C_TS422_2022 SAP Certified Application Associate - SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Question and Answers

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.

Forecasting is the process of predicting future demand for products or services based on historical data, market trends, and other factors. Forecasting is an essential component of supply chain planning, which aims to optimize the flow of materials, information, andmoney across the supply chain network. SAP offers various applications that can be used for forecasting in supply chain planning, such as:

• Integration Business Planning (IBP): IBP is a cloud-based solution that provides end-to-end visibility and integration of planning processes across different business functions, such as sales, finance, operations, and logistics. IBP enables collaborative and real-time forecasting, scenario analysis, and decision making based on advanced analytics and machine learning. IBP supports various forecasting methods, such as statistical, causal, and demand sensing, and allows users to adjust and refine forecasts based on changing market conditions and business priorities12.
• Supply Chain Management (SCM): SCM is an on-premise solution that covers the entire supply chain process, from demand planning to delivery and invoicing. SCM includes various modules, such as Advanced Planning and Optimization (APO), Extended Warehouse Management (EWM), and Transportation Management â„¢, that enable efficient and flexible planning and execution of supply chain activities. SCM supports various forecasting techniques, such as exponential smoothing, trend analysis, and seasonal adjustment, and allows users to monitor and control forecast accuracy and performance34.

The other two options are not SAP applications, but rather concepts or processes related to supply chain planning:

• Capacity Requirement Planning (CRP): CRP is the process of determining the available and required capacity of resources, such as machines, labor, and materials, to meet the production plan. CRP helps to identify and resolve capacity bottlenecks, optimize resource utilization, and balance supply and demand. CRP can be performed using various SAP applications, such as MRP, Production Planning and Detailed Scheduling (PP/DS), or IBP5 .
• Material Requirement Planning (MRP): MRP is the process of calculating the quantity and timing of materials needed to fulfill the production plan. MRP helps to optimize inventory levels, reduce costs, and improve customer service. MRP can be performed using various SAP applications, such as ERP, SCM, or IBP . References: SAP Integrated Business Planning | SAP, Forecasting | SAP Help Portal, SAP Supply Chain Management | SAP, Forecasting | SAP Help Portal, Capacity Requirements Planning (PP-CRP) | SAP Help Portal, [Capacity Planning | SAP Help Portal], [Material Requirements Planning (PP-MRP) | SAP Help Portal], [Material Requirements Planning | SAP Help Portal]

The graphical planning table is a tool for capacity planning and scheduling that displays the operations and the work centers in a time-oriented view. You can use the graphical planning table to create, change, or dispatch operations manually or automatically. The planning direction determines whether the operations are scheduled from the start date or the finish date of the order. If the planning direction is forward, the operations are scheduled from the start date of the order1.

If you want to insert an operation at a certain time on a work center in the graphical planning table, and the planning direction is forward, and the desired dispatching time coincides with an operation that has previously been dispatched, the insertion takes place as follows:

• The new operation is inserted at the desired time; the previously dispatched operation is moved backward (B): This is the correct answer. The system inserts the new operation at the specified time and shifts the previously dispatched operation to a later time, so that the sequence and the capacity requirements of the operations are maintained. The system also adjusts the start and finish dates of the order and the subsequent operations accordingly2.

The other options are not correct for the following reasons:

• The new operation is inserted at the desired time; the previous dispatched operation is moved forward (A): This is not correct. The system does not move the previously dispatched operation to an earlier time, as this would violate the planning direction and the capacity constraints of the work center. The system only moves the previously dispatched operation to a later time, as explained in option B.
• The previously dispatched operation stays as is; the new operation is inserted after the dispatched operation ©: This is not correct. The system does not insert the new operation after the previously dispatched operation, as this would not match the desired dispatching time specified by the user. The system inserts the new operation at the desired time and moves the previously dispatched operation backward, as explained in option B.
• The previously dispatched operation stays as is; the new operation is inserted before the dispatched operation (D): This is not correct. The system does not insert the new operation before the previously dispatched operation, as this would violate the planning direction and the capacity constraints of the work center. The system inserts the new operation at the desired time and moves the previously dispatched operation backward, as explained in option B.

