Oracle Spares Management supports an aggregate planning approach where individual subinventories can be grouped into planning loops. A parts loop is a group of subinventories that is planned together as a single entity. A parts loop can cross more than one inventory organization and more than one operating unit.
This chapter covers the following topics:
Planning loops are used to coordinate planning and execution activities across multiple locations and to control the total inventory across all subinventories in the loop. The planning loop can include both usable and defective subinventories from different inventory organizations.
You must set up at least one parts loop. These are the steps required to set up parts loops:
Oracle Spares Management uses a master stock list to define the plan for the loop. The master stock list defines the parts and total quantities to be stocked in the loop. In addition, the master stock list provides for a minimum usable quantity to ensure that the loop maintains a balance of usable parts.
You can generate notifications by running a concurrent program when the total available is above or below plan conditions as defined in the master stock list. You can also generate notifications when the level of usable parts has dropped below the minimum usable on-hand level as designated in the master stock list.
The Planner's Desktop provides an organized presentation of the functionality used for planning and execution at the location and loop levels. Navigation icons included on the desktop are for loops, reporting hierarchies, and notifications.
In the Reporting Hierarchy area of the Planner's Desktop, you can create hierarchies for summarizing inventory balances, viewing on-order quantities, and viewing usage and forecast information. Reporting hierarchies also provide a tool for parts searches.
Reporting hierarchies consist of a group of virtual nodes, designed around your organizational or geographical reporting structure. Each node can contain other nodes or subinventories. Each subinventory can belong to only one reporting hierarchy.
To create a parts loop, follow this procedure.
Prerequisites
Steps
Navigate to the Planner's Desktop.
Click the Parts Loop icon on the left of the window.
Highlight the Parts Loop folder in the navigator tree.
Right click the Parts Loop folder to open a right-click menu.
Select Create Parts Loop from the right-click menu to open the Loop Details tab.
Enter a parts loop name in the Loop Details tab.
(Optional) Enter a description for the parts loop.
Select a planner from the Planner list of values.
Select a calculation rule from the Calculation Rule list of values.
Select a forecast rule from the Forecast Rule list of values.
Save your work.
The new parts loop appears in the navigator tree.
When you assign subinventories to a parts loop, you must specify whether the subinventory is for tracking usable or defective parts. You can also choose to use the Auto-receipt feature for the subinventory. With Auto-receipt enabled, shipments are received automatically at the source subinventory during the ship confirm process.
Important: The auto-receive check box in the Planner's Desktop is used only for move orders. For internal orders, the auto-receive option defined in the shipping network is used
Prerequisites
Steps
Navigate to the Planner's Desktop.
Click the Parts Loop icon on the left of the window.
Click the "+" sign next to the Parts Loop folder in the navigator tree.
Right-click the parts loop to which you want to add subinventories.
Select Add Subinventory from the right-click menu.
The Location Details tab appears.
Select an organization name from the Organization list of values.
Select a subinventory from the Subinventory list of values.
Select a condition type of Usable or Defective from the Condition Type list of values.
(Optional) Select the Auto-receipt check box.
If you select this feature, parts shipments are received automatically during Ship Confirm at the destination subinventory.
Select the Spares Location check box.
The Spares Location check box has no functionality at this time.
Save your work.
A master stock list is the component of a parts loop that defines the allowable quantity of usable and defective parts. The master stock list defines the part numbers and corresponding quantities stocked in the parts loop. The master stock list is required if parts are stocked on a planned basis in a parts loop.
The loop quantity represents the total quantity, including usable and defective quantity, that is required in the loop and includes the availability elements as defined in the calculation rule. The minimum usable quantity represents the usable on-hand quantity that is required in the loop. The loop quantity and loop minimum are used to generate notifications to the planner. The notifications represent an exception condition for which the planner may want to take the appropriate action.
Prerequisites
Steps
Navigate to the parts loop in the Navigator tree of the Planner's Desktop.
Highlight the appropriate parts loop in the Navigator tree.
Open the Master Stock List tab.
Enter an item number or select an item from the list of values that you want to add to the master stock list.
Note: The Item field is case sensitive.
Select a planner from the Planner list of values.
Enter the desired loop quantity for this item.
(Optional) Enter the minimum usable quantity for this item in the Minimum Good field.
