very simple than you think. Check each source of demand and sources of supply. Check whether there is anything wrong. If you are running AFS in MTO (Made To Order) model, then this means, checking your SO for any problems, Checking your BOM for any issues, checking for the planning horizons and checking for planned orders and so on. But if you have checked all these but you can find nothing, when it seems like you have checked every possible options, you have one more check to be done. This check is really important if the MRP is not running for any of your SO (or other sources of demands) or for any of your materials. The check is the number range check.

Yes, one of the MRP issues, I found few times in my consulting carrier happens due to the exhaustion of numbers allocated. For an example, if you run out of numbers in allocated planed order number series, MRP will not be able to create a planned order. Same logic applies for the Purchase requisitions too. Check this and if the numbers are exhausted or nearing the upper limit of the allocated number series, you have to extend your number series or allocate a new number series for the document type in question.You can check these settings using transaction OMI2. I hope you found this piece of advice interesting. If you like to contribute to the AFS knowledge pool, please write to me at azwath@yahoo.com

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I though this quick tip might help you.

We upgraded one of our instances from AFS version 3.0b to 6.0 some time back. We had few issues with migrating categories. But after migrating, we never had a need to create a new category in 6.0 environment. But when we had to we faced few issues.

To configure a category you have to first create a “Characteristic”. Then in SPRO, you have to create a category structure and then create a coverage strategy and assign the coverage strategy to the category structure. Configuration node can be found following the path SPRO -> Logistics – General – >AFS Categories.

We followed the process but the results did not work as we intended. With the help of AFS support team, we found Relevance and Conversion buttons were missing on the CT04 screen and as a result configuration could not be completed properly. So they recommended the SAP NOTE 1041015 and it solved the issue for us. It put the buttons on the CT04 screen and enabled us to complete the configuration.

Caution: Please read through SAP documentation before implementing notes. If required seek the SAP support. These steps might not work, or even might do harm in your case.

Today Buddhists all over the world are celebrating the 2600^th Sambudhdhathwa Jayanthi. Sri Lankan people join the celebrations in a grand way. It was great to see all these. Just an image to celebrate the day from Baudhdhloka Mawatha, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

I am following the Google chrome with lots of enthusiasm for the past few months. I really love the concept of “100% Internet”. For most of the countries however, even the mere internet connection is luxury to have. So I have a fundamental question with the concept too. But nevertheless, I firmly believe the world will move towards this idea, sooner than later. The world is moving towards the clouds. What does this means to SAP?

SAP, traditionally based on client based UI (or fat clients) did show some move towards the thin web based technology. In fact some of them were very interesting developments. But still I believe SAP has some catching up to do.

One difference I see between SAP and companies like Google, is that, SAP tries to do more or less the same thing they do with their fat clients, on the web with their thin clients too. This for me has two problems. First it will require larger band widths (meaning slower to the users); second it doesn’t use the power of online technology brings. For an example, while Spread sheet solutions on Google Docs have traditional functions which MS Excel used to has, they also have very interesting functions to get the real-time financial report using the power of online technology. Forms in Google docs is another great example for using the power of being online.

Again, a system like SAP requires the reliability and security levels which may be compromised in the online world. So it is correct to say, SAP is best used with the fat client technology today. But very soon, I am sure; SAP will come up with a real web solution making users to work online, just like any other online application.

BTW, if you are wondering what chrome book is, it is a kind of a notebook computer, which doesn’t contain any installed applications. But it is always connected to the web, making available to the user web based programs like Google Docs, Gmail and other tons of stuff. Chrome Books will not install software in their hard drives. So there is no need to upgrade and maintain anything. It is secured from the source, so even a virus guard is not required. Obviously this makes the system faster, and smarter. Cost for maintaining the system is much less compared to a traditional network. All the files will be saved in the “Cloud” not in your hard drive. So what you do is independent of the device you use. You might lose the device, not the work. And when it comes to the price, it is based on subscription just like using a mobile phone. Interesting isn’t it?

For more information follow the link below

http://www.youtube.com/user/GoogleDevelopers

SAP AFS newest version, 6.5 is in the horizon. Depending on your operational setup, there are very interesting developments coming your way. More information will follow soon.

