Release 12.1
Part Number E13358-08
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This chapter covers the following topics:
Oracle ASCP provides simulation planning so you can simulate changes and respond to changing conditions. Simulations can be run by changing plan inputs and parameters and rerunning the new, simulated plan. The new simulated plan can be saved as a new plan and compared to the original (baseline) plan. You can copy and version your plan, save and compare exceptions, and visually highlight changes.
You can simulate changes to material and resource capacity simultaneously. In addition, you can simulate the effects of changing planned orders.
To simulate item supply changes, you can add new supplier capacity and adjust a supplier's capacity (for example, change daily capacity from 100 units to 200 units) over a specified time frame.
You can add new resource availability and modify how many resources are available over user defined time frame. Resource constraints include available machine hours, available worker hours, and adding or removing shifts.
Oracle Enterprise Asset Management plans maintenance activity and creates maintenance work orders which may specify shutdown of equipment resources. To plan for those shutdowns in Oracle Advanced Supply Chain Planning, run the Oracle Enterprise Asset Management Load Equipment Maintenance Downtime concurrent process.
The process creates a simulation set with the downtimes recorded as capacity changes for reduced hours. You can limit the organizations, departments, and resources that appear in the simulation set.
It does not create capacity changes for resources with Available 24 Hours selected.
You cannot edit the capacity change entries but you can make additional simulation set entries.
For more information, see Oracle Enterprise Asset Management User's Guide.
To simulate supply changes, you can:
Add new planned orders
Firm planned orders, discrete jobs, and purchase orders
Modify quantities, dates, sources, and alternates
You can alter the demand priority of any demand. Oracle ASCP then modifies the existing schedule to accommodate changes to demand priority. To simulate demand changes, you can modify quantities and due dates for independent demand (MDS entries). You can also add new Manual MDS.
You can use the Planner Workbench to simulate and evaluate changes to specific orders, supplier capacity, and resource capacity. Additions to demand and supplies can also be simulated. Net change replan simulation is a powerful What If analysis feature that lets you update a material plan by planning only the items you have changed in the Planner Workbench. Replanning is based on the snapshot data gathered during the original planning run and the changes you have made with the Planner Workbench. No other transactions, such as receipts in Oracle Inventory, are considered in the replanning process. You can also implement the changes recommended by net change replan.
Net change replan generates only those plan outputs that have changed compared to a baseline plan. It allows evaluation of plans within seconds when minor changes are made in the plan.
Batch mode lets you communicate directly with the database while making and replanning your changes. While frequent replanning can place an excessive load on system resources, batch mode gives other users access to the plan while you are performing simulations.
Batch mode is particularly useful when you want to complete a single replanning cycle.
The online planner lets you simulate and replan manual changes to supply and demand records without increasing database traffic. Starting an online session loads all planning data into memory. Afterwards, you can make changes to that data, then replan the changes to see their effect on the rest of the plan. You can implement and release your changes from within the session, or you can make changes and replan as many times as necessary before the release.
As a simulation tool, the online planner lets you see the effect of the changes you make in the Planner Workbench. As an implementation tool, it reduces unnecessary database transactions and offers rapid plan revision and execution. As a monitoring tool, it generates the full set of exception messages following a replan. It also lets you save the exceptions generated by previous sessions, offering you feedback on successive planning decisions.
The online planner is particularly useful when performing frequent simulation on a single plan. In online mode, you can do this without suffering a significant loss in performance.
The following are some of the rules of operation for the Online Planner:
You can view any plan even if another user is running online simulation.
You are not allowed to start another Online Planner session nor are you allowed to make changes to the plan when Online Replan is progressing.
You are allowed to enter changes before and after, but not during Online Replan session.
The changes you have made prior to Online Replan are incorporated into the replan.
You can view all of the changes that have been made since the last batch rerun of the plan.
You can see the user and timestamp of all changes.
The changes you made during an online session can be undone.
