C_TS422_2023 SAP Certified Associate - SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition, Production Planning and Manufacturing Questions and Answers

You can limit the validity of a BOM by plant and by period. The plant determines the organizational area of validity for the BOM, and you can assign the same BOM to different or further plants if the prerequisites are met. The period of validity for a BOM is restricted by the valid-from date and the valid-to date in the BOM header and item, which determine when the BOM becomes effective and when it ends. References: Validity of Bills of Material, BOM Item Validity

 To use capacity availability checks for production orders, you need to make the following settings:

The relevant for finite scheduling indicator must be set for the work centers or resources that you want to check. This indicator determines whether the system considers the capacity of the work center or resource during the capacity availability check and finite scheduling. You can set this indicator in the work center or resource master data, or in the routing or production version of the order12.

An overall profile must be assigned in the checking control for the order type and plant. The overall profile defines the parameters for the capacity availability check, such as the period profile, the selection profile, the checking horizon, and the reaction. You can assign the overall profile in Customizing for Capacity Planning under Availability Check -> Checking Control34.

References:

1: SAP Help Portal: Work Center/Resource

2: SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 5: Master Data

3: SAP Help Portal: Checking Control

4: SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 9: Capacity Planning

Consumption-based planning is a planning procedure that uses past consumption data to calculate the future requirements of materials. It does not consider the dependent requirements of higher-level materials, but only the independent requirements from sales orders, forecasts, or stock transfers. Consumption-based planning is suitable for B and C materials, which have low value, low demand variability, and high availability. Consumption-based planning reduces the planning efforts for these materials, as it does not require the maintenance of BOMs, routings, or production versions. Consumption-based planning can be further divided into reorder point planning, forecast-based planning, and time-phased planning, depending on the method of determining the reorder point and the lot size12 References:

Consumption-Based Planning - SAP Help Portal

SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 3: Material Requirements Planning, Section 3.1: Planning Procedures, Page 67

A material availability check can be triggered automatically for a production order by the following methods:

By mass processing: You can use the mass processing function to execute material availability checks for multiple production orders at once. You can use the Manage Production Orders app or the transaction COHV to perform mass processing. You can define the selection criteria and the scope of check for the orders to be checked. The system updates the availability status and the committed quantities for the checked orders.

By order release: You can configure the system to trigger a material availability check automatically when a production order is released. You can use the Customizing activity Define Checking Control to define the checking rule and the scope of check for the order release. The system updates the availability status and the committed quantities for the released order. References: Executing Material Availability Checks; [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], page 83.

Lead time scheduling is a method of scheduling production orders that calculates the start and finish dates of each operation based on the operation duration, interoperation time, and other time elements. The time elements that are relevant for lead time scheduling of a production order are:

Setup time: The time required to prepare the work center for the operation, such as changing tools, adjusting machines, or cleaning the work area.

Processing time: The time required to perform the operation, such as machining, assembling, or testing the product.

Teardown time: The time required to restore the work center to its original state after the operation, such as removing tools, resetting machines, or disposing of waste.

Interoperation time: The time between two consecutive operations, such as transportation, waiting, or inspection time.

Float before production: The time buffer before the scheduled start date of the production order, which can be used to compensate for delays or changes in the production plan.

Float after production: The time buffer after the scheduled finish date of the production order, which can be used to compensate for delays or changes in the production plan.

The opening period and the total replenishment lead time are not relevant for lead time scheduling of a production order. The opening period is a parameter that defines the earliest possible start date of a production order, based on the material availability date and the planning time fence. The total replenishment lead time is a parameter that defines the total time required to procure or produce a material, from the time the requirement is identified until the time the material is available for use.

References: [Production Planning with SAP S/4HANA], pages 177-179; [SAP Help Portal: Lead Time Scheduling].

You can use mass processing to set production orders to technically complete. Mass processing allows you to perform the same action for multiple production orders at once, such as changing the status, printing, or confirming. You can use the Set to Technically Complete action to close the production orders that are finished and do not require any further processing. This action updates the order status to TECO and prevents any further changes to the order12.

