In the context of SAP Ariba Supply Chain Collaboration (SCC), forecast data is sent from the buyer's ERP system to suppliers to provide visibility into future demand. This data is composed of specific Material Requirements Planning (MRP) elements.

Planned Independent Requirements (PIRs) are the primary source, representing a forecast of demand for a product that is not tied to specific customer orders.

Planned Orders are generated by the MRP run to cover requirements (like PIRs). For externally procured items, these are proposals to purchase specific quantities on a certain date and are a key part of the planned requirements shared with suppliers before they become firm orders.

B. Production Order: This is a firmed execution document for in-house manufacturing. It is not a forecast and is not typically shared with external component suppliers as part of a forecast collaboration.

C. Purchase requisition: While purchase requisitions can also be shared, they are a step closer to execution than planned orders, as they are formal requests to the purchasing department. Planned orders are considered a more direct output of the planning run.

1. SAP Help Portal

SAP S/4HANA

Forecast collaboration with SAP Ariba Supply Chain Collaboration: "You can send forecast information from your SAP ERP or SAP S/4HANA system to your suppliers in SAP Ariba Supply Chain Collaboration. The forecast information can contain planned independent requirements

purchase requisitions

planned orders

and scheduling agreement schedule lines." This document confirms that both Planned Independent Requirements and Planned Orders are valid data sources for the forecast sent to Ariba SCC.

2. SAP Help Portal

SAP S/4HANA

Demand Management (PP-MP-DEM)

Planned Independent Requirements (PIRs): "Planned independent requirements are used to perform demand management functions. A planned independent requirement contains one planned quantity and one date

or a number of planned independent requirements scheduled over a period of time." This defines PIRs as the core forecast element.

3. SAP Help Portal

SAP S/4HANA

Material Requirements Planning (PP-MRP)

Planned Order: "In the MRP run

the system automatically calculates the material deficit and creates a procurement proposal. This procurement proposal is the planned order... The planned order is a request created in the planning run for a plant to trigger the procurement of a particular material for a specific quantity on a specific date." This establishes the planned order as a direct result of planning against forecast and other demands.