You have two options for running net change replan simulations:
Batch plan
Online replan
Run the online planner or batch replan process after making changes to supplies and demands in Planner Workbench, for example, adding new supplies and demands, changing supply dates and quantities. If you do not run these, your next complete regeneration may fail, especially if you set plan option Overwrite to None or Outside Planning Time Fence.
Note: Save and make a copy of your baseline plan before running batch replan (make modifications to the copy). Otherwise, you will lose visibility to your baseline plan. SeeUsing Undo to Reverse Actions or Changes
Select a plan in the Planner Workbench.
Make the desired changes to the plan.
Run your plan again by choosing Plan > Batch Replan.
Make a note of the concurrent request ID and choose OK.
Verify that the replanning process is complete.
Re-query the plan to review your changes.
If you are not satisfied with the replan results, repeat steps 2 through 6 as needed.
Note: Save and make a copy of your baseline plan before running batch replan (make modifications to the copy). Otherwise, you will lose visibility to your baseline plan.
Select a plan in the Planner Workbench Window.
Choose Plan > Start Online Planner.
Make a note of the concurrent request ID and choose OK.
While the online planner loads the data into memory, you will see the Online Planner Status window. This window displays the progress of the loading and signals you when the session is ready for planning
When the status window informs you that the session is ready for planning, close the window to return to the Planner Workbench. Your online planner session is now active.
Make the desired changes to your plan.
Save the plan.
Choose Plan > Online Replan.
Choose Plan > Online Planner Status.
The Online Planner Status window appears.
Note: Though you can view a plan while another user is running an online simulation for that plan, you can neither make changes to the plan nor start another simulation until the current run completes. An icon denoting that online planner is running accompanies the plan in the left pane tree.
Note: It is recommended that the online planner be stopped as soon as a series of simulations is complete. Multiple active online planners could consume a lot of system resources (CPU/memory) in a production environment.
Choose Plan > Stop Online Planner
Click OK to confirm your choice.
Note: Do not stop the online planner until all simulations are complete.
Choose Plan > Save actions.
A pop-up window indicates the version number of your saved actions. Note this version number if you wish to view your actions later.
The Undo feature enables you to reverse changes for online planning. The following list details how this feature functions:
You can undo your changes in any order, as long as the record you are undoing has not had subsequent changes made to it.
You can undo changes until the plan is rerun in batch mode.
You can view online planning changes using Undo Summary.
You can view all of the changes that have been made since the last batch rerun of the plan. You can see the user and timestamp of all changes.
You can tell immediately upon entering the Planner Workbench that the online planner is running or that it has been run.
You can create a savepoint/bookmark and undo all of your changes to that savepoint. Bookmark names are not required to be unique.
You cannot undo a release.
You cannot undo changes made to the implement properties.
Select Plan > Undo Summary.
The Undo Summary window appears. This window lists the user and timestamp for every action/change made to the plan since the last batch replan. It includes online planning changes, sorted by user.
Select an action in the Undo Summary window.
Click Detail.
The Undo Detail window appears.
You can undo actions you make in the online planner in any order so long as no one else has made subsequent changes to the record you are undoing.
Note: You can only undo changes made between batch replan runs.
Select Plan > Undo Summary.
The Undo Summary window appears.
Select a change you initiated in the online planner.
Click Undo.
Note: You cannot undo another user's changes. If you attempt to do so, you will receive an error message.
You can create save points for undoing online planner actions. Subsequently, you can undo only those online planner actions made after the bookmark.
Select Plan > Add Undo Bookmark.
In the pop-up window, enter a name for the bookmark.
Simulation lets you compare Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of multiple plans and make necessary changes to reach your goals. Standard KPIs available in Oracle ASCP are:
Inventory Turns
On-time Delivery
Planned Utilization
Margin Percentage
Margin
Cost Breakdown
You can quantify the results of simulation scenarios and graphically compare the results of multiple scenarios to help you choose the plan that best meets your performance objectives.
You can also compare the differences in exception messages between two plans in the Plan Comparison Report; see Identifying Differences Between Plans.
Navigate to the Planner Workbench.
Select the baseline plan.
While holding the shift key, select the simulated plan.
KPIs for both plans show side by side.
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