You can use trigger points to automatically create rework orders via confirmation. Trigger points are predefined events that occur during the execution of a production order, such as reaching a certain operation or quantity. You can assign actions to trigger points, such as creating a notification, a rework order, or a quality inspection. For example, you can use a trigger point to automatically create a rework order for defective goods when you confirm an operation. The rework order is linked to the original order and inherits the relevant data from it3 .

References:

1: SAP Help Portal: Mass Processing

2: SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 7: Process Orders

3: SAP Help Portal: Trigger Points

: SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 6: Production Orders

 A work center hierarchy is a business object in PP/DS that defines the structure and sequence of resources that are used for a production process. You use this object to represent the logical and physical dependencies of the resources and to control the scheduling and sequencing of the operations or orders. A work center hierarchy allows you to model the production flow and capacity more realistically and ensure the technical feasibility of the production plan1

A work center hierarchy can also be used to cumulate the available capacity and capacity requirements of the resources in capacity planning. You can cumulate the available capacities from subordinate work centers to a superior work center level in order to determine the total available capacity for the superior work center. This way, you can use a work center hierarchy as a group of alternative work centers that provide a cumulative available capacity for production23

References:

Work center hierarchy | SAP Help Portal

Work Center Hierarchy - SAP Help Portal

Highlights for Manufacturing in SAP S/4HANA 2021 – Part 2: Production Planning, Engineering, Operations | SAP Blogs

 You can change the material type for a material if stocks, reservations, or purchasing documents exist only if the following conditions are met:

The same base unit of measure is used. This ensures that the material quantity is consistent across different material types.

The quantity and value updates are the same. This ensures that the material valuation is consistent across different material types.

The material is not subject to split valuation. This ensures that the material has only one valuation class and price control. References: [SAP Help Portal] - Change Material Type

The material type is a key attribute that classifies materials according to their characteristics and determines how they are processed in the system. The material type influences the following aspects of material management:

Which material master screens appear and in which sequence: The material type controls which fields are required, optional, or hidden in the material master record. It also determines the order in which the screens are displayed when creating or changing a material master record. Different material types may have different views and fields depending on the business requirements. For example, a raw material may have a purchasing view, while a finished product may have a sales view.

Whether the material is produced in-house, procured externally, or both: The material type defines the procurement type of the material, which indicates how the material is procured. The procurement type can be in-house production, external procurement, or both. The procurement type affects the planning and execution of the material requirements. For example, a material with in-house production procurement type will generate planned orders, while a material with external procurement type will generate purchase requisitions or schedule lines.

The material type does not influence the following aspects of material management:

Which document types and class categories are allowed: The document type is a key attribute that classifies documents according to their business purpose and determines how they are processed in the system. The document type controls the number range, field selection, and status profile of the document. The document type is independent of the material type and can be used for any material type. For example, a purchase order document type can be used for any material type that is procured externally. The class category is a key attribute that classifies classes according to their application area and determines how they are processed in the system. The class category controls the characteristics, object types, and inheritance rules of the class. The class category is independent of the material type and can be used for any material type. For example, a material class category can be used for any material type that has characteristics.

Which plant-specific and plant-independent statuses are allowed: The status is an attribute that indicates the current condition of an object in the system. The status can be plant-specific or plant-independent, depending on whether it applies to a specific plant or to all plants. The status is independent of the material type and can be used for any material type. For example, a material can have a plant-specific status of blocked for quality reasons, or a plant-independent status of discontinued. References: Material Type | SAP HelpPortal, Material Master (LO-MD-MM) | SAP Help Portal, Document Types | SAP Help Portal, [Class Category | SAP Help Portal], [Status Management | SAP Help Portal]

The master data fields that can have an impact on whether MRP creates planned orders or purchase requisitions for a material are:

MRP type: The MRP type is a parameter that defines how a material is planned by MRP. Depending on the MRP type, MRP can create different types of procurement proposals for a material. For example, if the MRP type is PD (MRP), MRP can create either planned orders or purchase requisitions, depending on the procurement type of the material. If the MRPtype is VB (Reorder Point Planning), MRP can only create purchase requisitions, regardless of the procurement type of the material.

