New Features of SAP IBP 2208: Ten Selected Features

by Vishnu Kumar S.

In Q3 2022, SAP is planning to release the 2208 upgrade of SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP) with numerous new features & many awaited innovations. The following, in our opinion, are the top ten features of SAP IBP 2208:

1. SAP IBP Excel Add-In

Support the Use of Microsoft Excel Native Sorting Function

With the latest version of SAP IBP Excel Addin-2208.2.0, SAP has introduced the use of the native sorting function of Microsoft Excel in planning view worksheets, which is a handy tool for planners.

Prerequisites

• The option of the Repeat row headers checkbox needs to be selected to activate the functionality.
• The latest version of SAP IBP Excel Addin-2208.2.0 should be installed

Note

• This functionality is not available with local members in the row axis.
• Native sort is applicable only from top to bottom.
• This may affect performance. Wise use of filters and required attributes and key figures is recommended.

2. Demand Planning

Enhancements to Settings for Product Lifecycle App

Under Product Assignment Settings, you can now make the following new settings:

• Always use a self-reference
• Assignments are always active
• Use offsets
• Use validity dates

Under Phase-In/Phase-Out, you can now make the following new settings:

• Phase-in start is always equal to phase-in end
• Allow phase-in settings for any attribute values
• Phase-out start is always equal to phase-out end
• Allow phase-out settings for any attribute values
• Definitions for any attribute values are mandatory

3. Demand Planning

Use of Third-Party Tools Outlier Detection

With the 2208 version of SAP IBP, it is possible to integrate third-party tools for doing outlier detection and correction in the “Manage Forecast Model” app.

4. Demand Planning

New Algorithm for Daily Disaggregation

If a business doesn’t use demand sensing and still wants to use daily disaggregation functionality for the consensus demand quantity, then the business can use the new algorithm to use daily disaggregation for consensus demand quantity.

5. Time Series Analysis

Manual Setting of Seasonal Cycle

With this new feature of manually providing the length of the seasonal cycle, businesses can avoid erroneous detection of seasonality by the system. This gives more meaningful results to the planner and better utilization of the results in the forecast models for the pre-processing algorithm.

6. Supply Planning

Freezing Supply Plan Using Shelf-Life Heuristics

Shelf-life heuristics now supports freezing the supply plan with the 2208 version of SAP IBP. Using this, the first few periods can be frozen in the supply plan. Businesses must use key figures such as Confirmed Production Receipts, Confirmed External Receipts, and confirmed Transport Receipts in the shelf-life planning area with the 2208 version.

Note

• The attribute shelf-life ID needs to be there in the base planning level in the above-mentioned key figures. If not present, the same needs to be set up.
• This is applicable only in the copy of the SAP 4S planning area.

7. Supply Planning

Priority Setting for Confirmed Receipts Over Adjusted Values in Optimizer

Optimizer now takes more priority to the confirmed receipts over the adjusted values. The confirmed receipts and adjusted values are modeled as pseudo-hard constraints. Optimizer now fulfills all the confirmed receipts first before fulfilling the adjusted or minimum values. If the business doesn’t have this functionality, this can be turned off by setting up additional parameters in the supply planning operator profile.

Note

• Add the OPT/IBP/bPresolveConfirmed parameter to the Additional Parameters section of the S&OP Operator Profiles app, setting its value to false

8. Order-Based Planning

Planning Area-Specific Planning Profiles

Till 2205, the planning run profiles for Order-based Planning are created without specifying the planning area. Now with the latest version of IBP, we can maintain planning area-specific planning run profiles.

9. Order-Based Planning

Including Vendor in the Planning Process

The vendor is always external to the supply chain. Including vendors in the supply chain process increases accuracy. The supplier constraints can be modeled with the IBP version 2208 only with the SAP7F planning area. RTI also supports vendor-based planning. This way of collaborative planning converts the existing supply chain to an extended supply chain.

10. Inventory Optimization

Analysis with Multiple Versions in Inventory Analysis App

In the inventory analysis app, planners can analyze the outputs with multiple versions in the inventory analysis app.

Other Enhancements

• Deprecation of the SAP 5 Planning area
• Latest SAP IBP Excel Add-In version is 2208.2.0
• Latest version of SAP IBP Add-In helps the native sorting functionality in Excel.