Considerations

Product Families

Demand may be entered for a product group, or family, rather than for each end item in the group.  This is done by defining a planning part (part type = 4) to represent the product group, and defining a planning bill of material to define the product mix within the family.  The standard part master and product structure conversations are used for this purpose.  The mix is established by using decimal quantity per values.  The effectivity dates on the product structure may be used to allow for seasonal changes in the product mix.

Even if demand is defined at the product group or family level, additional demand may be entered for the end item.  The planner may wish to do this if, for example, a special promotion is to be run for one end item within the product group.  Product group demand is valid for standard master scheduled parts only.

Demand Sources

Master Scheduling allows the entry of demand from any number of sources for a part within a specific period.  The source may be defined as a company/warehouse or as a demand "type."  The company/warehouse might be used to record the supply that a planner at a distribution warehouse projects will be needed from the manufacturing warehouse.  The demand types are user-defined codes that may be used to distinguish between demand from different market segments, such as home and export demand.

The demand from all sources is summed and used as one total for a period when the master schedule is generated and when the Available to Promise Report is printed.  For the planning purposes of the company, it may be easier to enter, review, and maintain the forecasts if they are segregated by source.

Planning Period Options

Projected demand is entered as one quantity per period.  Four period options are provided—weeks, months, daily intervals, and user-defined periods.  Daily intervals are valid for requirements planning, service, and daily master scheduled parts only.  To allow the planner flexibility in defining a planning cycle when a forecasting package is used to calculate projected demand, monthly periods must be defined.  The projected demand may be compared with consumable demand over the same time period when the master schedule is generated or the Available to Promise Report is printed.  For more information on planning periods, see the key concept "Planning Periods."

When entering demand, keep in mind that any projected demand that is entered prior to the demand fence date (calculated from Reference File category 464) will not be considered.  This demand fence date is displayed on the Detail screen in the Projected Demand Maintenance conversation.