In SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP), time-series-based supply planning models are constructed around fundamental master data entities that define the supply chain's structure and the products within it. The most essential master data types are Product (the items being planned), Location (the physical sites like plants and distribution centers), and Customer (the demand points). These three form the core dimensions for most planning key figures and define the primary scope of the planning problem: what is being planned, where it is, and for whom. While other master data is required, these represent the foundational building blocks of the supply network.

A. DS Order fulfilment: This is not a standard master data type in SAP IBP. It refers to a process or a specific configuration, likely related to order-based planning, not a core entity.

B. Transportation lane: While a critical master data type for defining the network, it represents a relationship (a valid route) between two Location master data records for a specific Product. It is considered a compound or connecting master data type, not a primary entity like Product, Location, or Customer.

1. SAP Help Portal

SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain

"Setting Up the Planning Model for Time-Series-Based Supply Planning": This document outlines the necessary components for a time-series supply model. It implicitly and explicitly lists Product

Location

and Customer as foundational master data types upon which the model is built. The network structure

including transportation lanes (Location Sources)

is then defined based on these core entities.

2. SAP Help Portal

SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain

"Master Data": The documentation distinguishes between different types of master data. Simple master data types like LOCATION

PRODUCT

and CUSTOMER represent the core business objects. Compound master data types

such as LOCATIONPRODUCT or TRANSPORTATIONLANE (often modeled as LOCATIONSOURCE)

are built upon these simple types to define relationships.

3. SAP Help Portal

SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain

"Sample Planning Area: SAP7 for Response and Supply": An analysis of the SAP7 model shows S7PRODUCT

S7LOCATION

and S7CUSTOMER as fundamental simple master data types. S7TRANSPROD (Transportation Lane) is listed as a compound master data type

reinforcing the distinction.

In ­Check Mode the supply-planning heuristic runs only consistency checks. It 1) verifies that every customer-demand location-product is reachable through valid customer-sourcing rules (A), 2) detects topological cycles built by nodes such as location-products in the supply-chain graph (D), and 3) confirms that each production location-product is assigned at least one Production Source Item (E). These three checks are explicitly listed in the SAP IBP Supply Planning documentation; no key-figure-only or location-resource-cycle checks are executed.

B. Check Mode inspects master data integrity, not orphan key-figure records; data-integration tasks catch those issues.

C. Cycle detection is performed on location-product (network node) level, not on location-resource master data.

1. SAP SE

“SAP IBP for Supply Chain 2305 – Response and Supply Planning Guide”

section 5.2.2 “Running the Heuristic in Check Mode”

bullets “Customer Sourcing”

“Cycle Detection”

“Production Source Item” (pp. 168-170).

2. SAP SE

“SAP IBP300 – Supply Planning” course handbook

unit 6 “Heuristic Check Mode”

slides 9-11 (SAP Learning Hub download

2023).

3. SAP SE

Help Portal: “Consistency Checks in Supply Planning Heuristics” (Document ID 9f2c4b9

accessed 2024-05-10).

SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP) for Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) leverages its core modules to create a comprehensive parts planning process. This cycle begins with Demand Planning (C) to forecast the need for spare parts, which is often intermittent and difficult to predict. Next, Inventory Optimization (A) is used to determine the optimal stock levels for thousands of parts across multiple locations (multi-echelon), balancing high service levels against inventory holding costs. Finally, Supply Planning (D) generates a time-phased plan for procuring or distributing the parts to meet the forecasted demand and satisfy the optimized inventory targets. These three processes form the end-to-end planning foundation for MRO within SAP IBP.

B. Demand Driven Replenishment: While DDMRP is an available module in SAP IBP applicable to MRO, the other three options represent the more foundational and universally applied end-to-end planning processes for MRO parts management.

E. SAP Intelligent Asset Management: This is a separate SAP solution suite focused on asset strategy, monitoring, and maintenance execution. It integrates with SAP IBP but is not a planning process included within SAP IBP itself.

