Requirements Planning > Forecast Maintenance > Forecast Maintenance

Forecast Maintenance

You use this program to create and maintain forecasts for both stocked and non-stocked items.

Within SYSPRO, forecasts and sales orders are combined using the gross requirements rule and the yield percentage to generate a gross requirement. The gross requirement can then be compared to the build schedule, generating the suggested build schedule values.

When maintaining forecasts, they are shown on the screen in date sequence. Among the forecasts are special lines indicating where the time fences appear. When a new forecast is added (or an existing one moved or deleted) the screen immediately indicates the new list of forecasts.

Toolbar and menu

Field Description
Preferences  
Preferences Select this to indicate your preferences for displaying and entering information in the listview.
Warehouse

Indicate a valid warehouse code.

If the Inventory Control module is not installed, then all entries are assumed to be non-stocked.

Non-stocked Select this to create/change forecasts for non-stocked items.
Stock code

You use this field to indicate the code of the stock item for which you want to maintain a forecast.

You can use the previous and next buttons to browse through the stock codes for the warehouse selected (this option is not available if non-stocked has been selected).

You can maintain forecasts for stock items which are on hold (Stock Codes). A stock item defined as a Notional part cannot be selected for processing.

Previous Select this to navigate to the previous stock code. The system automatically enters this code in the Stock code field.
Next Select this to navigate to the next stock code. The system automatically enters this code in the Stock code field.
Change Rev/Rel Select this to use the ECC Revision Release program to indicate the specific revision and/or release of the stock item for which you want to maintain a forecast.

This option is only enabled if you entered a stock item defined as ECC controlled (Stock Codes) in the Stock code field.

Use current Select this if you want to maintain the forecast for only the current revision/release of an ECC controlled stock item.

This option is only enabled if you entered a stock item defined as ECC controlled (Stock Codes) in the Stock code field.

Refresh the forecast Select this to re-display details of the forecast, to reflect changes made to the warehouse, stock code or the revision or release.

MRP Forecast Graph

This pane enables you to indicate your selections you require and then displays the forecast in a graphical format accordingly.

Field Description
Redraw graph

Select this to view the graph according to the selection criteria you entered.

The graph is displayed using the Graphics Display Program program.

Date selection
Use starting date Select this to specify the date from which you want to start plotting the information on the graph.
Date Enter the date from which you want to start plotting the information on the graph.

This is only available if you selected the option: Use starting date.

Type  
Selection Indicate the forecast type(s) for which you want to plot the graph.
Forecast type Indicate the single forecast type for which you want to generate the graph.
Include inactive Indicate whether you want to include inactive forecasts in the graph.
OptionDescription
YesSelect this to include forecasts marked as inactive on the graph.
NoSelect this to exclude forecasts marked as inactive from the graph.
OnlySelect this to include only forecasts marked as inactive on the graph.
Projection Indicate the projection period required for the graph.
Period This enables you to indicate the projection period required for the graph.
Days

Select this to project the required quantity in terms of days.

The default is seven days, but this can be changed using the Projection days field below.

Months Select this to project the required quantity in terms of months.
Projection days Indicate the number of projection days required.
Number of graph points

Indicate the number of projection periods you want to display on the graph.

For example, if you set the projection period to months and you set the number of graph points to 24, then 24 projection months are displayed. Similarly, if you set the projection period to days, set the projection days to 20 and set the number of graph points to 2, then two projection periods of 20 days each are displayed.

Stock Information

This displays stock code details for the item currently highlighted in the MRP Forecast listview.

If an item is defined as bought-out at warehouse level (Inventory Warehouse Maintenance for Stock Code) then the Stock Information pane will show the supplier, lead time and dock to stock defined against the warehouse instead of the values held against the stock code. The dock to stock days and lead time defined against the warehouse is used in the calculation of time fences (PTF, DTF and PH).

Time Fences

Refer to Time Fences for details on the information displayed in this pane.

[Note]
  • The Manufacturing lead time represents absolute days, not working days. If you manipulate this value, then you must be aware that the program does not check for non-working days.

    However, if you allow the lead time calculation to calculate the Manufacturing lead time, then logic is built in to calculate the ratio of working and non-working days and hence the manufacturing lead time is 'padded' to be held in absolute days.

    The planning and dock to stock lead times are always in working days only.

    For example: Assume today is 8th June. You set the Manufacturing lead time to 14, the Planning frequency to 7 and the Dock to stock to 0.

    The manufacturing time fence will be: 8th June + 14 (absolute days) = 22nd June plus the Planning frequency (7 working days) = 1st July.

MRP Forecast

This is an editable listview which enables you to maintain the forecasts displayed for the selected stock or non-stock item, and to add new forecasts.

Field Description
Delete

Select this to delete the entry currently highlighted in the listview.

You are not prompted to confirm the deletion of the selected forecast. However, the forecast is not deleted until you select the Save icon.

Save Select this to save the details you entered or changed and the forecasts you deleted.
Show active forecasts only Select this to display only active forecasts in the listview.

This defaults to your selection at the preference: Show active forecast only, but can be changed.

Date Indicate the date required for the forecast.
Quantity required Indicate the forecast quantity.
Type Indicate the type of forecast. This is a single character which can be used as a selection criterion for forecasts.
Reference

Indicate up to 30 characters to be the reference assigned to the forecast.

The reference can be used to explain the reason for the forecast (e.g. an anticipated sales order).

The entry made here is printed on the List of Forecasts report.

Resource parent Indicate a resource parent code. If a resource parent code is defined against the stock item (Stock Codes) then it is displayed here as the default.

If you enter an invalid resource code, then a warning message is displayed if you selected the preference: Warn if resource not available.

Customer Indicate the customer for whom you are preparing the forecast.

If you enter an invalid customer code, then a warning message is displayed if you selected the preference: Warn if customer not available.

Description Describe the forecast. This defaults to the stock code description assigned to item.
Activate Select this to toggle between activating and inactivating the forecast line currently highlighted in the listview.

Inactivating a forecast means that it will be excluded when creating the Master Production Schedule and can be used later to report on the accuracy of forecasting. This is possible because depletion of forecasts does not actually reduce the original forecast quantity, it merely stores the invoiced quantity and presents only the balance as the current forecast.

Preferences

This screen is displayed when you select the Preferences option from the Preferences menu.

Field Description
Save Preferences Select this to save the preferences against your operator code.
Close Select this to save the preferences only for the current run of the program.
Forecast type  
Selection This enables you to indicate the type(s) of forecasts you want to display in the listview.
Type Indicate the single forecast type for which you want to display information.
Other options  
Show active forecast only Select this if, by default, you want to display information for active forecasts only.
Warn when inactivating/activating

Select this if you want a warning message displayed when you toggle between activating and inactivating a forecast in the MRP Forecast listview.

If you select this preference, then you are requested to confirm the activation/deactivation of the selected forecast.

Warn if customer not available Select this if you want to display a warning message when you enter a customer code that does not exist when adding or maintaining forecasts. This is merely a warning and does not prevent you from entering and saving a forecast for a non-existent customer.
Warn if resource is not available Select this if you want to display a warning message when you enter a resource code that does not exist when adding or maintaining forecasts.

Notes and warnings

Coding considerations

  • As stock items are invoiced, the active forecasts are reduced according to the Forecast depletion options set in the Requirements Planning Setup program.

    If these options are not set, then as stock items are invoiced, the active forecasts are reduced from the earliest forecast forwards and credit notes increase any depleted forecast up to the original value of the forecast, starting with the latest depleted forecast.