Procurement type: The procurement type is a parameter that defines how a material is procured, either internally or externally. Depending on the procurement type, MRP can create different types of procurement proposals for a material. For example, if the procurement type is E (External Procurement), MRP can only create purchase requisitions for a material. If the procurement type is X (Both Procurement Types Possible), MRP can create either planned orders or purchase requisitions, depending on the source of supply determination.

The master data fields that do not have an impact on whether MRP creates planned orders or purchase requisitions for a material are:

MRP groups: The MRP groups are parameters that allow you to group materials with similar planning characteristics and assign them common MRP settings, such as planning horizon, lot-sizing procedure, or planning calendar. The MRP groups do not directly affect the type of procurement proposals created by MRP, but they can influence the quantity and timing of the requirements and receipts.

Material type: The material type is a parameter that defines the attributes and properties of a material, such as valuation class, price control, or account determination. The material type does not affect the type of procurement proposals created by MRP, but it can influence the valuation and accounting of the material movements.

References: [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], page 87; [SAP Help Portal: MRP Type] and [SAP Help Portal: Procurement Type].

You can exclude a material from the MRP run by using a specific material status or a specific MRP type. A material status is a user-defined indicator that can be assigned to a material master record to control the procurement and planning activities for the material. For example, you can define a material status that blocks the material from being planned by MRP. An MRP type is a parameter that defines how a material is planned by MRP. For example, you can use the MRP type ND (No Planning) to exclude the material from the MRP run.

References: [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], page 87; [SAP Help Portal: Material Status] and [SAP Help Portal: MRP Type].

The control cycle is the master data object that governs the relationship between supply source and demand source in the Kanban process. The control cycle defines the following data for Kanban production:

The number of Kanban containers and the quantity per container or per call item

The basic data required for automatic Kanban calculation, if necessary

The replenishment strategy, which determines how the supply source replenishes the demand source, such as in-house production, external procurement, stock transfer, or assembly

The print control, which determines how the Kanban cards are printed, if necessary

The delivery address, which determines where the Kanban containers are delivered, if necessary

The process control, which determines the status sequence, the goods movement, the packing instruction, and the production call profile, if necessary1

The control cycle is created and maintained using the app Manage Kanban Control Cycles or the transaction PKMC. The control cycle is assigned to a material and a plant, and can be split into different segments for different supply sources or demand sources2.

The other options are not correct for the following reasons:

Replenishment strategy (A): This is not a master data object, but a field in the control cycle that specifies the type of replenishment for the Kanban process. The replenishment strategy can be in-house production, external procurement, stock transfer, or assembly1.

Production supply area (B): This is a master data object that represents a physical or logical area where materials are supplied for production. A production supply area can be assigned to a material, a work center, or a production line. A production supply area is not directly related to the Kanban process, but it can be used to group materials or work centers for planning or reporting purposes3.

Rate routing (D): This is a master data object that defines the sequence of operations and the work centers for producing a material in repetitive manufacturing. A rate routing can be assigned to a material and a production version. A rate routing is not directly related tothe Kanban process, but it can be used to calculate the production rate and the lead time for in-house production.

References:

https://blogs.sap.com/2016/06/20/kanban-process/

https://blogs.sap.com/2018/04/11/kanban-process-in-s4-hana-1709/

A resource network is a business object in PP/DS that defines the allowed directed connections between two or more resources. A directed connection means that the connection from Resource 1 to Resource 2 is not the same as the inverse connection from Resource 2 to Resource 1. You use this object to model existing production constraints more precisely, with the objective of creating a finite and technically feasible production schedule. Resource networks simplify the modeling of resource restrictions for consecutive operations or orders1

A resource selection is a business object in PP/DS that defines the criteria for selecting a suitable resource for an operation or an order. You use this object to specify the characteristics, attributes, and capacities of the resources that can be used for a particular production process. Resource selection allows you to optimize the resource utilization and reduce the setup times and costs2

A resource matrix is a business object in PP/DS that defines the relationships between different resources based on their characteristics and attributes. You use this object to determine the setup times and costs for changing from one resource to another. Resource matrix allows you to model the setup effort and expense more accurately and improve the production efficiency3

A resource hierarchy is a business object in PP/DS that defines the structure and sequence of resources that are used for a production process. You use this object to represent the logical and physical dependencies of the resources and to control the scheduling and sequencing of the operations or orders. Resource hierarchy allows you to model the production flow and capacity more realistically and ensure the technical feasibility of the production plan.

