DRP Implementation Guideline

Use this guideline as a step-by-step approach to setting up and running DRP. For visual diagrams, see DRP Setup Diagram or DRP Time-Phased Process Flow Diagram.

General Implementation Steps

General Step	Description
Determine Methodology	To determine the need for ROP and/or Time Bucket methodologies, see Distribution Resource Planning Overview.
Determine Logistics Model	To determine the logistics model being used, see Distribution Resource Planning Overview.

Setup Implementation Steps

Area	Setup Step	Program	Description
Customers	Assign customers to forecast groups.	Customer Forecast Group Maintenance	Every customer must be assigned to a forecast group (the default group is All Others). Generally, only large, dominant customers (or groupings of customers) that you want to forecast separately are set up with their own forecast group.
Customers	Assign customers to point of sale regions.	Point of Sale Region Maintenance	If you are receiving point of sale information from some of your large EDI mass merchant customers and plan to import it using Forecast Sales History Import, you may want to analyze the consumer sell through information by geographical region, then by store within that region.
Sales History	Import forecast sales history that was created before your company began using Apprise.	Forecast Sales History Import	You must import any relevant history, created before your company began using Apprise®. $Images\warning.gif$ Assign customers to forecast groups before importing.
Sales History	Enable the capture of forecast sales history.	History Control Maintenance	Select the Forecast Sales History check box to start capturing forecast sales history.
Sales History	Rebuild forecast sales history if you want to use different forecast groups and your company is already using Apprise.	Forecast Sales History Rebuild Utility	You may have delayed implementing DRP as part when you initially set up the software, and now you are preparing to go live with DRP. First, verify that you have completed assigning customers to the different forecast groups you want in Customer Forecast Group Maintenance. Then, run this program to rebuild the history.
Buying Method Component	Review and select the forecast method(s) you plan to use.	Forecast Method Maintenance	Review the available forecast methods to see if the algorithms will reasonably forecast your products. It may be helpful to view the sales history of every product in every location for the last 12 months in a spreadsheet to help analyze which product/locations fit the best forecasting method. Note It is not unusual for companies to have developed their own forecasting algorithms. Apprise Software can take any forecasting algorithm and convert it into a new forecast method.
Buying Method Component	Review and select the safety stock method(s) you plan to use.	Safety Stock Method Maintenance	Review the available safety stock methods to see if the algorithms will reasonably work for your products. Note If you prefer your own safety stock algorithm, Apprise Software can convert it to a new safety stock method.
Buying Method Component	Review and select the sales filter method(s) you plan to use.	Sales Filter Method Maintenance	Review the available sales filter methods to see if the algorithms will reasonably work for your products. Note If you prefer your own safety stock algorithm, Apprise Software can convert it to a new safety stock method.
Buying Method Component	Review and select the reorder trigger method(s) you plan to use.	Reorder Trigger Method Maintenance	Review the available reorder trigger methods to see if the algorithms will reasonably work for your products. This is only used with the ROP method. Note If you prefer your own reorder trigger algorithm, Apprise Software can convert it to a new reorder trigger method.
Buying Method Component	Review and select the reorder quantity method(s) you plan to use.	Reorder Quantity Method Maintenance	Review the available reorder quantity methods to see if the algorithms will reasonably work for your products. This is only used with the ROP method. Note If you prefer your own reorder quantity algorithm, Apprise Software can convert it to a new reorder quantity method.
Buying Method Component	Review and select the forecast alert method(s) you plan to use.	Forecast Alert Method Maintenance	Review the available forecast alert methods to see if the algorithms will reasonably work for your products.
Buying Method Component	Review and select the excess alert method(s) you plan to use.	Excess Alert Method Maintenance	Review the available excess alert methods to see if the algorithms will reasonably work for your products.
Buying Method Component	Review and select the buy alert method(s) you plan to use.	Buy Alert Method Maintenance	Review the available buy alert methods to see if the algorithms will reasonably work for your products.
