Siebel Consumer Sector Guide > Sales Volume Planning > SVP End User Procedures >

Locking and Modifying the Planning Quantity

Locking provides a mechanism that allows users to modify data throughout the account-product-category hierarchy without conflicting with other users' modifications.

The Sales Volume Planning module offers two options for locking an account-product node. The first option is automatic locking based on the position of the person working within the account-product node. Any user in the account hierarchy can lock a node to prevent users at lower positions in the account hierarchy from modifying their account-product nodes. The second option for locking is to manually set a lock.

NOTE:  Locking an account-product node is recommended wherever locking is mentioned in this chapter.

Locking an Account-Product Node Based on Position

As a sales volume planning administrator, you establish the baseline planning quantity. You then release the baseline planning quantity to senior managers, who make adjustments to it based on their market expectations. While the senior managers are modifying the baseline planning quantity, you place a lock on the account-product node being modified. This lock prevents other users from overwriting modifications made by the senior managers. After each adjustment, the managers allocate the baseline planning quantity through the organizational hierarchy.

After a field is modified, the account-product node being modified is locked so that only the account team can make modifications. Locking a higher-level account-product node also disables the ability to lock lower-level account-product nodes. This prevents users from making modifications at lower account-product nodes from having their changes unknowingly overwritten by higher-level users. When users allocate changes to lower levels in the hierarchy, the account-product node is automatically unlocked.

You can see which nodes have been locked by navigating to the Allocate Lock column in the list of accounts. You may need to manually refresh this view to see the results of a recently attempted lock request.

Manually Locking an Account-Product Node

You can also lock and unlock an account-product node manually. However, you can unlock the account-product node only if no changes have been made. If changes have been made, the node remains locked until one of the following has occurred:

• The changes are allocated.
• Aggregate is performed and the specific updates are aggregated up the organizational hierarchy.

To manually or automatically lock and modify the baseline planning quantity

1. Navigate to the Sales Volume Planning screen > Baseline view.
2. In the Accounts list, select an account record.
3. Lock the category for which you want to modify the baseline planning quantity:
   • Manually: Click Lock.
   • Automatically: In the Category list, select the category for which you want to modify the baseline planning quantity.

     If desired, navigate down to the product level and select the product for which you want to modify the baseline planning quantity.

4. Scroll down to the Category Baseline or Product Baseline list, select a record you want to modify, and then edit the fields.

   Modifying a baseline planning value automatically locks the selected account nodes when connected to the server.

   1. To apply the same change to multiple periods, click Mass Change, complete the fields in the Baseline Mass Change dialog box, and then click Execute.
   2. Adjustments made to the baseline planning quantity affect only the products and categories within the account.
5. Perform one of the following actions:
   • Navigate to a category sublevel. In the Category Baseline list, from the Category Baseline drop-down list, select one of the following:
     • Period Analysis
     • Sub-Account Baseline
     • Sub-Category Baseline
     • Sub-Product Baseline
   • Navigate to a product sublevel.
     • In the Category List, select a product.
     • Scroll down to the Product Baseline list and from the Product Baseline drop-down list, select Sub-Account Baseline.
   • In the Category Baseline or Product Baseline lists, click Refresh.

     This is for informational purposes only. The Basis% field is recalculated to reflect the new proportions of the account-product hierarchy. Repeat Step 4 until you finish modifying the basis planning quantity.

6. Scroll back up to the Accounts list, and click Allocate.

   The baseline planning quantity is allocated to the next lower level of the account hierarchy and when the allocate action is complete, the account-product node is unlocked.

   NOTE:  if the allocation has not completed (due to pending sub action records that have not been processed), then the action will not complete and the account will remain in locked mode.

   Managers at the next lower level of the account hierarchy repeat this process until the baseline planning quantity is allocated to the lowest level of the account hierarchy.