So, how can you work with the new product lifecycle management enhancements? It basically requires three main steps:
- You set up the rules for e.g. phase-in products in the product lifecycle management application. Here, you can specify reference products, weights and validity dates to limit the phase-in period.
- You click on the forecast dates and select the dates and phase-in/-out curve for the products.
- You run a forecast job for which you select “consider product lifecycle management”.
Another added functionality to the multiple product assignment is the error detection, which shows if a reference product is nonexistent. Thus, the system will show an error message with the wrong reference material number.
In addition to the enhancements in the application, the 2008 upgrade also includes product lifecycle management for demand sensing. You are now able to use the product lifecycle references in the demand sensing forecast algorithms and through that include the phase-in and phase-out products in the short-term forecast.
2. Key figure calculations are made easier: three great improvements
Much has been done in the area of model configuration over the last quarters, where many of the key functionalities delivered have aimed to improve key figure calculations. In the wake of the last releases, the 2008 upgrade does not disappoint and provides two new functions that simplify key figure calculations.
Before this release, creating a “weighted average” key figure required different intermediate calculations – now you can use the weighted average function to calculate the weighted average for a key figure in one single step – finally!