Heuristics are planning functions that execute planning for selected objects, such as products, resources, operations, or line networks, using a specific procedure. Heuristics are used in interactive planning, the SAP S/4HANA Digital Core MRP_live or in the Advanced Planning (PP/DS) production planning run. In the Advanced Planning, you can execute several heuristics, which belong to both production planning and detailed scheduling, for the same products in one planning run. Heuristics can help you to solve planning problems for defined objects, such as creating feasible production plans, scheduling operations, assigning resources, or leveling capacities. Heuristics can also consider various constraints and parameters, such as lead times, lot sizes, setup times, priorities, or alternative modes12.

References:

• 1: SAP Help Portal: Heuristics
• 2: SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 4: Advanced Planning

 A line hierarchy in repetitive manufacturing represents the structure of a production line that consists of multiple work centers. A line hierarchy is a master data object that defines the sequence and the relationship of the work centers that are involved in producing a material. A line hierarchy can be split into different levels, such as line segments, processing stations, or takt areas, to reflect the complexity and the variability of the production line. A line hierarchy can be used for planning and scheduling operations, controlling material flow, and monitoring production performance12.

The other options are not correct for the following reasons:

• A production line with prioritized work centers (B): This is not correct. A line hierarchy does not define the priority of the work centers, but the order and the dependency of the work centers. The priority of the work centers can be determined by other factors, such as the capacity availability, the production rate, or the scheduling parameters.
• A production line with a parallel sequence in the routing ©: This is not correct. A line hierarchy does not represent the parallel sequence in the routing, but the linear sequence of the work centers. A parallel sequence in the routing means that two or more operations can be performed simultaneously on different work centers for the same material. A parallel sequence in the routing can be modeled by using alternative sequences or parallel sequences in the line hierarchy3.
• A production line with an alternative sequence in the routing (D): This is not correct. A line hierarchy does not represent the alternative sequence in the routing, but the main sequence of the work centers. An alternative sequence in the routing means that there are different options for performing an operation on different work centers for the samematerial. An alternative sequence in the routing can be modeled by using alternative sequences or parallel sequences in the line hierarchy3.

References:https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_ON-PREMISE/48b24fbadbee4e0b9dae0e2b72762e68/db8151ba8ca14106bf037a1546cde6a9.html

https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_ON-PREMISE/f899ce30af9044299d573ea30b533f1c/9231f9504a62eb5ee10000000a44538d.html

 The alert monitor in Advanced Planning allows you to monitor and analyze the planning situation and identify any problems or deviations from the desired state. To use the alert monitor, you need to configure the following elements:

• Overall profile: This defines the scope and content of the alert monitor, such as the planning objects, the alert types, the alert categories, and the alert levels. You can assign one or more alert profiles to an overall profile to specify the alerts that you want to monitor.
• Alert profile: This defines the criteria and parameters for generating alerts, such as the time horizon, the planning version, the planning mode, and the alert threshold. You can create different alert profiles for different planning scenarios or objectives.
• Authorization profile: This defines the access rights and restrictions for the alert monitor, such as the planning objects, the locations, the products, and the resources that a user can view or edit. You can assign an overall profile to an authorization profile to control which alerts a user can see or process.

Therefore, to set up the alert monitor, you need to assign the alert profile to the overall profile (B) and assign the overall profile to the authorization profile (D). Creating an object selection variant for priority-category-related alerts (A) or production-planning-related alerts © is not a configuration step, but a selection option in the alert monitor to filter the alerts by different criteria. References:

The graphical planning table is a tool for capacity planning and scheduling that displays the operations and the work centers in a time-oriented view. You can use the graphical planning table to create, change, or dispatch operations manually or automatically. The planning direction determines whether the operations are scheduled from the start date or the finish date of the order. If the planning direction is forward, the operations are scheduled from the start date of the order1.

If you want to insert an operation at a certain time on a work center in the graphical planning table, and the planning direction is forward, and the desired dispatching time coincides with an operation that has previously been dispatched, the insertion takes place as follows:

• The new operation is inserted at the desired time; the previously dispatched operation is moved backward (B): This is the correct answer. The system inserts the new operation at the specified time and shifts the previously dispatched operation to a later time, so that the sequence and the capacity requirements of the operations are maintained. The system also adjusts the start and finish dates of the order and the subsequent operations accordingly2.

The other options are not correct for the following reasons:

• The new operation is inserted at the desired time; the previous dispatched operation is moved forward (A): This is not correct. The system does not move the previously dispatched operation to an earlier time, as this would violate the planning direction and the capacity constraints of the work center. The system only moves the previously dispatched operation to a later time, as explained in option B.
• The previously dispatched operation stays as is; the new operation is inserted after the dispatched operation ©: This is not correct. The system does not insert the new operation after the previously dispatched operation, as this would not match the desired dispatching time specified by the user. The system inserts the new operation at the desired time and moves the previously dispatched operation backward, as explained in option B.
• The previously dispatched operation stays as is; the new operation is inserted before the dispatched operation (D): This is not correct. The system does not insert the new operation before the previously dispatched operation, as this would violate the planning direction and the capacity constraints of the work center. The system inserts the new operation at the desired time and moves the previously dispatched operation backward, as explained in option B.

