Availability Check Basics and Customization

A. Basics
1) Backward Scheduling calculates the material availability date. This is the date on which
sufficient material should be available(for activities such as picking,packing,loading and finally
goods issue) so as to be able to successfully deliver the goods to the customer on his requested
delivery date.(assuming customer requires complete delivery)
2) The delivery,therefore,should be created latest by this date or by transportation planing
date,whichever is earlier.
3) Availability Check is a function of SAP SD module that along with Transfer of Requirements
helps in checking if sufficient quantity of goods is available on the above calculated availability
date.
4) If sufficient quantity is not available on this date then goods cannot be delivered on the
customer's requested delivery date.
5) Forward Scheduling then calculates the new availability date and thus a new delivery date is
confirmed in the schedule line.
6) Availability check is done at Plant Level.
7) Results of availability check may vary according to Replenishment Lead Time(RLT) , Partial
Delivery Constraints or other such considerations.(described ahead)
8) Types of availability check :
a) Against ATP Quantities (with or without RLT)
b) Against Planning.
c)Against Product Allocation
9) Available-To-Promise or ATP : On any given date ATP quantities give the number one can
commit for an order which is to be delivered on some future.
ATP= Warehouse Stock + Planned Inward Receipts Planned Outward Issues
Where Stock can include unrestricted stock,stock in transfer,stock in quality inspection,blocked
stock,restricted use stock etc
Inward Movements can include Purchase Orders,Purchase requisitions,Planned
orders,Production orders etc.
Outward Movements can include Sales Orders,Deliveries,Reservations,Sales Requirements
etc.
10) R-L-T : The time needed to produce or order the material. In other words it is the time by
which the material is produced in house or if it is trading good the time by which it can be
procured. If availability check includes RLT , the check is carried out only till the end of this
time any amount will be available after this time.
For goods produced in-house :
R-L-T = Tot. Replenishment time (MMR-MRP3 View), If maintained
else if above field not maintained
R-L-T = In-House Production Time (MMR- Work Scheduling view) + GR
processing time (MMR-MRP2 View)
For externally procured goods :
R-L-T = Purchasing Processing time(MMR- Purchasing view) + Planned Delivery
time(MMR-MRP2 view) + GR Processing time (MMR-MRP2 view)
$$

RLT is included only in check against ATP. * MMR is Material Master record

11) Complete Delivery/Partial Delivery Indicator : Complete delivery indicator is specified in

CuMR Shipping Tab and is applicable at the header level of the Sales Order. This specifies if
the entire order that is all the items in the order are to be delivered together.
The Partial delivery indicator(and the number of partial deliveries allowed) comes from
either CMIR or CuMR- Shipping Tab. This specifies if all the quantities of the item has to be delivered
in one single delivery or can be delivered in multiple partial deliveries. This is applicable at Header
Level but can be changed at item level in the Sales Document.
* CMIR Customer Material Info Record CuMR Customer Master Record

Effects on Delivery date of complete and partial delivery.

% In above figure the End lead time(R-L-T) is 15.05.2013. Any quantity ordered will be confirmed for that date.

B. Customization
Since Availability Check lies within the integration precinct between SD and MM the control features
can be found in both SD and MM module. The focus here is on customization in SD but a bit of MM
features are also studied for getting a holistic picture.
I)
1) Transfer of Requirements : Requirements are planned outward movements. All material orders
are transferred to the MRP in the form of requirements by SD. This also helps in planning
future requirements as procurement can further advice production(in case materials need to be

produced) or purchasing(in case materials need to be procured).Without ToR availability check

is not effective.
2) Planning Strategies : Are business procedures for planning the production (quantities and dates)
of material.
3) Strategy Group : The allowed planning strategies (main strategy and further possible strategies)
are combined in the strategy group. The strategy group is plant-wise assigned to MRP group.
Also strategy group can be directly maintained in MMR-MRP3(which has priority over MRP
assignment).
4) MRP group : Groups materials having the same MRP requirements and thus helps controlling
these materials for MRP. This is maintained in MMR-MRP1 view.
5) MRP Type (MMR-MRP1 View) : Is a key that determines how the material is to be planned.
6) Requirements Type : Among other things Requirements types refer to the Requirements class.
Requirements Types in turn are a part of Planning Strategy. If not maintained there they are
determined from the combination of MRP type and Item categories.
7) Requirements Class : Apart from other things it controls globally if availability check and ToR
is to be done for the material in SD Documents on the basis of ATP Logic.
8) Schedule Line Categories : Where Requirements Class determine globally if availability and
ToR is to be done, at Micro level this is determined by Schedule Line Category. Thus if they are
switch on at Requirements Class level they can be switched off at Schedule Line Level but if
they are Off at Requirements Class level they cannot be turned on at Schedule Line Level.
9) Delivery item category : The delivery item category can be used to control whether an
availability check takes place in deliveries.
10)
Checking Group : Decides which requirement to transfer - individual(for each order) or
summarized(Daily/Weekly) and whether to block the material(at plant level) during the time of
availability check for simultaneous orders. Also can deactivate availability check. It is proposed
in MMR.
11)Checking Rule : Along with Checking Group it decides scope of check for a particular
transaction and id hard coded for example for Sales Order it is 'A' for delivery it is 'B' etc
12)
Scope of check : Decides what kind of stocks,incoming movements,outgoing movments
are to be checked during availability check and if check includes RLT. It also checks if
Availability Check is to be done on Storage Location Level or not.

To summarize (Refer Snapshots below for all relevant transactions):

Strategy group contains planning strategies which in turn contain Requirement
Type(if not there it comes from combination of MRP Type and Item Category) which in turn refers to
Requirements class which globally determine, for the material, if Availability check and ToR are to be
done and locally this is controlled by Schedule Line Category in Sales Document and by Delivery Item
Category in Delivery Document.
Checking Group decides if requirements are to be transferred weekly,daily or per
transaction. Also along with checking rule it decides scope of check.

SNAPSHOTS
1) T-Code: MM03

Strategy group Assignment

2) T-Code OPPT

Strategy group Planning Startegies

3) T-Code OPPS

Planning Strategy Requirement Type

4) T-Code OVZH

Requirement Type Requirement Class Assignment

5) T-Code OVZG

6) T-Code VA03

Requirement type in Sales Order

7) T-Code VOV6

ToR and Availability in Schedule Line Category

8)

Checking Group

9) T-Code OVZ9