bigbyte kicked off the sessions on Wednesday morning with a presentation on how to implement a 'Model of Effective Materials Planning'. The Model includes the four pillars of
- Prioritized Portfolio Management
- Automated and Periodic Policy Setting
- Intelligent Exception Monitoring
- Sustainable Inventory Optimization
If executed within clearly defined performance boundaries, using a policy playbook and a trained and competent Materials Planner, one should experience high service levels, low inventory holding cost and short cycle times. One particularly important statement was displayed on a single slide: "This is where the magic happens"
The slide stresses on the importance to bring together Tools to get the job done in an automated fashion, a framework of operations where performance boundaries and policies are defined with a strategy and a competent user.
Marc Hoppe from SAP Germany then focused on the 'Tool' part of this triangle and demonstrated the SAP Add-On Tools which he and his team at SAP developed over the years to further enhance, update and optimize SAP-ERP. He started out with a live-demo of the MRP Monitor for segmentation and policy update, continuing with a Safety Stock and Reorder Point Simulator, a Lot Sizing Simulator and the Inventory Controlling Cockpit, all Add-On Tool that provide a lot more automation, increase transparency and generally increase the efficiency of the SAP-ERP software.
The SAP Add-On Tool's main functions are to perform a 'Parameter Optimization', which serves as an excellent basis to make major strides towards Integrated Business Planning (or SAP's new IBP suit).
After lunch, Jim McCann from Greene Tweed presented how his company adopted some of the Add-On Tools and shared his experience with them. From his talk it became obvious that for a long time he was looking to perform segmentation and subsequent parameter optimization by class and just couldn't do it effectively in standard SAP. The MRP Monitor with its capability to do an XYZ analysis and also separate the short from the long lead time items and the ability to do a lifecycle analysis looked very promising. In combination with a Simulator that sets the Reorder Points and calculates service levels and safety stocks he made huge strides towards the effective system of continuous materials planning optimization.
Marc Hoppe then went on to demo SCPI - the brand new Add-On Tool for benchmarking and performance measuring. SCPI stands for SAP Supply Chain Performance Index and measures performance in up to ten major KPIs. Individual KPIs are measured on a lower level and then aggregated with a weighting system.
Day 2 started out with a bigbyte presentation on Effective Production Scheduling Methods. How can you introduce flow into your production lines? What is repetitive manufacturing with SAP and why do we sometimes forget to tel this SAP system whether the product is MTS or MTO... where some of the yopics discussed.
The Capacity Data Monitor, Capacity Requirements Monitor and the Production Controlling Cockpit wee some of the Add-On Tools demonstrated by Marc before Cheryl Jones from the Tennant Company in Minneapolis talked about her company's success using some of the Tools for over 2 years now. Her main message: "The Add-On Tools provide tremendous efficiency improvements and automation but you'll have to manage change... break down existing mental models... and instill a culture of using SAP as what it is: a tool and nothing but a tool (a great one too)"
After more demos Cristina Leahu from Cargill took center stage: "We acquired the Tools in 2011 and started to roll them out right away. But believe me, Cargill is a big company and to standardize such a 'monster' is no easy feat". She talked about the problems and issues she has been faced with the need for standardization and automation in a global company whee every plant had developed their own system and different levels of control persist. Developing Standard User Guidelines with Standard User Policies being used across the board is her answer.
Marc Hoppe explaining SCPI
The final 90 minutes of the Info Days were spent with discussions about building a users group for the SAP Add-On Tools where experiences are shared, problems are logged and solved and regular meetings are organized.
Thanks for two fun-filled and very interesting days in downtown Manhattan. I believe the SAP Add-On Tools are off for a great time in North America!
Thanks my friend for sharing the Report from the SAP Info Days by big byte in NYC. I really liked reading about this event. Actually, I usually attend such corporate events but in my hometown. So if you have any details regarding SF events then please let me know!
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