References: 

 Dependent requirements are the requirements for components that are derived from the requirements for the finished product or assembly. They are created when an independent requirement is created for the finished product or assembly, such as a planned independent requirement, a sales order, or a stock transport order. They are also created on assembly level during the planning run, when the system explodes the bill of material (BOM) of the finished product or assembly and calculates the requirements for the components based on the BOM structure and quantity. Dependent requirements can be created for multilevel or single-level BOM structures, depending on the planning strategy and the BOM explosion level. References: Dependent Requirements | SAP Help Portal, Material Requirements Planning (PP-MRP) | SAP Help Portal.

The control cycle is the master data object that governs the relationship between supply source and demand source in the Kanban process. The control cycle defines the following data for Kanban production:

• The number of Kanban containers and the quantity per container or per call item
• The basic data required for automatic Kanban calculation, if necessary
• The replenishment strategy, which determines how the supply source replenishes the demand source, such as in-house production, external procurement, stock transfer, or assembly
• The print control, which determines how the Kanban cards are printed, if necessary
• The delivery address, which determines where the Kanban containers are delivered, if necessary
• The process control, which determines the status sequence, the goods movement, the packing instruction, and the production call profile, if necessary1

The control cycle is created and maintained using the app Manage Kanban Control Cycles or the transaction PKMC. The control cycle is assigned to a material and a plant, and can be split into different segments for different supply sources or demand sources2.

The other options are not correct for the following reasons:

• Replenishment strategy (A): This is not a master data object, but a field in the control cycle that specifies the type of replenishment for the Kanban process. The replenishment strategy can be in-house production, external procurement, stock transfer, or assembly1.
• Production supply area (B): This is a master data object that represents a physical or logical area where materials are supplied for production. A production supply area can be assigned to a material, a work center, or a production line. A production supply area is not directly related to the Kanban process, but it can be used to group materials or work centers for planning or reporting purposes3.
• Rate routing (D): This is a master data object that defines the sequence of operations and the work centers for producing a material in repetitive manufacturing. A rate routing canbe assigned to a material and a production version. A rate routing is not directly related to the Kanban process, but it can be used to calculate the production rate and the lead time for in-house production.

References:

https://blogs.sap.com/2016/06/20/kanban-process/

https://blogs.sap.com/2018/04/11/kanban-process-in-s4-hana-1709/

The duration of an operation for production is determined by the combination of data maintained in the routing and the work center. The routing defines the sequence of operations, the work centers, and the standard values for each operation, such as setup time, processing time, and teardown time. The work center defines the capacity, the formulas, and the scheduling parameters for each operation, such as base quantity, operation rate, and queue time. The system calculates the duration of an operation by multiplying the standard values from the routing by the factors from the work center formulas and adding the scheduling parameters from the work center. For example, if the routing specifies a processing time of 10 minutes per unit and the work center formula is processing time = (processing time / base quantity) * operation quantity, and the base quantity is 100 units, then the duration of the operation for 50 units is (10 / 100) * 50 = 5 minutes.

The bill of material (BOM) © and the material master (D) are not data objects that determine the duration of an operation for production. The BOM defines the components and the quantities that are required for producing a material. The material master defines the general and specific attributes of a material, such as the material type, the unit of measure,the MRP data, and the production data. These data objects are relevant for planning the material requirements and the production costs, but not the operation duration. References:

https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_ON-PREMISE/c00ad2cac7be4ef29a4461ba114e4f91/051ebf53d25ab64ce10000000a174cb4.html

https://learning.sap.com/learning-journeys/manage-production-orders-in-sap-s-4hana-manufacturing/scheduling-production-orders_cc390d5f-b87c-4c4d-9472-8bb10ea4f476

Mode selection is a feature that allows the system to choose the best mode for an activity based on the mode priority and the available capacity of the resources. A mode is a combination of a resource and a formula that determines the duration and quantity of an activity. An operation can have multiple activities, each with multiple modes. Mode selection can be used when an operation contains several activities, each of which is assigned several modes for different resources, and the system needs to determine which resource to use for each activity. Mode selection can also be used when an activity hasseveral modes for the same resource, and the system needs to determine which formula to use for the activity. Mode selection can be performed during the planning explosion or during the interactive planning. References: Mode Selection | SAP Help Portal, Mode Selection | SAP Help Portal

Make-to-stock production (10) is a planning strategy that supports the production of a finished good based on a forecast and without any reference to sales orders. This strategy is used when the finished good has a stable and predictable demand, and the company wants to maintain a certain level of safety stock to meet customer orders. If customers order more than the forecasted quantity, this does not affect the production program, as the system does not generate any additional planned orders or purchase requisitions for the finished good. Instead, the system reduces the planned independent requirements by the sales order quantity, and the excess demand is covered by the safety stock or the available stock. This strategy allows for a smooth and continuous production process, and avoids frequent changes in the production plan. References: Make-to-Stock Production | SAP Help Portal, Planning Strategies | SAP Help Portal, SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, page 52.

