Lesson 2 of 5
MRP Live, MRP areas and what planners will notice
10 min
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MRP Live (transaction MD01N) is the MRP run optimized for SAP HANA. It reads receipts and requirements, calculates shortages and creates planned orders and purchase requisitions in one database procedure, which avoids moving large data volumes between database and application server. SAP's training material describes the classic run as a batch snapshot that ages quickly, and MRP Live as fast enough to run more often. The classic transactions (MD01, MD02, MD03, MD40 and others) still exist in SAP S/4HANA, but SAP calls MRP Live the future technology.
Behavior differences planners notice
| Topic | Classic MRP in ECC | MRP Live in SAP S/4HANA |
|---|---|---|
| MRP lists | Written by each run; used for daily exception work | Not written; apps such as Monitor Material Coverage show issues in real time |
| Externally procured material | Creation indicators decide planned order, requisition or schedule line | Always requisitions, or schedule lines when a valid delivery schedule exists |
| Forecast-based planning (VV) | Supported | Not supported by MRP Live; part of the compatibility scope |
| Planning scope | By plant, or single material | Flexible: a material with its components, a planner's materials, a material across plants |
| MPS | Separate transactions (MD40, MD41) | Planning scope "S" plans MPS materials |
| Multi-level make-to-order (MD50), project (MD51) | Separate optimized runs | Not optimized for HANA |
Differences documented in the MRP in HANA simplification item (business impact note 2268085).
MRP Live also has restrictions, documented in SAP Note 1914010. If a material needs a function MRP Live does not support, it is planned with classic MRP logic instead. That fallback is where "MRP gives different results for some materials" usually starts after a conversion: check the restrictions note and the material's settings before suspecting a defect.
- Is the material planned by MRP Live or by the classic fallback?Fallback → check SAP Note 1914010 restrictions and the material settings · MRP Live → next question
- Did ECC rely on creation indicators or MRP lists?Yes → expected difference; adjust process and apps · No → next question
- Does the material use MRP type VV or storage location MRP?Yes → compatibility scope or MRP areas; plan the change · No → next question
- Is a custom MRP BAdI active?Yes → Kenji checks the AMDP re-implementation · No → log a defect with expected versus actual proposals
Storage location MRP becomes MRP areas
In ECC, a storage location could be excluded from MRP or planned separately with a reorder point. SAP S/4HANA plans only at plant and MRP area level. SAP's note maps the old options: MRP-area-specific MRP type ND replaces an excluded storage location, and type VB (reorder point) replaces a separately planned one. The conversion pre-checks raise an error if storage location MRP is used; report MRP_AREA_STORAGE_LOC_MIGRATION checks prerequisites and generates the MRP area material records. Contoso runs it in ED1 for storage location 171S and tests the result before the first mock conversion.
Other changes under the hood
- Planning file: MRP uses a new planning file (table PPH_DBVM), also used by classic MRP. Report PPH_SETUP_MRPRECORDS replaces RMMDVM10 and RMMDVM20 for setup and consistency.
- Total dependent requirements: not supported; MRP reads individual dependent requirements. Business processes do not change.
- Simplified sourcing: production versions, delivery schedules, contracts and info records are valid sources even without a source list entry; the source list can still block or limit a source.
- Subcontracting: components provided to a subcontractor are planned with a subcontracting MRP area; default parameters apply if no MRP-area-specific record exists.
- Production versions: mandatory. MRP, planned orders and production orders find a BOM and routing only through a production version. Reports CS_BOM_PRODVER_MIGRATION and CS_BOM_PRODVER_MIGRATION02 can create them.
| ECC setting at Contoso | SAP S/4HANA replacement | Regression check |
|---|---|---|
| 171S excluded from MRP | MRP area for 171S with MRP type ND | Spare stock not counted as available in plant 1710 |
| Selection method by validity date | Production version per BOM and routing alternative | Same BOM and routing chosen for October orders |
| Creation indicator: planned orders for rotors | Requisitions created directly | Buyer workflow and the $10,000 release still work |
| MRP lists for morning review | Monitor Material Coverage and related apps | Planners find the same exceptions |
What would you do?
After the first mock conversion, MRP Live creates purchase requisitions for rotors where ECC created planned orders that the planner converted. The buyers are alarmed. What is the right reading?
Running MRP Live in practice
- Planners start MRP Live with
MD01Nor the Fiori app Schedule MRP Runs; scheduled runs use reportPPH_MRP_STARTas a background job with a variant (for example plant 1710, MRP controller 101, planning scope "all materials with components"). - After the run, the log lists materials planned by MRP Live, materials passed to classic MRP, and errors. Read it in every test cycle; a material that moved to classic logic is a finding to explain.
- Results are reviewed in
MD04or the material coverage apps, not in MRP lists. - In SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition, MRP runs only through the Fiori scheduling app; there is no MD01N.
- MRP Live (MD01N) is the future technology; classic MRP remains available.
- No MRP lists, no creation indicators, no forecast-based planning in MRP Live.
- Restrictions in SAP Note 1914010 can make materials fall back to classic logic.
- Storage location MRP becomes MRP areas; production versions are mandatory.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. After conversion, MRP results differ for some materials. What should be checked first?
2. Which MRP-area MRP type replaces a storage location excluded from MRP?
3. What does MRP Live create for externally procured material without a delivery schedule?
4. Which report generates MRP area records from storage location MRP settings?