References: 

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].

You can set up the supply source for the Kanban process in SAP S/4HANA by using different replenishment strategies, depending on whether the material is procured internally or externally. For internal procurement, you can use run schedule quantities, which are calculated based on the Kanban quantity and the number of Kanbans. For external procurement, you can use purchase orders, which are created automatically when a Kanban status changes to EMPTY. For stock transfer, you can use stock transfer reservations, which are also created automatically when a Kanban status changes to EMPTY and trigger a goods movement from the supplying plant to the receiving plant. References: Replenishment Strategies, Stock Transfer with Kanban, External Procurement with Kanban

The duration of an operation for production is determined by the combination of data maintained in the routing and the work center. The routing defines the sequence of operations, the work centers, and the standard values for each operation, such as setup time, processing time, and teardown time. The work center defines the capacity, the formulas, and the scheduling parameters for each operation, such as base quantity, operation rate, and queue time. The system calculates the duration of an operation by multiplying the standard values from the routing by the factors from the work center formulas and adding the scheduling parameters from the work center. For example, if the routing specifies a processing time of 10 minutes per unit and the work center formula is processing time = (processing time / base quantity) * operation quantity, and the base quantity is 100 units, then the duration of the operation for 50 units is (10 / 100) * 50 = 5 minutes.

The bill of material (BOM) © and the material master (D) are not data objects that determine the duration of an operation for production. The BOM defines the components and the quantities that are required for producing a material. The material master defines the general and specific attributes of a material, such as the material type, the unit of measure,the MRP data, and the production data. These data objects are relevant for planning the material requirements and the production costs, but not the operation duration. References:

https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_ON-PREMISE/c00ad2cac7be4ef29a4461ba114e4f91/051ebf53d25ab64ce10000000a174cb4.html

https://learning.sap.com/learning-journeys/manage-production-orders-in-sap-s-4hana-manufacturing/scheduling-production-orders_cc390d5f-b87c-4c4d-9472-8bb10ea4f476

 To identify all affected finished goods stocks that contain a deviated raw material batch, you can use the following tools:

• The Batch Information Cockpit (BIC) is a central tool that provides an overview of all relevant information and documents related to a batch. You can use the BIC to display the batch genealogy, which shows the hierarchical relationships between batches along the production and distribution process. You can also use the BIC to display the batch traceability, which shows the chronological sequence of events and transactions that affect a batch. The BIC allows you to analyze the batch history and the batch usage across different plants and systems.
• The batch where-used list is a tool that determines how a batch is created and used in Production Planning (PP) through various stages of production and displays the result in a list. You can use the batch where-used list to find out in which other batches a batch was used and from which other batches a batch was created. This is important in the case of complaints and questions about product safety if the composition of semi-finished and finished products has to be documented across all production levels.

Batch derivation and batch determination are not tools to identify affected finished goods stocks, but rather tools to assign batches to production orders or sales orders based on certain criteria. Batch derivation is a process of transferring characteristics or values from one batch to another, while batch determination is a process of finding suitable batches for a requirement based on predefined conditions. References: Batch Information Cockpit | SAP Help Portal, Batch Where-Used List | SAP Help Portal.

 The time element of midpoint scheduled operations that can be reduced by reduction strategy settings while dispatching are teardown time and setup time. Teardown time is the time required to dismantle the production equipment after the operation is completed. Setup time is the time required to prepare the production equipment before the operation is started. Both teardown time and setup time can be influenced by the reduction strategy settings, which define the percentage of reduction and the minimum duration for each time element. The reduction strategy settings can be maintained in the work center or the routing. The system applies the reduction strategy settings when dispatching the operations to the resources in the planning board or the product view. References: SAP S/4HANA Manufacturing for Planning & Scheduling - Implementation Guide, page 32; [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], page 81.

