1. Requirements Planning Implementation Guide
  2. Capturing Supplier Commitments Using EDI

Capturing Supplier Commitments Using EDI

Communication of planned and committed quantities between buyers and suppliers can occur when you are using EDI.

The EDI 830 standard establishes both the contents and the standardized format for the transaction set that is required for a planning schedule with release capability. Using EDI 830 Planning Schedule with Release Capability for supplier release scheduling in the software, you can perform these transactions:

  • Send forecasts or supplier release schedules (both blanket order and ad hoc schedules) with planned quantities outbound.

  • Receive forecasts or supplier release schedules inbound.

The supplier can perform these transactions:

  • Send back a response with the committed quantities.

  • Send an inbound release schedule with planned quantities (both for blanket order and ad hoc schedules).

These processes can be used to support business scenarios:

  • The buyer sends a planning forecast that is for information only and conveys anticipated demand.

  • The buyer sends a net rolling forecast to the supplier, supported by a blanket order that commits resources to a stated time period.

    The 862 Shipping Schedule transaction is sent as a separate release mechanism to support just-in-time releases.

  • The buyer sends a material release schedule in the form of a net rolling forecast to the supplier, supported by a blanket order that commits resources to a stated time period.

    Firm requirements are identified as such and are released as soon as their dates fall within the prenegotiated time frame. Requirements falling outside this window are considered planned with resources committed, but not released.

  • The buyer sends a planning schedule containing gross requirements, inventory levels, and minimum and maximum inventory targets.

    The supplier nets forecast data to determine shipping requirements, based on the buyer's inventory levels and minimum and maximum targets.

According to the material release schedule scenario, which is the most typical for supplier release scheduling, the buyer generates a material release schedule and sends it to the supplier. This schedule is regenerated on a regular basis, factoring in all the changes from the previous run. The supplier uses the material release schedule to plan for future orders from the buyer. If required, the supplier generates a response to the material release schedule. The buyer evaluates any responses that are received and takes appropriate action, for example, adjusting the schedule.

Using EDI to communicate planning forecasts and release schedules between buyer and supplier consists of these processes:

  • The planning schedule records are extracted from the F3430 table into the EDI Planning Schedule Header - Outbound table (F47066) and the EDI Planning Schedule Detail - Outbound table (F47067) by running the Outbound Extraction - Supplier program (R470621).

    Whenever order number and type, company, suffix, line number item, or branch change, the system creates a new document number within the same batch.

  • For ad hoc schedules, the records are extracted from the Ad hoc Vendor Schedule File table into the EDI 830 outbound tables by running the Outbound Extraction - Ad Hoc Supplier Release Schedules program (R470622).

    For each supplier within the same batch, the system creates a new document number. You can run the universal batch engine (UBE) in proof and in final modes.

  • The records in the EDI 830 outbound tables are translated into flat file format by running the EDI Planning Schedule Extraction Conversion program (R47062C).

  • When the supplier sends an EDI 830 Response (Planning Schedule with Release Capability) indicating the committed quantity, it is received back into the system by running the Inbound Flat File Conversion program (R47002C) that populates the EDI Planning Schedule Header - Inbound table (F47061) and the EDI Planning Schedule Detail - Inbound table (F47062).

  • Running the Inbound EDI Planning Schedule Edit/Create program (R47061) reads the records from the EDI 830 inbound tables and updates the committed quantities in these tables if the document represents a response to the schedule from the supplier.

    • Vendor Schedule Commitment File.

    • Ad Hoc Vendor Schedule File.

  • Running the Inbound EDI Planning Schedule Edit/Create program reads the records from the EDI 830 inbound tables and updates the planned quantities in these tables if the inbound transaction is not a response to a planned quantity:

    • Ad Hoc Vendor Schedule File.

    • Vendor Schedule Quantity File.

You can view the results of this process in the Supplier Schedule Revisions program for blanket order-based schedules and in the Ad Hoc Schedule Revisions program for ad hoc schedules.