References:

Resource Network | SAP Help Portal

Resource Selection | SAP Help Portal

Resource Matrix | SAP Help Portal

[Resource Hierarchy | SAP Help Portal]

To support a GMP-compliant production process, you can use the following features in SAP S/4HANA:

Digital signature: This allows you to electronically sign documents and transactions that are relevant for GMP compliance, such as production orders, process orders, batch records, and quality inspections. Digital signatures ensure the authenticity, integrity, and non-repudiation of the documents and transactions12.

Batch record: This is a document that records the entire production process of a batch, including the materials, resources, operations, quality data, and signatures involved. Batch records provide traceability and documentation for GMP compliance3 .

Recipe approval: This is a process that ensures that only approved recipes can be used for production. Recipes are approved by authorized users who sign them digitally. Recipe approval prevents unauthorized changes and ensures consistency and quality of the products .

References:

1: SAP Help Portal: Digital Signature

2: SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 8: Product Compliance

3: SAP Help Portal: Batch Record

: SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 8: Product Compliance

: SAP Help Portal: Recipe Approval

: SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 7: Process Orders

MRP (Material Requirements Planning) is a process that calculates the quantity and timing of material requirements based on the demand and supply situation. MRP performs a net requirement calculation for each material, which compares the available stock and the planned receipts with the requirements and the planned issues. MRP takes into account the following elements during net requirement calculation:

Safety stock: The minimum quantity of material that should be maintained at all times to avoid stockout situations due to unforeseen fluctuations in demand or supply. MRP considers the safety stock as a requirement and tries to replenish it whenever it falls below the defined level.

Purchase orders: The confirmed orders from external vendors that are expected to be delivered within a certain time frame. MRP considers the purchase orders as planned receipts and reduces the net requirement by the quantity and date of the purchase orders.

MRP does not take into account the following elements during net requirement calculation:

Forecast key figures: The projected demand for a material based on historical data, trends, and other factors. MRP does not consider the forecast key figures as requirements, but as a basis for creating planned independent requirements, which are then considered as requirements.

Maximum stock level: The maximum quantity of material that should be maintained at any time to avoid overstocking and excess inventory costs. MRP does not consider themaximum stock level as a constraint, but as a target value for the lot-sizing procedure, which determines the optimal quantity and frequency of replenishment orders.

References: [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], page 86; [SAP Help Portal: Net Requirements Calculation].

Increase the capacity supply in a time-phased interval: You can use the capacity planning table or the capacity planning board to increase the available capacity of a resource by changing the shift sequence, the shift duration, or the number of individual capacities. You can also use the capacity leveling function to distribute the capacity requirements over a longer time horizon. This way, you can avoid capacity overloads and create a balanced capacity load.

Determine a time period with available capacity on the planning board: You can use the planning board to visualize the capacity load and the capacity availability of a resource in a graphical Gantt chart. You can use the filter and zoom functions to focus on a specific time period and resource. You can also use the capacity evaluation function to display the capacity situation in a tabular or graphical form. This way, you can identify the time periods with available capacity and plan the operations accordingly.

Form optimum sequence to reduce setup times: You can use the setup matrix or the setup group key to define the setup times and the setup categories for a resource. You can also use the setup optimization function to determine the optimum sequence of operations that minimizes the total setup time. This way, you can reduce the capacity consumptionand increase the throughput of the resource. References: Identifying the Basic Principles and Tools of Capacity Planning; SAP Help Portal; [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], page 82.

 When you save a confirmation for a finished product in repetitive manufacturing, the system performs the following actions by default12:

Posting of production costs to the production cost collector: The system calculates the actual costs for the confirmed quantity and posts them to the production cost collector assigned to the product. The production cost collector is a cost object that collects the costs for all confirmations of a product in a plant for a period.