 To identify all affected finished goods stocks that contain a deviated raw material batch, you can use the following tools:

• The Batch Information Cockpit (BIC) is a central tool that provides an overview of all relevant information and documents related to a batch. You can use the BIC to display the batch genealogy, which shows the hierarchical relationships between batches along the production and distribution process. You can also use the BIC to display the batch traceability, which shows the chronological sequence of events and transactions that affect a batch. The BIC allows you to analyze the batch history and the batch usage across different plants and systems.
• The batch where-used list is a tool that determines how a batch is created and used in Production Planning (PP) through various stages of production and displays the result in a list. You can use the batch where-used list to find out in which other batches a batch was used and from which other batches a batch was created. This is important in the case of complaints and questions about product safety if the composition of semi-finished and finished products has to be documented across all production levels.

Batch derivation and batch determination are not tools to identify affected finished goods stocks, but rather tools to assign batches to production orders or sales orders based on certain criteria. Batch derivation is a process of transferring characteristics or values from one batch to another, while batch determination is a process of finding suitable batches for a requirement based on predefined conditions. References: Batch Information Cockpit | SAP Help Portal, Batch Where-Used List | SAP Help Portal.

 A phantom assembly is a material that is not physically produced, but its components are directly consumed in the production of a higher-level material. To set up a material as a phantom assembly, you need to do the following steps:

• Define the special procurement type as 50 (phantom assembly) in the material master of the phantom assembly. This indicates that the material is not procured or produced, but its components are exploded in the BOM of the higher-level material.
• Change the item category of the phantom assembly in the BOM of the higher-level material to N (phantom item). This indicates that the phantom assembly is not relevant for production order or MRP, but its components are.
• Alternatively, you can change the phantom item indicator for the phantom assembly in the BOM of the higher-level material to X (phantom assembly). This has the same effect as changing the item category to N, but it also allows you to use the same BOM for different purposes, such as costing or sales. References: [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], page 68; [SAP Help Portal: Phantom Assembly].

You can achieve planning only for specific resources in Advanced Planning (PP/DS) by using a resource group. A resource group is a collection of resources that share the same characteristics and can be used interchangeably for production. You can assign a resource group to a product or a production version, and then use the resource group as a selection criterion in the planning board or the product view. This way, you can restrict the planning to only those resources that belong to the resource group. References: SAP S/4HANA Manufacturing for Planning & Scheduling - Implementation Guide, page 25; [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], page 79.

To support a GMP-compliant production process, you can use the following features in SAP S/4HANA:

• Digital signature: This allows you to electronically sign documents and transactions that are relevant for GMP compliance, such as production orders, process orders, batch records, and quality inspections. Digital signatures ensure the authenticity, integrity, and non-repudiation of the documents and transactions12.
• Batch record: This is a document that records the entire production process of a batch, including the materials, resources, operations, quality data, and signatures involved. Batch records provide traceability and documentation for GMP compliance3 .
• Recipe approval: This is a process that ensures that only approved recipes can be used for production. Recipes are approved by authorized users who sign them digitally. Recipe approval prevents unauthorized changes and ensures consistency and quality of the products .

References:

• 1: SAP Help Portal: Digital Signature
• 2: SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 8: Product Compliance
• 3: SAP Help Portal: Batch Record
• : SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 8: Product Compliance
• : SAP Help Portal: Recipe Approval
• : SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide, Chapter 7: Process Orders

The order-type-dependent parameters are configuration settings that control various aspects of production order processing, such as number range, scheduling type, availability check, costing variant, confirmation parameters, and so on. These parameters are assigned to a production order type, which is a key that defines the characteristics and business rules of a production order. The order-type-dependent parameters affect the following business processes:

• Check material availability: The availability check determines whether the required materials and capacities are available for the production order. The availability check is controlled by the checking rule and the checking group, which are defined in the order-type-dependent parameters. The checking rule specifies which stocks, receipts, and issues are considered in the availability check. The checking group determines how the system responds to the availability situation, such as issuing a warning or an error message, or rescheduling the order.
• Schedule production orders: The scheduling of production orders calculates the planned dates and times for the operations and the order. The scheduling is controlled by thescheduling type and the scheduling parameters, which are defined in the order-type-dependent parameters. The scheduling type determines whether the system performs forward or backward scheduling, and whether it considers the basic dates or the production dates. The scheduling parameters determine how the system calculates the operation durations, interoperation times, and floats. References: [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], page 123; [SAP Help Portal: Order-Type-Dependent Parameters].