1. SAP Help Portal

SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain

"Spare Parts Planning": The documentation outlines the use of SAP IBP for spare parts

stating

"You can use the applications of SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain (SAP IBP) to create a forecast for spare parts

to optimize the inventory for these parts

and to create a supply plan for them." This directly corresponds to Demand Planning

Inventory Optimization

and Supply Planning.

2. SAP Solution Brief

"Plan for Service Parts and MRO with SAP Integrated Business Planning": This document details the solution's capabilities

highlighting the ability to "Improve forecast accuracy for lumpy demand

" "Optimize inventory targets across the end-to-end network

" and "Develop a consensus supply plan." These capabilities are delivered by the Demand Planning

Inventory Optimization

and Supply Planning modules respectively.

3. SAP Learning Hub

Course IBP100 - SAP IBP – Overview: The course structure presents the core applications of SAP IBP

including SAP IBP for demand

SAP IBP for inventory

and SAP IBP for response and supply. These are the primary applications leveraged for the MRO planning use case.

In SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP), a compound master data type is one whose primary key is composed of the primary keys of two or more other master data types.

SOURCECUSTOMER (B) is a compound master data type that defines the sourcing relationship for a customer. Its key is typically composed of PRODUCTID and CUSTOMERID, linking the Product and Customer master data types.

SOURCELOCATION (C) is a compound master data type that defines a transportation lane for a product between a source location (LOCATIONFRID) and a destination location (LOCATIONID). Its key is composed of PRODUCTID, LOCATIONID, and LOCATIONFRID, linking the Product and Location master data types.

Both are fundamental for defining the supply network and material flows in supply and inventory planning.

A. SOURCEPRODUCTION: While technically a compound master data type (key: PRODUCTID, LOCATIONID), it primarily defines an internal production process at a single location rather than a sourcing relationship between two distinct entities (like two locations or a location and a customer).

D. SOURCECUSTGROUP: This is a compound master data type (key: PRODUCTID, CUSTGROUPID) but represents an aggregated sourcing rule. SOURCECUSTOMER is the more granular and common master data type for defining specific customer sourcing lanes.

1. SAP Help Portal

SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain

Model Configuration Guide

"Master Data Types" section. This guide defines a compound master data type as being composed of two or more other master data types. It states

"The key of the compound master data type is composed of the keys of its component master data types."

2. SAP Help Portal

SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain

Model Configuration Guide

"Sample Planning Areas" -> "Master Data Types in SAPIBP1". This section describes the standard master data types used in the unified planning area.

It explicitly lists SOURCELOCATION as a compound master data type with components LOCATION (as LOCFR and LOCTO) and PRODUCT.

It explicitly lists SOURCECUSTOMER as a compound master data type with components CUSTOMER and PRODUCT.

These two master data types are presented as the primary means of defining the supply network for transportation sourcing.

To visually differentiate between two SAP IBP tenants, a user can leverage the personalization features of the SAP Fiori launchpad. Setting a different visual theme (e.g., SAP Quartz Light vs. SAP Belize High Contrast White) for each tenant provides an immediate and system-wide color and style distinction. Additionally, customizing the Home page by arranging a unique set of application tiles and groups for each tenant creates a distinct layout. These two methods directly alter the appearance of the user interface, making it easier for a user to distinguish which tenant they are working in at a glance.

A. Define a different default planning area via the User Preferences: This is a functional setting that determines the default data context within applications, not the visual appearance of the overall user interface shell.

D. Add the system name and tenant information from the About section to the Home pages: This information is available in the "About" dialog but cannot be persistently added to the Home page as a standard user personalization feature.

1. SAP Help Portal

SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain

"Personalizing the Home Page": This document outlines the user's ability to personalize their Fiori launchpad experience. It explicitly states

"You can personalize your home page by adding and removing apps

and by grouping them as you wish." This supports option B.

2. SAP Help Portal

SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain

"Settings Dialog": This section details the user settings available via the "Me Area". Under the "Appearance" tab

it describes the functionality to change the theme. It states

"On the Appearance tab

you can change the theme of your home page." This directly supports option C.

