Reverse Planning ships with a set of ready-made planning templates that bundle the best practice Abakion has built up over many years. After installing the module and completing a small setup, you can start planning right away without configuring anything from scratch. The built-in templates can take you about 80 percent of the way before you create anything yourself.
You find the templates in the Simple MRP planning area, for example when you run Calculate Simple MRP. The templates include functionality for finding critical items at the top level like an MPS calculation, finding critical items across all levels by drilling down through the BOM hierarchy, and replenishing up to a maximum.
You can open each template card to see and adjust its details, including the calculation date, which demands and supplies to include, how the run should trigger, and whether it should suggest quantities automatically. Each template can also use filters for suggested quantity, item filters, and SKU filters. Most fields have a mouse-over explanation, so you can dig into the details when you need to.
The intended way to work is to learn from the supplied templates and then build your own templates and filters that match your reality. Start with the best practice templates, get planning, and tailor from there.
Ready-to-use planning templates in Reverse Planning
When you install Reverse Planning, you are basically ready to go. There is a small setup step, which is covered in other videos and is easy to find, but the core idea is that you do not have to build everything yourself. Abakion has created planning templates that gather the best practice from many years of real planning work.
You access them in the Simple MRP planning area. When you select an action such as Calculate Simple MRP, you can pick from the available templates. You can set up plenty of templates yourself, but the ones shipped with the module are our suggestion for best practice and work straight out of the box.
What the built-in templates do
The supplied templates cover several common planning scenarios:
- Critical items at top level works like MPS functionality, focusing on the items that drive demand.
- Critical items across all levels drills down through the BOM hierarchy so you see critical items at every level.
- Replenish up to maximum tops up stock to a defined maximum.
Each template is explained in more detail in other videos, but you can already use them as a starting point without any configuration.
Configuring a planning template
Open a template card to see and control the full setup behind it. From the card you decide the date you want to calculate for, and which demands and supplies the calculation should include. You also define what the template should do when you run Simple MRP. That includes how it triggers, what it does, and whether it should suggest quantities automatically.
The template cards get detailed, so they are best reviewed when you want to go into the specifics. Most fields have a mouse-over explanation that describes exactly what they do, which makes it easier to work through the settings.
Filters for items, SKUs, and suggested quantities
Each template can also use filters. You can apply item filters and SKU filters, as well as filters for the suggested quantity. This lets you narrow the planning run to the parts of your assortment that matter for that template.
Start with best practice, then make it your own
The point of the supplied templates is to help you learn how the planning works. Over time you will probably want to build your own templates and filters that reflect your reality. But to begin with, the best practice templates can take you 80 percent of the way without any setup at all.
Q&A
Do I need to configure anything before using Reverse Planning?
There is a small setup step, covered in other videos and easy to find. Beyond that, the built-in best practice templates work out of the box, so you can take about 80 percent of the way without any setup at all.
Where do I find the planning templates?
You find them in the Simple MRP planning area. When you run an action such as Calculate Simple MRP, you can select from the available templates.
Which planning scenarios do the built-in templates cover?
They cover finding critical items at the top level like MPS, finding critical items across all levels by drilling down through the BOM hierarchy, and replenishing stock up to a maximum.
What can I configure on a template card?
You can set the calculation date, which demands and supplies to include, how the run triggers, what it does, and whether it suggests quantities automatically. You can also apply item filters, SKU filters, and filters for suggested quantity.
Can I create my own templates and filters?
Yes. The supplied templates are a starting point. You can build your own templates and filters that reflect your reality, and most fields have mouse-over explanations to help you set them up.