In this blog post, we explore the most recent updates to SAP Best Practices for SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP), with particular emphasis on the key enhancements and new features introduced in release 2605.

New shelf life solution processes for Sample Planning Area I_SAPIBP2

With the latest release, we have added two additional solution processes for shelf-life planning based on the sample planning area I_SAPIBP2.

The first solution process, IBP Advanced Supply – shelf life planning (7LY), shows how to create an operational supply plan that considers the minimum remaining shelf life of independent demand as well as the remaining shelf life of existing stock on hand and planned receipts. It also uses scenarios to run what-if analyses on sales order quantity reductions and their impact on planned orders and their remaining shelf life.

After creating the supply plan, planners can review the results, including detailed batch-level pegging information, in the Projected Stock app. We also provide planner workspace views for the most relevant key figures, as well as helpful analytics focusing on expiration dates and quantities in the analytic story designed for supply planners.

The second solution process, IBP Advanced Supply – order-based planning inbound integration for shelf life (7LZ) describes the complete integration process, including the master data and transactional objects required for the new solution process.

Example: Planner workspace for supply planner shelf life planning

 Example: Page for expiration status in Analytic Stories for Response and Supply

New analytic story for Order-Based Planning

Another highlight is the introduction of a powerful new analytics story for supply planners, based on the I_SAPIBP2 planning area. This analytics story is designed to enhance solution processes like IBP Advanced Supply – response planning (7LQ), or IBP Advanced Supply – supply planning – OBP optimizer (7LP). It provides a comprehensive overview of key performance indicators (KPIs), enabling more data driven decision making for supply planners.

The structure follows the familiar layout of other preconfigured analytic stories: it begins with an overview page that presents key figures and essential information, followed by a series of more detailed, topic specific pages—for example, pages dedicated to Forecasts and Allocations, Sales Order Confirmation, Resource Capacity, and others.

Example: Overview page of the Analytic Stories for Response and Supply Planning

 Example: Detailed page of the Analytic Stories for Response and Supply Planning

Improved experience for planner workspace for supply planners using Order-Based Planning

The planner workspace for supply planners using Order-Based Planning (OBP) in the I_SAPIBP2 planning area has been enhanced with new functionalities available within the planner workspace. New alerts, such as supply shortage and capacity overload, have been added and can now be used as entry points to identify critical situations. Several planning views, including the projected stock view and capacity view, have also been revised. In these views, you can now drill down from an overview to detailed view or master data views via contextual navigation.

Example: Alerts in the planner workspace for supply planner (order-based)

Example: Different planning and master data views in the planner workspace for supply planner (order-based)

AI-assisted MRO inventory analysis

We have now added another capability to our SAP Best Practices content: the AI-assisted MRO inventory analysis. This feature enables inventory planners to summarize the key drivers behind the Inventory Optimization–recommended safety stock and reorder point values. The new AI functionality generates summaries of the factors driving recommended safety stock levels and translates complex calculations into an easy-to-consume analysis for the Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) solution process (75C).

Example: AI-assisted MRP inventory analysis

Here some more useful links:

• SAP Signavio Process Navigator to download all assets of SAP Best Practices for SAP Integrated Business Planning
• Never heard about SAP Best Practices for SAP Integrated Business Planning – check out this short video for more information
• In case you want to learn more about SAP Best Practices for SAP Integrated Business Planning for Supply Chain I recommend our blog series. The first blog is available here
• What's New blog about SAP Integrated Business Planning 2605 is available here.

Thank you for reading our release highlights blog. Stay tuned for more updates and enhancements in future releases.