1;Contents;7 2;1 Motivation for Planning with Characteristics;10 3;2 Characteristic Based Planning Overview;12 3.1;2.1 Process Overview;12 3.2;2.2 Scenarios for Characteristic Based Planning;14 3.3;2.3 System Configuration Determinants;19 3.4;2.4 Functions for Characteristic Based Planning in APO;22 3.5;2.5 Process Variants and their Usage in the Scenarios;24 4;3 Characteristics and Classes;28 4.1;3.1 Characteristics and Classes in R/3;28 4.2;3.2 Transfer of Characteristics and Classes to APOThe transfer of classes and characteristics to APO is done via the CIF,;31 5;4 Configuration Scheme in APO;34 6;5 Make-to-Order with Variant Configuration;36 6.1;5.1 Scenario Description;36 6.1.1;5.1.1 Process Chain;36 6.1.2;5.1.2 System Configuration Determinants;38 6.1.3;5.1.3 Configurable Material;39 6.1.4;5.1.4 Configuration Profile;39 6.2;5.2 Variant Configuration in the Sales Order;40 6.3;5.3 Object Dependencies;43 6.3.1;5.3.1 Structure and Usage of Object Dependencies;43 6.3.2;5.3.2 Selection Conditions;47 6.3.3;5.3.3 Procedures;47 6.3.4;5.3.4 Procedures with Reference Characteristics;48 6.3.5;5.3.5 Variant Functions;51 6.4;5.4 Multi-Level Configuration;53 6.5;5.5 Configuration via Material Class;55 6.6;5.6 Material Variants;56 6.7;5.7 Configurable Material Variants;59 6.8;5.8 Variant Tables;61 7;6 Make-to-Order with VC and Demand Planning;63 7.1;6.1 Make-to-Order with VC and Planning Overview;63 7.2;6.2 Characteristic Based Forecasting;64 7.3;6.3 Forecast Release and Forecast Consumption;68 7.4;6.4 Scenario Description for Planning in Inactive Version;73 7.4.1;6.4.1 Process Chain for Planning in Inactive Version;73 7.4.2;6.4.2 System Configuration Determinants;78 7.4.3;6.4.3 Transformation of the Dependent Demand;79 7.4.4;6.4.4 Forecast Consumption by the Dependent Demand;80 7.4.5;6.4.5 Component Logic;82 7.5;6.5 Scenario Description for Planning in Active Version;83 7.5.1;6.5.1 Process Chain for Planning in Active Version;83 7.5.2;6.5.2 System Configuration Determinants;87 7.5.3;6.5.3 Forecast Check on Characteristic Level;87 7.5.4;6.5.4 Allocation Check on Characteristic Level;88 7.5.5;6.5.5 Forecast Consumption on Characteristic Level;89 8;7 Sales from Stock with Characteristics;90 8.1;7.1 Scenario Description;90 8.1.1;7.1.1 Process Chain;90 8.1.2;7.1.2 System Configuration Determinants;92 8.2;7.2 Batch Selection in the Sales Order;93 8.3;7.3 ATP with Characteristics;96 8.3.1;7.3.1 Characteristic View;96 8.3.2;7.3.2 Rules-Based ATP with Characteristic Substitution;97 8.4;7.4 Delivery with Characteristics;100 9;8 Configure-to-Order with Propagation;102 9.1;8.1 Scenario Description;102 9.1.1;8.1.1 Process Chain;102 9.1.2;8.1.2 System Configuration Determinants;104 9.2;8.2 Characteristic Propagation within the PPM;106 9.3;8.3 Block Planning;109 9.3.1;8.3.1 Motivation for Block Planning;109 9.3.2;8.3.2 Block Definition in the Resource;110 9.3.3;8.3.3 Activity Valuation;113 9.3.4;8.3.3 Block Planning Functions;116 9.3.5;8.3.4 Assembly Planning Based on Block Definitions;116 9.4;8.4 Goods Receipt with Batch Characteristics;118 10;9 Planning with Shelf Life;120 10.1;9.1 Scenario Description;120 10.1.1;9.1.1 Process Chain;120 10.1.2;9.1.2 System Configuration Determinants;121 10.1.3;9.1.3 Shelf Life Settings in the Material Master;122 10.2;9.2 Shelf Life Functionality;123 10.3;9.3 Characteristics for Shelf Life;125 10.4;9.4 Customer Specific Shelf Life Requirements;127 10.5;9.5 Production Planning and Scheduling with Shelf Life;131 10.6;9.6 Goods Receipt with Shelf Life Characteristics;132 10.7;9.7 Shelf Life Alerts;133 11;10 Sales Order Oriented Planning;135 11.1;10.1 Scenario Description;135 11.1.1;10.1.1 Process Chain;135 11.1.2;10.1.2 System Configuration Determinants;137 11.2;10.2 Descriptive Characteristics;137 11.3;10.3 Forecast Adjustment;139 11.4;10.4 Planned Order Conversion with Conversion Rules;141 12;11 Production Planning and Scheduling;143 12.1;11.1 Production Planning with Characteristics;143 12.1.1;11.1.1 Production Pla