Buying Method Component	Review and select the point-of-sale alert method(s) you plan to use.	Point of Sale Alert Method Maintenance	Review the available point-of-sale alert methods to see if the algorithms will reasonably work for your products.
Buying Method	Select a standard buying method or set up a new one.	Buying Method Maintenance	Review the standard buying methods. You can create your own buying method by selecting any available option of the buying method components. Note You also must select the date that is used for forecast sales history, which can be the sales order required date or the invoice date.
Products	Assign a buying method to every product.	Product Maintenance	This is optional, but must be done at the product location level. This can also be done using Product Import or Product Change Import.
Products	Assign a buying method to every product/location.	Product Location Maintenance	This is required at the product location level. This can also be done using Product Import or Product Change Import.
Products	Assign a primary supplier to every product/location.	Product Location Maintenance	This is required at the product location level. This can also be done using Product Import or Product Change Import.
Products	Assign lead time to every product/location.	Product Location Maintenance	This is optional at the product location level. This can also be done using Product Import or Product Change Import. For more information, see DRP - Lead Time Calculation FAQ.
Products	Assign a number of review days to every product/location.	Product Location Maintenance	This is optional at the product location level. This can also be done using Product Import or Product Change Import. This is only used with the ROP Method. This can also be set up for a supplier in Supplier Maintenance.
Products	Assign a primary replenishment path to every product/location.	Product Location Maintenance	Select Purchase, Transfer, or Build. This is required at the product location level. This can also be done using Product Import or Product Change Import.
Products	Assign a replenishment location to every product/location.	Product Location Maintenance	This is required at the product location level only if Transfer is selected for the primary replenishment path. This can also be done using Product Import or Product Change Import.
Products	Assign a forecast transfer rule to every product/location that is primarily replenished by transfers.	Product Location Maintenance	This is required at the product location level only if Transfer is selected for the primary replenishment path. This can also be done using Product Import or Product Change Import.
Products	Assign a minimum purchase quantity for products/locations.	Product Location Maintenance	This is optional at the product location level. This can also be done using Product Import or Product Change Import.
Products	Assign a purchase increment for products/locations.	Product Location Maintenance	This is optional at the product location level. This can also be done using Product Import or Product Change Import.
Products	Assign a seasonal class for products/locations.	Product Location Maintenance	This is optional at the product location level. This can also be done using Product Import or Product Change Import. For more information, see Seasonal Class Maintenance.
Products	Assign a safety stock for products/locations.	Product Location Maintenance	This is optional at the product location level. This can also be done using Product Import or Product Change Import. This is an override value only if it is greater than zero.
Suppliers	Assign a lead time for suppliers.	Supplier Maintenance	This is optional at the supplier level. For more information, see DRP - Lead Time Calculation FAQ.
Suppliers	Assign review days for suppliers.	Supplier Maintenance	This is optional at the supplier level. This is only used with the ROP method.

Processing Implementation Steps (Time-Phased Method)

Area	Processing Step	Program	Description
Forecast Sales History	Create forecast sales history from invoices and credit memos.	Invoice Create and Print	Forecast sales history is created or updated when new invoices or credit memos are created.
System Forecast	Regenerate the forecast for the current and future periods.	Forecast Create	Product location system forecasts are regenerated based on the replenishment path and the buying method.
Customer Forecast	If customers provide forecast, enter the forecast (this is optional).	Customer Product Forecast Import	Typically this is only done for large mass merchant customers.
Planned Receipts	Create actual planned receipts in the required time buckets.	Actual Planned Receipt Create	These are the recommended receipts based on available inventory, expected supply, and expected demand.
Review Needs	Review order recommendations.	Summary DRP Management	From here, drill down to Product DRP Management to look at the details, and make changes to forecast sales history or actual planned receipts.
Create Orders	Create work orders, purchase orders, and transfer orders	Summary DRP Management	All of these order types can be created directly from this program.