The Plan Type field default value is obtained from the item definition.
Save your work.
Planning at the loop level involves the comparison of actual loop quantities to the Master Stock List quantities. When the available quantities of parts are greater than or less than the inventory levels defined for the parts loop, a notification is created for review and processing by the planner.
In the Parts Loop area of the Planner's Desktop, you can administer the Master Stock List for the loop. You can define and maintain the loop parameters, such as selecting the calculation and forecast rule. You can also view part availability for the loop. Finally, you can assign, update and view the usable and defective subinventories included in the parts loop.
The following steps describe using parts loops in more detail:
The Create Part Availability Data concurrent program compiles part availability data for the loop. This availability data is used to update summary quantities that appear in planning loops and hierarchies. The concurrent program updates the summary data that appears at the node levels in the Planner's Desktop. The availability data is also used to determine whether to generate notifications.
Prerequisites
Steps
Navigate to the Submit Request window for the Create Part Availability Data concurrent program.
The Submit Request window appears with the Create Parts Availability Data concurrent program in the Name field.
Click Submit.
There are no parameters for Create Parts Availability Data concurrent program.
Click No in the Decision window.
To see the status of your concurrent request, click View from the menu, and then click Requests.
Click Find to view the status of all your requests.
Usage activity is a component of planned inventory levels and is also used for forecasting future usage activity. The Create Usage History concurrent program gathers usage statistics that can be viewed in the Planner's Desktop.
Use the following procedure to run the Create Usage History concurrent program:
Steps
Navigate to the Submit Request window for the Create Usage History concurrent program.
The Submit Request window appears with the Create Usage History concurrent program in the Name field.
Click Submit.
There are no parameters for this program.
Click No in the Decision window.
To see the status of your concurrent request, click View from the menu, and then click Requests.
Click Find to view the status of all your requests.
A forecasting tool is available on the Planner's Desktop to aid in the planning process. Multiple forecasting techniques are provided. The forecast for the part is viewable by location, loop, and reporting hierarchy.
Use this procedure to view the forecast and usage information.
Prerequisites
Steps
Navigate to the parts loop hierarchy in the Planner's Desktop.
Click the + sign next to Parts Loop.
Click the parts loop for which you want to view forecasting information.
Open the Parts Status tab.
Click Find in the Find Items window to run a blind query for all parts.
Click an Item number and view the Usage and Forecast information in the lower Usage/Forecast tab.
The Create Notifications concurrent program compares the Available quantities that are calculated by the Create Part Availability Data concurrent program to the desired quantities that were defined by the master stock list in the parts loop. Notifications to the planner are created when one of the following conditions occurs:
The available quantity for this part is above the total loop quantity by more than the allowable percentage.
The available quantity for this part is below the total loop quantity by more than the allowable percentage.
The usable quantity for this part is below the minimum usable quantity.
Prerequisites
Steps
Navigate to the Submit Request window for the Create Notifications concurrent program.
The Submit Request window appears with the Create Notifications concurrent program in the Name field.
Click Submit.
There are no parameters for this program.
Click No in the Decision window.
To view the status of your concurrent request, click View from the Tools menu, and then click Requests.
Click Find to view the status of all your requests.
Notifications advise that the parts inventory is above or below quantities defined in the master stock list. You can view and take action on open notifications in the Planner's Desktop. Notifications have a status of either Open, Pending, or Closed.
Prerequisites
Steps
Navigate to the Planner's Desktop.
Click the + sign to expand Notifications.
Click the + sign to expand the Loop folder.
The notification categories are:
Above
Below
Not Enough Usable Parts
Click the + sign for the notification category that you want to view.
Within each notification category, you can choose:
Open
Closed
Pending
Click the Item number in the Open folder to view the notification.
Open the Master Stock List tab to view the master stock list parameters for the item in the notification.
Open the Parts Status tab to view details. The detailed view includes the availability elements for the part.
There are five actions that you can take on an open notification:
Change the quantity on the master stock list.
Create a move order to transfer parts to the location that needs them.
Create an external requisition to purchase an additional quantity of parts.
Create an external requisition to have the parts repaired externally.
Create a WIP order to have the parts repaired internally.
After taking the appropriate action regarding the notification, update the status of the notification to Pending or Closed.