Posting of goods receipt for the product: The system posts the confirmed quantity as a goods receipt to the warehouse. The product is valuated at the standard price defined in the material master record. The difference between the standard price and the actual costs is posted to a price difference account.

Reduction of associated capacity requirements: The system reduces the capacity requirements for the work center where the confirmation was made. The capacity requirements are calculated based on the confirmed quantity and the standard values for setup, machine, and labor time in the routing. References: 1: Repetitive Manufacturing Confirmation| SAP Help Portal(https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_ON-PREMISE/ee6ff9b281d8448f96b4fe6c89f2bdc8/66dd7fc2d4ac4a53b51f300a04ae24ac.html) 2: Confirming Production in Repetitive Manufacturing | SAP Help Portal(https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_ON-PREMISE/f899ce30af9044299d573ea30b533f1c/9231f9504a62eb5ee10000000a44538d.html).

A production planning run in Advanced Planning (PP/DS) is a process that optimizes the supply and demand situation for a set of materials and locations within a given planning horizon. The possible results of a production planning run are:

Planned Order: A planned order is a proposal for internal production or external procurement of a material. A planned order can be converted into a production order or a purchase order, depending on the source of supply. A planned order can also be firmed, which means that it is not changed or deleted by subsequent planning runs.

Production Order: A production order is a document that defines the operations, materials, resources, and costs required to produce a material. A production order is created from a planned order or directly by the user. A production order can be released, confirmed, and settled as part of the production process. References: [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], page 181; [SAP Help Portal: Production Planning Run].

The tabular planning table for capacity planning provides two chart types: the capacity requirements chart and the work center capacities chart. The capacity requirements chart displays the capacity requirements for one or more orders, grouped by order, operation, or work center. The work center capacities chart displays the available capacity and the capacity requirements for one or more work centers, grouped by work center, capacity category, or shift sequence. You can switch between these chart types using the menu options Settings -> Chart type. References: Planning Table (tabular form), Capacity planning table

Backward scheduling is a method of determining the order dates for components from dependent requirements by starting from the requirement date of the finished product and working backwards through the production structure. Backward scheduling considers the following time elements:

Operation duration: This is the time required to perform an operation on a resource, such as a work center or a machine. Operation duration is influenced by various factors, such as the quantity, the lot size, the setup time, the processing time, the teardown time, and the operation scrap. Operation duration is subtracted from the requirement date of the finished product to determine the start date of the operation.

In-house production time: This is the time required to produce a material in-house, from the start of the first operation to the end of the last operation. In-house production time is influenced by various factors, such as the routing, the work center, the production version, and the scheduling margin key. In-house production time is subtracted from the start date of the first operation to determine the order start date of the material.

Backward scheduling does not consider the following time elements:

Total replenishment lead time: This is the time required to procure a material externally, from the creation of the purchase requisition to the receipt of the goods. Total replenishment lead time is influenced by various factors, such as the planned delivery time, the goods receipt processing time, the release time, and the scheduling margin key. Total replenishment lead time is used in forward scheduling, not backward scheduling, to determine the order dates for externally procured materials.

Planned delivery time: This is the time required to deliver a material from the vendor to the receiving plant. Planned delivery time is maintained in the purchasing info record or the material master record. Planned delivery time is a component of the total replenishment lead time, which is used in forward scheduling, not backward scheduling, to determine the order dates for externally procured materials. References: Backward Scheduling | SAP Help Portal, Scheduling | SAP Help Portal, SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, page 77-78.

Heuristics are planning functions that execute planning for selected objects, such as products, resources, operations, or line networks, using a specific procedure. Heuristics are used in interactive planning, the SAP S/4HANA Digital Core MRP_live or in the Advanced Planning (PP/DS) production planning run. In the Advanced Planning, you can execute several heuristics, which belong to both production planning and detailed scheduling, for the same products in one planning run. Heuristics can help you to solve planning problems for defined objects, such as creating feasible production plans, scheduling operations, assigning resources, or leveling capacities. Heuristics can also consider various constraints and parameters, such as lead times, lot sizes, setup times, priorities, or alternative modes12.

References:

1: SAP Help Portal: Heuristics

2: SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 4: Advanced Planning