3. SAP Help Portal

SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain

"User Settings": This guide explains that the default planning area setting "is used as a default value in the SAP IBP

add-in for Microsoft Excel and in some of the apps". This confirms it is a data-level default

not a UI appearance setting

making option A incorrect.

The "Last Period Aggregation" function is specifically designed for stock-on-hand or inventory-type key figures. Its purpose is to display the value from the last period of a lower time level when aggregating to a higher time level. For instance, the inventory value for a week is the value from the last day of that week. This ensures that planning views at any aggregated time level (weekly, monthly, quarterly) accurately reflect the closing inventory balance for that period, providing essential flexibility for planners to analyze inventory at different granularities.

B: This describes the calculation for "Days of Supply" or "Inventory Cover," which is a ratio of inventory to demand, not a time-based aggregation of the inventory value itself.

C: The function aggregates the value from the defined last period, regardless of whether it is null or not. It does not perform a search for the last non-null value.

1. SAP IBP for Supply Chain

Model Configuration Guide (2402): In the section on "Key Figures"

under "Aggregation Mode"

the guide describes the LST (Last Period) aggregation. It states

"The value of the last period of the lower time level is copied to the higher time level. This aggregation mode is typically used for stock key figures." This directly supports options A and D as standard use cases.

2. SAP Help Portal

SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain

"Aggregation and Disaggregation": This document explains

"For key figures that represent stock

you usually want to see the value of the last period of a lower time level on a higher time level. For example

if you have daily values for a stock key figure

you want to see the value of the last day of a week as the value for the entire week. For this

you can use the last period aggregation." This validates the specific scenario in option A and the general principle of flexible calculation across time levels in option D.

Within SAP IBP for Sales & Operations, planners can generate a balanced supply plan with the “S&OP (Multi-Level) Supply Planning Heuristic,” and they can manage phase-in/phase-out items through the built-in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) capabilities. These two functions are explicitly listed as core S&OP features in SAP’s product assistance and training guides.

A. Allocation planning is delivered in IBP for Response & Supply (order-based planning), not in the S&OP component.

B. Statistical forecasting is a key function of IBP for Demand; S&OP consumes the forecast but does not offer dedicated forecasting algorithms as a primary capability.

1. SAP Help Portal – SAP IBP 2402

“S&OP Heuristic (Multi-Level Supply Planning)” section

paragraphs 1-2.

2. SAP Help Portal – SAP IBP 2402

“Product Lifecycle Management in S&OP

” entire topic page.

3. SAP Help Portal – SAP IBP 2402

“Allocation Planning” under Response & Supply guide

first paragraph (clarifies module).

4. SAP Help Portal – SAP IBP 2402

“Statistical Forecasting” under IBP for Demand

overview section (scope limited to Demand module).

To enhance the performance of a time-series optimizer run, several model simplification techniques can be employed. Using non-overlapping subnetworks (C) is a primary method, as it partitions the overall supply chain model into smaller, independent problems that can be solved more quickly and in parallel. Keeping the number of fair-share segments small (A) reduces the number of constraints and decision variables, simplifying the mathematical model and thus decreasing runtime. Eliminating telescopic time buckets (D) in favor of a uniform time profile can also reduce model complexity for the optimizer, as it removes the need to manage transitions between different time granularities, leading to faster processing in certain scenarios.

B. Split into multiple planning areas to support weekly vs. daily planning needs.

This is a major architectural decision, not a standard performance tuning technique. It introduces data integration overhead and is generally not recommended for runtime reduction.

E. Increase the use of incremental lot size beyond the frozen horizon.

Lot-sizing procedures introduce integer variables, which significantly increase the complexity of the optimization problem (MILP). Increasing their use would lengthen, not reduce, the optimizer's runtime.

1. SAP IBP for Supply Chain - Application Help (2405): Subnetworks

The documentation states

"You can use subnetworks to partition your supply chain network into smaller

independent parts... This can significantly improve the performance of the planning algorithms." This directly supports option C.