The MRP planning file is a list of all materials relevant to the planning run. The system sets an entry in the planning file for a material when there is a change that affects the material requirements planning, such as changes to stock, requirements, receipts, or MRP data in the material master. The following processes lead to an entry in the MRP planning file:

• Changing the procurement type in the product master, which determines how the material is procured (internally or externally) and affects the MRP procedure and lot-sizing procedure.
• Changing the stock in inventory management, which changes the stock/requirements situation of the material and triggers a net requirements calculation.
• Changing the purchasing contract in materials management, which creates a purchase requisition as a receipt element and affects the availability of the material. References: Planning File, Planning File Entries for MRP Areas, SAP Exam C_TS422_1909 Topic 10 Question 10 Discussion

The system chooses the production version based on the validity period and the sales order. The validity period determines whether the production version is valid for the planned start date of the production order. The sales order determines whether the production version is assigned to a specific sales order item or not. If there are multiple production versions that meet these criteria, the system chooses the one with the lowest alphanumeric value. References: [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], page 113; [SAP Help Portal: Production Version]

If the available stock is zero and the discontinuation date is in the past, the material requirements planning (MRP) process will be affected. MRP will not create any planned orders or purchase requisitions for the discontinued component. Instead, it will create a discontinuation indicator in the MRP list and a discontinuation message in the exception message list. This will inform the planner that the component is no longer available and that a follow-up material should be used instead. References: [SAP Help Portal] - Discontinuation of Materials.

You can create a production order using the following methods:

• Create by order release: You can create a production order by releasing a planned order in the material requirements planning (MRP) run. The system converts the planned order into a production order and assigns a production order number. You can use the Manage Production Orders app or the transaction CO40 to create production orders by order release.
• Create in Kanban process: You can create a production order in the Kanban process, which is a lean manufacturing method that uses pull signals to trigger production. The system creates a production order when a Kanban status changes from EMPTY to WAITING. You can use the Kanban Board app or the transaction PK13N to create production orders in the Kanban process. References: SAP Help Portal, Manage Production Orders in SAP S/4HANA Manufacturing

A resource network is a business object in PP/DS that defines the allowed directed connections between two or more resources. A directed connection means that the connection from Resource 1 to Resource 2 is not the same as the inverse connection from Resource 2 to Resource 1. You use this object to model existing production constraints more precisely, with the objective of creating a finite and technically feasible production schedule. Resource networks simplify the modeling of resource restrictions for consecutive operations or orders1

A resource selection is a business object in PP/DS that defines the criteria for selecting a suitable resource for an operation or an order. You use this object to specify the characteristics, attributes, and capacities of the resources that can be used for a particular production process. Resource selection allows you to optimize the resource utilization and reduce the setup times and costs2

A resource matrix is a business object in PP/DS that defines the relationships between different resources based on their characteristics and attributes. You use this object to determine the setup times and costs for changing from one resource to another. Resource matrix allows you to model the setup effort and expense more accurately and improve the production efficiency3

A resource hierarchy is a business object in PP/DS that defines the structure and sequence of resources that are used for a production process. You use this object to represent the logical and physical dependencies of the resources and to control the scheduling and sequencing of the operations or orders. Resource hierarchy allows you to model the production flow and capacity more realistically and ensure the technical feasibility of the production plan.

References:

• Resource Network | SAP Help Portal
• Resource Selection | SAP Help Portal
• Resource Matrix | SAP Help Portal
• [Resource Hierarchy | SAP Help Portal]

 In reorder point planning, the system compares the available stock with the reorder point to determine the net requirements. If the available stock falls below the reorder point, the system triggers a procurement proposal for the material. The quantity of the procurement proposal depends on the lot size procedure that is defined in the material master. The lot size procedure determines how the system calculates the order quantity based on factors such as demand, costs, and storage space. There are different types of lot size procedures, such as static, periodic, or optimum lot size. References: [Production Planning with SAP S/4HANA], page 156; [SAP Help Portal: Lot Size Calculation].

You can exclude a material from the MRP run by using a specific material status or a specific MRP type. A material status is a user-defined indicator that can be assigned to a material master record to control the procurement and planning activities for the material. For example, you can define a material status that blocks the material from being planned by MRP. An MRP type is a parameter that defines how a material is planned by MRP. For example, you can use the MRP type ND (No Planning) to exclude the material from the MRP run.

References: [SAP S/4HANA Production Planning and Manufacturing Certification Guide], page 87; [SAP Help Portal: Material Status] and [SAP Help Portal: MRP Type].