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].

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

The Find Slot scheduling strategy allows you to schedule an operation finitely, without removing other operations. It searches for a free slot in the resource’s capacity that can accommodate the operation’s duration and constraints. If no suitable slot is found, the operation is scheduled at the end of the resource’s capacity. This strategy is useful for inserting urgent orders or operations into an existing schedule without disrupting it too much12 References:

• SAP S/4HANA Manufacturing for planning and scheduling - SAP Community
• SAP S/4HANA Manufacturing for Planning & Scheduling - Implementation Guide

Before you create a BOM, you need to check if the material type of the header material is allowed in the BOM usage. The material type defines the attributes and functions of a material, such as whether it is a finished product, a raw material, or a trading good. The BOM usage defines the purpose and application of a BOM, such as production, engineering, or sales. Only certain combinations of material types and BOM usages are valid in SAP S/4HANA. For example, you cannot create a production BOM for a material type that is not relevant for production planning. References: [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], page 63; [SAP Help Portal: Material Type].

The planning strategy Finite Scheduling with Reverse allows you to schedule production orders backwards from the requested delivery date, taking into account the available capacity and material constraints. To allow scheduling the past, you need to specify a negative offset time in the strategy profile. The offset time defines how far in the past the system can schedule the production order start date. For example, if you specify an offset time of -5 days, the system can schedule the production order start date up to 5 days before the current date. This can help you to avoid late deliveries and reduce lead times.

References: [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], page 97; [SAP Help Portal: Finite Scheduling with Reverse]

 To set up a make-to-order planning scenario for a finished material, you need to choose planning strategy 20 (Make-to-Order) and select the corresponding Individual/Collective indicator for the components in the bill of material. This way, you can control whether the components are procured individually or collectively for the sales orders. The following steps explain how to achieve this:

• In the material master record of the finished material, you need to select the MRP type PD (MRP) and the strategy group 20 (Make-to-Order) in the MRP 1 view. This means that the finished material is planned based on the sales order requirements and not on the forecast12.
• In the bill of material of the finished material, you need to select the Individual/Collective indicator for each component. This indicator determines whether the component is procured individually for each sales order or collectively for all independent requirements. For the component that should be procured for each sales order individually, you need to select the indicator 2 (Individual requirements only). For the component that should be procured jointly for all independent requirements, you need to select the indicator 1 (Collective requirements only)3 .
• When you create a sales order for the finished material, the system generates a sales order item and a planned independent requirement for the finished material. The planned independent requirement is used as a planning element in MRP and triggers the procurement of the components according to the Individual/Collective indicator. For the component with indicator 2, the system creates a dependent requirement that is linked to the sales order item. For the component with indicator 1, the system creates an independent requirement that is not linked to the sales order item .

References:

• 1: SAP Help Portal: Make-to-Order Production
• 2: SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 2: Demand Management
• 3: SAP Help Portal: Individual/Collective Requirements
• : SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 3: Material Requirements Planning
• : SAP Help Portal: Requirements Planning
• : SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 4: Advanced Planning

 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

Planning with final assembly (40) is a planning strategy that supports the consumption of planned independent requirements for the semi-finished material. This strategy is usedwhen the production of the finished product is triggered by the sales order, but the production of the semi-finished product is not. The semi-finished product is produced in advance based on the forecast and stored in stock. When the sales order is received, the planned independent requirements for the finished product are reduced by the sales order quantity, and the planned independent requirements for the semi-finished product are reduced by the corresponding component quantity. This way, the semi-finished product is consumed by the sales order and the production order for the finished product only requires the assembly of the components. This strategy allows for a shorter lead time and a higher flexibility for the finished product, while reducing the risk of excess stock for the semi-finished product. References: Planning with Final Assembly | SAP Help Portal, Planning Strategies | SAP Help Portal, SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, page 53-54

