How Alternate Manufacturing Setups Are Used to Improve Fulfillment

How It Works

Backlog Management reads the item's work definitions to check if components and resources are available to make this item.

If only one work definition is associated with the item, and components and resources are insufficient, Backlog Management substitute components or alternate resource within the work definition when the primary components or resources are insufficient.
If alternate work definitions are also associated with the item, and the primary work definition doesn't account for sufficient components and resources, Backlog Management will use the alternative if it allows for quicker fulfillment. Alternate work definitions at item subassembly levels are also considered.

Conditions

To let Backlog Management consider alternate manufacturing setups, you must ensure that these conditions are met:

The end item must be assigned to a backlog planning rule that uses the Supply Chain Availability Search mode, with the Search components and resources setting enabled.
For a resource to be considered, its Check Capable to Promise setting must be enabled from Oracle Fusion Cloud Manufacturing. If your enterprise uses an external manufacturing application, this setting can be enabled in the ScpResourcesImportTemplate FBDI file, using the Capable to Promise Indicator column.

Examples

Let's understand the three ways in which this feature helps fulfillment.

When An Alternative Work Definition Is Used

Let's say that 10 units of an item ITEM_1 are requested for 4/30/2021. ITEM_1 belongs to the sales order line SO_1. Let's say that ITEM_1 has primary and alternate work definitions defined with these resource and component availability details:

Work Definition	Resource Availability	Component Availability
WD_1 (Primary)	Resource R1 is needed for 40 hours, and is available for 100 hours.	40 units of the component C1 are needed. 100 units are available.
WD_1 (Primary)	Resource R2 is needed for 40 hours, but is unavailable.	40 units of the component C2 are needed. 100 units are available.
WD_2 (Alternate)	Resource R1 is needed for 40 hours, and is available for 100 hours.	40 units of the component C1 are needed. 100 units are available.
WD_2 (Alternate)	Resource R7 is needed for 40 hours, and is available for 100 hours.	40 units of the component C2 are needed. 100 units are available.

Because the primary work definition WD_1 doesn't account for sufficient resource availability, the planning process uses the alternate work definition WD_2 to assume fulfillment by the requested date.

When An Alternate Resource from the Primary Work Definition Is Used

Let's say that 10 units of an item ITEM_1 are requested for 4/30/2021. ITEM_1 belongs to the sales order line SO_1. Let's say that ITEM_1 has just one work definition defined, with these resource and component availability details:

Resource Availability	Component Availability
Resource R1 is needed for 40 hours, but is available for just 15 hours. Alternate resource ALT_R1 is available for 60 hours.	40 units of the component C1 are needed. 100 units are available.

Because R1 is available for just 15 hours, ALT_R1 is checked for availability. It is available for 60 hours. The planning process then assumes that the item can be manufactured on time using the 15 available hours from R1 and 25 hours from ALT_R1.

When A Substitute Component from the Primary Work Definition Is Used

Let's say that 10 units of an item ITEM_1 are requested for 4/30/2021. ITEM_1 belongs to the sales order line SO_1. Let's say that ITEM_1 has just one work definition defined, with these resource and component availability details:

Resource Availability	Component Availability
Resource R1 is needed for 40 hours. It's available for 100 hours.	40 units of the component C1 are needed but only 15 units are available. 60 units of the substitute component SUB_C1 are available.

Because only 15 units of C1 are available, SUB_C1 is searched for availability, and 60 units of SUB_C1 are available. The planning process then assumes that the item can be manufactured on time using the 15 available units of C1 and 25 units from SUB_C1.