Please check whether this would be helpful. Thanks.

Thank you very much, Ravinatha!  This is a start.  Methods B, C, D and G would all be useful and applicable to items in our portfolio.  

I am, however, still looking for some instructions on  the following topics:

Time fences and their interaction/use in MS and MRP. Also, the thresholds for MS and MRP operation (when and where one or the other is active)

Lot sizes (min/max/multiple), and lead times.

And my very specific question: 

There are many items that have a forecasted demand that is highly seasonal/variable, so we are using planning method A to plan to that demand (installed as an MS forecast).  However, if any of the lot sizes are set in the planning data (min/max or multiple anything other than 0) - purchase requisitions will no longer be generated, only MS supply lines.   The MS supply lines have exactly the same timing, just quantities adjusted for the lot sizes.  The desired goal is to have purchase requisitions identical to (in place of) these MS Supply lines - but no combination of data/settings (Inventory Part/planning tab, MS level 1, etc) that I have tried achieve this.  

This is all for IFSAPP8 (upgrade to IFSAPP9 is coming soon, so if these capabilities differ, that information would be useful too).  

Hi,

I’m not sure if this answers your question, but have you tried to set the MS Level 1 Part / Create S/P Req flag = ‘Create S/P Req Entire Horizon’?

Then, when you run the MS Level 1 calculation, the system will create Purchase Requisitions for the entire horizon (rather than proposed MS receipts)

Any MS proposals which fall within the Planning Time Fence will also become ‘Fixed’ if the Gen Fixed MS flag = ‘Create Fixed MS Receipt’.

This example has Min, Multiple and Max Lot Sizes;

The version is IFS Applications 8 (SP2)

Thanks Richard!

Had a longwinded response with screenshots - that I have lost twice by hitting back button by accident.

I have used the “entire horizon” approach -  it does generate purchase req’s ONLY IF all of min/max/multiples are set to 0, and “MS Supply” lines ONLY if any of min/max/multiple are set to any nonzero quantity in any combination.  The MS Supply lines will have exactly the same timing as the purchase reqs, just will have the quantities adjusted according to the min/max/multiples. 

I am going over my data selection to see where it differs from yours, and I see the following differences in ours:

Non-zero Safety Stocks

Non-zero Lead times

Forecast 0 rather than Forecast 1  

Also, our version has some of the boxes in different places, and some tabs are different on the MS 1 (don’t have a “Reciepts” tab but do have a “Rate by Period” and “Supply and Demand” tab on our MS Level 1 Part.)

It is IFS Applications 8, and an upgrade to 9 is coming soon.  

I am going to try changing the SS’s and lead times to see if that has any impact.  I haven’t found anything different other than the things I just listed above.  

Think this could be the culprit: - Forecast 0 rather than Forecast 1  

I am pretty sure that when I used to work as an IFS Customer, company´s environment was IFS8 SP1 and we had MS Level 1 Parts configured with Create “entire horizon” for Forecast 1 data with minimum/multiple/maximum defined with Planning Method G and it all worked just fine.

Thanks Rodrigo! 

I am going to pick an item and give that a try. The IFS documentation with our Apps 8 seems a little ambiguous on Forecast 0 vs Forecast 1 - aggregate/disaggregate process and what that functionality really does.  If anyone wants to chime in on that, I would appreciate it.  

From what I can see - consumed forecasts, or unconsumed forecasts that roll forward, move from level 0 to level 1?  Unless they’re fixed?  Even this is not consistent - I have consecutive proposed consumed forecasts, one in Forecast 0 and the next in Forecast 1, for the same item.  

I believe our forecasts start as Forecast 0 data only?  To my knowledge this forecast data is calculated externally and uploaded as it is into IFS by our demand planners, not using the IFS functionality for calculations and all that.  

Something for me to investigate - I would not be surprised if our forecast upload is another non-standard practice being performed here.  Mergers and acquisitions, along with turnover, have yielded no consistency between or even within our sites for IFS operation, so there are a lot of work-arounds and processes/workflows that have been adulterated along the way.  

Using forecast 1 vs forecast 0 did not solve the issue.  Same problem,  MS will not create Purchase Req’s (only MS Supply lines) if any min/max/multiple are set non zero, and Purchase req’s only if min/max/multiple are set to zero.  Same result on planning method G as with A, cannot get req’s to generate with lot sizes/increments AND be responding to the forecasted demand.   I want to schedule with MS (not MRP) as there is highly variable forecast demand and reduced safety stocks.  

Hi Ken,

From what you describe, I think you may have the MEP (Manufacturing Enhancement Package) installed as this included the ‘Rate by Period’ functionality and lots of other new stuff.

See details here; 

It sounds like you now need to raise a ticket with IFS Support to get this issue investigated and resolved.

Good luck,

Richard.