Job Summary

• Configuring AFS SD for SAP AFS Best Practices.
• Configuring Standard Sales Order, Pre-order, Rush order, Purchase to Order (PTO), make to order (MTO) 3^rd Party order, Debit, Credit, Cross Company, Returns and Samples Order Types.
• Customer Master and Forwarding agent set up.
• Part of the SD team, with capable of collecting requirements and converting into functional specifications.
• Should have cross module (MM and FI/CO) integration experience to build and test the end to end process.
• Must to have prior EDI processes experience.
• Capable of building and reviewing  business and technical documentation to ensure test plans meet technical and business requirements.
  • Support system changes and training in the areas of AFS Grids, Seasons,  Allocation & Deliveries, Rescheduling and ATP.  Make changes in configuration settings, program variants and Allocation Mass sets.  Advise on ABAP program changes in the above areas (user exits, reports, performance enhancements). Review and/or log OSS notes.
  • Document functional requirements, develop functional specs for program changes, make configuration settings, perform testing, conduct system demos and work with users providing training and testing support.
  • Ensure solution integration and integrity within the process areas
  • Ensure that the technology solution delivered meets the requirement of the functional business leaders
  • Motivate and inspire a talented team of IT specialists using a collaborative approach to create, plan and promote diversity, including the ability to work effectively across the organization
  • Provide support to customer service organizations by supporting project requirements

Essential Functions:

• Hands on experience within the SAP AFS SD module, with specific experience in the Allocation, Outbound Deliveries, Rescheduling and Available to Promise areas
• Minimum of two full life cycle implementations in an AFS environment.
• Proven experience with requirements gathering and process design.
• Ability to work closely and effectively with end users.  Strong ‘people’ skills are essential to ensure customer satisfaction
• A good understanding of consumer products business model or global models in a consumer products organization
• A good understanding of various SAP system landscapes
• Ability to work with multiple priorities in delivery and project organizations
• A collaborative approach including effective conflict management
• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
• Influencing, negotiating and relationship management skills
• Ability to travel 25% of the time (domestic and international)
• The ability to lead change and to provide direction within a constantly changing and dynamic business

Please contact Chase with below LinkedIn Link

http://www.linkedin.com/in/chasevanhuisen

When it comes to SAP AFS, most of the users I know of adopting a MTO (Made To Order) setup. In most of the apparel and related industries, people produce for an order unlike in some other industries like vehicle manufacturing where they manufacture mainly on the expected demand not for an actual order.

AFS has a design edging towards MTO rather than MTS or Made To Stock. This mentality of AFS can be seen in the inability to use various MRP types. Even the simple minimum stock level ordering is not possible through the MRP type relevant for the AFS materials in the stable versions of AFS. This suggests, AFS is more like to be deployed with the MTO mindset than a MTS mind set.

Use of MTO with AFS presents a set of unique challenges. All the demands and supplies are allocated to a customer orders like Sales Order (SO) or a Sales contract. This multiplies the amount of transaction data. For an example if you are going to produce 10,000 pieces in a MTS scenario, you may use one production order for the quantity of 10,000, while in the case of MTO, if there are 10 small customer Pos making the demand of 10,000 with 1000 pieces each, you will have 10 production orders instead. This will increase the number of data available in the system. But on the positive side you will gain more and more control over the order. You are much leaner in manufacturing, as you always try to only manufacture in the quantities customers need.

Data multiplies further with the use of sizes too. If each of the 10 SO had 5 grid values each, the number of table entries in the relevant at the detail levels will increase by 5 times. This again accounts for the increase of data in the system. Increase in the data will slow down the system, if frequent archiving is not done.

Although AFS in my opinion is more inclined towards MTO, I believe there are some areas needs to be modified to better cater MTO business. One of these areas is the subcontracting of goods. Subcontracting is a very common in specially the apparel industry. But unfortunately AFS solutions are not geared to the replicate the physical scenarios in the system in MTO. But when it comes to MTS, they have excellent features. But the good news is there are well established work around available to manage MTO subcontracting in AFS.

There are few other limitations when it comes to MTO as well. One of these is the use of Scales to maintain different discounts for different quantities. Although behavior of scales do vary depending on the configuration, in a pure MTO scenario, you can maintain Scales in purchasing not for the entire PO but only for the particular LI of the PO. If you are using AFS, you may have more insight to these problems. Please leave your thoughts as a comment to this post.

Please note, these are just my thoughts depending on what I have seen over the years. There may be differences in your experience. You can always leave your comments below.

Hello to all SAP AFS readers. Thank you for being a SAP AFS reader for this long, specially even when I didn’t update the blog for over a year. I thought this is just a regular blog, but I was wrong.

I visited SAP Labs India, two weeks back. It was an awesome experience. People were very nice and kind both inside and outside SAP Labs. I really like their working environment. It was a beautifully designed and beautifully maintained. Importantly I had the opportunity to meet most of the SAP AFS development and support team members, people behind the SAP IS AFS. Interestingly, I was surprised to see most of them knew my blog and me at least by my name. Almost all of them knew I was not updating this blog for a while now. They gave me the push I was looking for to regularly update this blog. So I am going to update this blog regularly hereafter. I must thank all the people in SAP Labs for their support and encouragement.

If you are a consultant or a SAP AFS user, I am more than willing to give the opportunity to share your ideas on this blog. Please write to me on azwath@yahoo.com . We will discuss an important AFS topic in our next post.

Have a Great Day!