Answer for the Interview Questions

Question

Hello Experts,
        Below is the list of questions from DP and SNP which I took it from APO Interview Questions thread. Please provide us the answers for the questions. It will be really helpful for the beginners like me. If every one in the forum contributes then it will be very great.
Thanks for your reply.
Best Regards,
Raj.
Where do you define Info-objects?
Info-objects comprise of?
What is Administrator Workbench is used to create and manage?
What are the different types of data in liveCache?
what is the difference between Storage Bucket Profile and Planning Bucket Profile?
How can you setup two grids in the Planning Book / Data View?
What can be sources of data in the timeseries keyfigure?
What is the use of ex-post forecast in Univariate Statistical Forecasting?
What are the types of Keyfigure aggregation in terms of characteristics/Calc Type?
What are the types of Keyfigure aggregation in terms of time?
Where do you maintain keyfigure aggregation?
What are aggregates?
What is the difference between planning characteristic and navigational attribute?
What are selection profiles used for?
What are the different ways of creating CVCs?
How many levels does a macro have?
What are the different types of standard macros?
When is the exit and default macro executed?
What is process chain and how is it used in Demand Planning?
what is an Infospoke? Where do you find the configuration in BW Admin Workbench?
what is the basis of creation of planning books and data views considering background job performance?
Where do you set the level at which a DP background job activity has to execute?
How can you setup custom alert types for DP and SNP?
what is the difference between Dynamic and Database alerts?
Where are database alerts stored (table name)?
What is realignment and explain the process?
What is cannibalization group?
What are the different forecast error measures and which is most preferred?
What are the different types of keyfigures you can use in a Planning Book?
What is planning version and planning area initialisation?
What is the master data in APO Demand Planning?
what is meant by Release of Demand Plan to SNP?
How do you create proportional factors? What is the standard keyfigure for Proportional Factor?
1. What is the difference between order series and time series data. How does different types of transaction data get mapped to Interactive Planning keyfigures?
2. What are the different methods of doing Supply Network Planning namely Heuristic, Optimiser, Multi-Level Demand Supply Match (CTM)?
3. What are aggregates and how are they used in SNP.
4. What is SNP Stock Transfer Horizon? What is the relation with Planning Time Fence?
5. What is SNP Horizon? What is the relation with PPDS Horizon?
6. What is the key difference in planning with SNP vs PPDS?
7. What is the master data required for planning in SNP?
8. How are SNP Plans different from PPDs Plans.
9. How can capacity constraints considered in SNP.
10. What are Quota Arrangements and how are they used?
11. How do you get forecast in SNP? What is forecast consumption?
12. How does the different transaction data aggregate and show up in different keyfigures in Interactive SNP?
13. What are the different types of SNP Heuristics possible?
14. What are the different Safety Stock calculation methods that can be sued in SNP?
15. What is Netting and Forecast Consumption? Explain Backward and Forward Consumption?
16. Are requirements and receipts in SNP pegged? How is it different from PPDS?
17. What is the relationship between SNP Horizon and PPDS Horizon?
18. Briefly describe the different ways of managing safety stock in SNP
19. What is the difference between a model and a version
20. In what scenario Capable-to-Match is applicable.
21. Briefly explain how SNP optimiser can be setup and used.

Answer 1

Dear Raj,
  you  can go through the following questions and answers which will help you.
How can a planning version be frozen and unfrozen?
A Planning Version can be frozen and unfrozen using Function Module /SAPAPO/TS_PAREA_VERSIO_FREEZE so that no further changes to the planning version can be done.
What is Release Profile?
Release Profile is used to release timeseries data from DP to SNP/PPDS. You need to define the DP Planning Area and timeseries keyfigure the data in which is released and the SNP Category Type (typically FA) to which data is released. You may maintain a Daily Buckets Profile it will define the number of working days (working days determined based on Shipping Calendar maintained for the location master) starting on and from the From Date if released online/ interactively or that many workdays of the planning horizon when release is carried out in background. The Period Split (blank, 1 and 2) field in the SNP2 tab of location-product master determines how demand plan is released to SNP from DP (how bucketed data is disaggregated to the workdays).
What is the usage of Period Factor?
Period Factor maintained in the SNP PPM or Transportation Lane determines the Availability Date of a Receipt element within a time bucket (period). The system determines the exact availability date/time of the receipt elements within a period, by adding a time interval (that it gets by multiplying the period factor with the period length) to the start time of the period. You can enter a factor between 0 and 1, where 0 is the start of the period, 0.5 the middle, and 1 the end of the period. When calculating the availability date/time, the system takes into consideration all weekdays, meaning that it does not take into consideration any days that have been defined as non-workdays in the calendars.
Period Factor used is .71 = 7x0.71 = 4.97 or 5 days from ptimizer of weekly bucket resulting in a Friday.
If Period Factor is not maintained in PPM or Transportation Lane then the User Period Factor indicator and the Period Factor value maintained in the Lot Size tab of the location-product combination is used. If this is not maintained a default value of 0.5 is used.
What determines stock categories displayed in Stock on Hand keyfigure?
The categories defined in Category Group ST1 (can be maintained in table /SAPAPO/APOCGC) determine the stock categories that are displayed in the Initial bucket in the Stock on Hand keyfigure. Subsequent buckets are dynamically computed.
Does dynamic alerts show up in Alert Monitor?
Dynamic Alerts do not show up in the stand-alone alert monitor. Network alerts are to show pegging relationships.
What is the report to execute MASSD?
The report for executing MassD in background job is MASSBACK.
What is the shortcut to change location type in APO?
Report /SAPAPO/CHECK_LOCATION_TYPE can be used to change location type (say from 1001 to 1002 or vice-versa) of existing locations in APO. The table to refer is /SAPAPO/LOCMAP. SAP does not recommend this process.
How can a transaction be executed even when no authorization?
SE93 - Transaction code for Transaction Code E.g. CRC1 Create Resource has txn code CRAH. So if you do not have authorization to create resource you can use SE93 and enter txn CRAH and then Test F8 button to go to the txn.
How to copy a Process Chain?
To copy a process chain to another process chain, goto the Process Chain you want to copy and then type copy in the tool tar and hit enter. It will allow you to copy the Process Chain to another Process Chain that can be modified as per user's requirement, saved, activated and used.
What is the process to copy planning versions in R/3?
Use OLIX to first delete previous MRP planning versions. Then use MCB& to create the new MRP planning versions by choosing the appropriate version you want to create as ICO Version. The info structure in this case is S094.
How to use create planning book with two tables?
To use two tables on one screen of Planning Book/Data View - select indicator next to second page title and give name. Additional tab page is displayed in Planning Book Maintenance wizard to define the keyfigures for the second table.
What is Master Data in DP?
Master Data in Demand Planning primarily is Charcateristic Value Combinations commonly termed CVCs. CVCs are the planning combinations against which data is stored in keyfigures.
What is the behaviour of Procurement Type X?
Procurement Type X - source selection is based on matching due date then priority then cost. If both In-house Production and External Procuremnet is possible then In-house Production (PPM) is chosen as source of supply.
What is PPDS Fixing Horizon?
PP/DS fixing Horizon defines the PP/DS time Fence - within that period if heuristic is run no orders get changed.
What is the reuse mode in Product Heuristic?
Reuse mode in Product Heuristic - makes the system to reuse orders already present in the heuristic run i.e. orders are not deleted and recreated.
What is Planning Procedure?
Planning Procedure in Product Master (PP/DS) defines that when you convert a planned order to process order it is in Deallocated state and not Scheduled state and more.
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Regards
Srikanth