Setting Up Planning and Simulation Criteria

You can set up planning and simulation criteria for ABPS by using pointers to forecast data. You can:

(Optional) Define budget constraints. The budget constraints you define are parameters that you establish from your budget to ensure that the values you obtain fall within your budget. You can either use a budgeted amount or job code information to constrain your results.
Set up resource spending patterns and assign them to resources.
Set up job code profiles. ABPS uses job code profiles to find out which resources are needed for activity volume and to choose a job code for additional resource requirements. ABPS chooses the job code that has the maximum number of activities that have an increase in volume with a higher priority and less cost.

You must set up your activities before completing these pages.

Pages Used to Set Up Planning and Simulation Criteria

Page Name	Definition Name	Navigation	Usage
Budget Constraint	AB_CONSTRNT_TBL1	select Activity Based Management, then select Planning and Simulation, then select Budget Constraint	Define any budget constraints for forecast models.
Resource Spending Pattern	SPEND_PATRN_TBL1	select Activity Based Management, then select Planning and Simulation, then select Resource Spending Pattern	Define spending patterns that can be associated with resources.
Spending Pattern Descr Long (spending pattern description long)	SPEND_PATRN2S	Click the Description button on the Resource Spending Pattern page.	Enter a detailed description of the spending pattern.
Job Code Profile	JOBCODE_PROF_TBL1	select Activity Based Management, then select Planning and Simulation, then select Jobcode Profile	Establish job code profile priorities.

Budget Constraint Page

Use the Budget Constraint page (AB_CONSTRNT_TBL1) to define any budget constraints for forecast models.

Navigation

select Activity Based Management, then select Planning and Simulation, then select Budget Constraint

Image: Budget Constraint page

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Budget Constraint page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Resource

Enter the to be the constrained resource. You can add or update resources.

Use Amount

Select the check box to activate the Budgeted Amount field in which you enter the amount you want to use to constrain your results. If you do not want to use a budgeted amount, deselect this check box and you can specify job code details.

All Jobcodes

Select the check box if you do not want to constrain the full-time equivalent by job code. Enter the number of people you can add in the Full time Equivalent field.

Steps Needed

In the field for non-people related resources, specify the number of steps that can be added if the spending pattern is step or step practical. You define the spending pattern on the Spending Pattern page.

Full time Equivalent

If you do not select the All Jobcodes check box, you can specify individual job codes and values for them in the grid that displays at the bottom of the page.

Resource

In the second field, select the ID for the constraining resource. You can add or update resources

Note: Add the budget constraint you specified here to the model in the Constraint ID field on the Models - Run Control Information page.

Resource Spending Pattern Page

Use the Resource Spending Pattern page (SPEND_PATRN_TBL1) to define spending patterns that can be associated with resources.

Navigation

select Activity Based Management, then select Planning and Simulation, then select Resource Spending Pattern

Image: Resource Spending Pattern page

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Resource Spending Pattern page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

Click to enter a longer description.

Spending Pattern Information

Standard Line

Select if you have a flexible resource where cost increases linearly with capacity.

Practical Capacity

Select if you do not have an increase in cost until capacity is reached, and at which point it then increases linearly.

Step

Select if costs increase in step with respect to capacity width-capacity step cost. You can enter either a Step Percentage or a Step Amount.

Step Practical

Use this option if cost increases in step with capacity after capacity is reached. Selecting this radio button activates the Width Percentage, Step Percentage and Step Amount fields.

Slope Percentage

If you selected either the Line or the Capacity radio button, enter a percentage that denotes the slope you want to apply to this spending pattern.

Width Percentage

If you selected either the Step or the Step Practical radio button, enter a percentage that denotes the width you want to apply to this spending pattern. Width is the capacity of one step to the total existing capacity.

Step Percentage

If you selected either the Step or the Step Practical radio button, enter a percentage that denotes the step you want to apply to this spending pattern. Step percentage is the cost of one step to the total existing cost of the resource.

Step Amount

If you selected either the Step or the Step Practical radio button, enter an amount that denotes the step you want to apply to this spending pattern. Costs increase per step.

Job Code Profile Page

Use the Job Code Profile page (JOBCODE_PROF_TBL1) to establish job code profile priorities.

Navigation

select Activity Based Management, then select Planning and Simulation, then select Jobcode Profile

Activity ID

Select each that you want to include in this job code profile.

Priority

For each ID you add, specify its to represent which activity the job code best performs.

Note: You only need to access this page if you aren't using the Employee Profile engine to populate the Activities - Jobcode Profile page, or you want to override employee profile values.

Note: If you modify a priority on this page, ensure that your changes correspond to those in the activity profile.