 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 modelthe 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 model goods receipt processing time in detailed scheduling by using one or more of the following options:

• Model a handling resource in the location master: A handling resource is a special type of resource that represents the capacity required for goods movements within a location, such as loading, unloading, or staging. You can assign a handling resource to a location and define its availability and utilization. You can also specify the handling time per unit of material for each handling resource. The system will then calculate the goods receipt processing time based on the handling time and the quantity of the material.
• Model a transportation lane and carrier selection in the location master: A transportation lane is a master data object that defines the relationship between two locations in terms of transportation modes, means of transport, transit times, and costs. You can assign a transportation lane to a location and define the transportation mode, such as truck, rail, or air. You can also specify the carrier selection, which is a rule that determines the preferred carrier for each transportation mode. The system will then calculate the goods receipt processing time based on the transit time and the carrier selection.
• Model a goods receipt time in the material master: A goods receipt time is a parameter that defines the time required to post the goods receipt for a material after it arrives at the location. You can specify the goods receipt time in the material master record for each material and location combination. The system will then add the goods receipt time to the goods receipt processing time.

You cannot model goods receipt processing time in detailed scheduling by using the following options:

• Model a separate resource in the production data structure: A resource is a master data object that represents the capacity required for production activities, such as machines, labor, or tools. You can assign a resource to a production data structure, such as a bill of material, a routing, or a production version. However, a resource cannot be used to model goods receipt processing time, as it is not related to goods movements.
• Model a separate inbound resource in the location master: An inbound resource is a parameter that defines the maximum number of inbound deliveries that can be processed at a location at the same time. You can specify the inbound resource in the location master record for each location. However, an inbound resource cannot be used to model goods receipt processing time, as it is only a constraint for the number of deliveries, not the duration of the processing.

References: [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], pages 103-104; [SAP Help Portal: Goods Receipt Processing Time].

The difference between order-related and product-related COC is mainly in the level of cost object that is used to collect and analyze the costs of production. In order-related COC, each production order is a cost object that carries its own plan, target, and actual costs. In product-related COC, a product cost collector is a cost object that aggregates the costs of multiple production orders for the same product or product variant. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach depend on the production scenario and the reporting requirements. Some of the factors to consider are:

• In product-related COC, all costs are debited and credited to a product cost collector. This means that the production orders linked to the product cost collector do not have any cost segments and do not show any variances. The product cost collector is used for variance calculation and settlement. This simplifies the cost accounting process and reduces the number of cost objects to be managed. However, this also means that the cost details of individual production orders are not available for analysis. Product-related COC is suitable for mass production of standard products with low variance and high volume12.
• Order-related COC is beneficial in a flexible production environment where each production order has different characteristics, such as lot size, routing, material components, or quality specifications. Order-related COC allows for a detailed analysis of the cost and performance of each production order and enables a more accurate allocation of overhead costs. However, order-related COC also requires more effort and resources to maintain and process the cost segments and variances of each production order. Order-related COC is suitable for make-to-order or engineer-to-order scenarios where each production order is unique and customized12.
• Product-related COC is used in manufacturing for co-products, which are products that are produced simultaneously from the same production process and have a relatively high sales value. Co-products share the joint costs of the production process based on a predefined apportionment structure. Product-related COC allows for a consistent and transparent allocation of the joint costs to the co-products and avoids the problem of negative variances that may occur in order-related COC. Product-related COC is suitable for process industries where co-products are common, such as chemical, pharmaceutical, or food industries34.

References:

• 1: SAP Help Portal: Production Orders in Cost Object Controlling
• 2: SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 6: Product Cost by Order
• 3: SAP Help Portal: Product Cost by Period
• 4: SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 7: Product Cost by Period

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 Help Portal, Material Master (LO-MD-MM) | SAP Help Portal, Document Types | SAP Help Portal, [Class Category | SAP Help Portal], [Status Management | 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