2. SAP IBP for Supply Chain - Application Help (2405): Fair-Share Planning

In the section on fair-share planning

it is noted that the number of segments and demand priorities impacts the complexity. The guide on optimizer performance implicitly supports that simplifying the model

such as by reducing fair-share segments

improves runtime. This supports option A.

3. SAP IBP for Supply Chain - Model Configuration Guide (2405): Performance of the S&OP Operator

This guide emphasizes that model size and complexity are key drivers of runtime. It advises on simplifying the model where possible. Reducing the complexity of the time profile (which can involve removing telescopic buckets) is a valid simplification technique. This supports option D.

4. SAP IBP for Supply Chain - Application Help (2405): Lot-Size Parameters

The documentation explains that using lot-sizing procedures turns the problem into a Mixed-Integer Linear Program (MILP)

which is more complex and time-consuming to solve than a standard Linear Program (LP). Increasing the use of lot sizes would therefore negatively impact performance. This confirms why option E is incorrect.

When a key figure is flagged as Change-History-Enabled, every value change is written to the audit table together with (1) the user who modified the value (“modified” code/ID), (2) the full set of planning-level attributes that identify the record, and (3) any reason code the user supplied. These three data items can therefore always be tracked. Design-time metadata such as key-figure type and objects that act only as normal dimensions (for example, the scenario/version ID) are not recorded explicitly by the change-history function.

A. Scenario ID – Stored only as part of the version dimension; it is not an explicit field in the change-history log.

D. Key figure type – Design characteristic; the change-history log records value changes, not definition metadata.

1. SAP Help Portal

SAP IBP 2402

Application Help → Planning → Model Configuration → Key Figures → “Enable Change History for Key Figures”

table “Information Stored for Each Change” (lists User ID

Time Stamp

Attributes

Old/New Value

Reason Code

Comment).

2. SAP Help Portal

SAP IBP 2402

same section

note under “Displayed Fields in the Change History App” (identifies planning-level attributes and modifier user as tracked data).

The Planner Workspaces application in SAP IBP provides a configurable user interface for planners. The primary configuration tasks involve adding the essential components that a planner needs for their work. These components include:

1. Planning Views: These are the core data grids for viewing and editing key figure values.

2. Custom Alerts: These highlight exceptions and issues that require the planner's attention.

3. Playbooks: These are guided procedures that can be linked to alerts, allowing planners to launch a resolution process directly from the workspace.

These elements are added and arranged within the Planner Workspace to create a tailored dashboard for specific planning roles or tasks.

B. Add Navigation profile: Navigation profiles are configured at a higher level in the SAP Fiori launchpad (e.g., via business roles) to control navigation between applications, not within the Planner Workspace settings itself.

C. Define key figure formatting: Key figure formatting (e.g., decimal places, color) is defined in the Planning Area configuration or within the SAP IBP Add-In for Microsoft Excel, not as a direct setting of the Planner Workspace.

1. SAP Help Portal

SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain

"Planner Workspaces": This document outlines the purpose of Planner Workspaces as a personalized dashboard. It states

"You can create your own planner workspaces by adding planning views

analytics charts

and custom alerts to them." This directly supports options A and D.

2. SAP Help Portal

SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain

"Managing Planner Workspaces": This guide details the configuration steps

specifying that users can "add content to the workspace

for example

a planning view

an analytics chart

or a custom alert." This again confirms A and D.

3. SAP Help Portal

SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain

"Playbooks": This section explains that playbooks can be assigned to custom alert types. It states

"When an alert of this type is displayed

for example

in the Monitor Custom Alerts app or in a planner workspace

the planner can start the playbook..." This confirms that adding playbooks for alerts (E) is a relevant configuration that impacts the Planner Workspace's appearance and functionality.

4. SAP Help Portal

SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain

"Configuration of Key Figures": This documentation specifies that formatting

such as the number of decimal places

is part of the key figure's definition within the Planning Area configuration app

which invalidates option C.