Lesson 2 of 6
Mapping DP, SNP and PP/DS to their successors
10 min
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Mapping APO to its successors is a function-by-function exercise. The names look similar (forecast, heuristic, product view), but the data models differ, and so do the places where the result lands in S/4HANA. A good mapping table names the APO function, the successor function, the gap and the test that proves the successor.
| APO function | Successor | Notes for the test team |
|---|---|---|
| DP statistical forecast and planning books | IBP for demand: forecast models, planning views | Rebuilt as key figures and models; compare forecasts in parallel |
| DP release to ERP (PIRs) | IBP release via CI-DS to PIRs | Version and date mapping of PIRs change |
| SNP heuristic | IBP time-series supply planning heuristic | Aggregate buckets; check propagation and lanes |
| SNP optimizer and CTM | IBP supply planning optimizer; order-based planning | Different engines; expect different but explainable results |
| SNP deployment and transport load builder | IBP deployment functions or S/4HANA processes | Check availability in your IBP release |
| PP/DS heuristics and DS planning board | Embedded PP/DS in S/4HANA | Same concepts; master data now comes from S/4HANA directly |
| gATP | aATP in S/4HANA | Fit-gap first; rule-based substitution needs special checks |
| SNC (supplier collaboration) | SAP Business Network supply chain collaboration | Out of scope at Contoso |
APO functions and their successors, with the test angle for each.
Embedded PP/DS in S/4HANA
PP/DS has been part of S/4HANA since release 1610, delivered through business function SCM_PPDS_ON_ERP. Using it requires the Advanced Planning and Scheduling switch in Customizing (Advanced Planning > Basic Settings > Activate Advanced Planning and Scheduling), and that switch needs a separate license (SAP names it S/4HANA Manufacturing for planning and scheduling; check your contract). Materials are made relevant through the Advanced Planning view of the material master. Production data structures (PDS) are generated from production versions, BOMs and routings; transaction CURTOADV_CRT creates them. The familiar tools remain: product view /SAPAPO/RRP3, the detailed scheduling planning board, plus Fiori apps for scheduling.
Two Contoso facts make this concrete. First, the conversion generated production versions for about 300 materials that had none in ECC; PP/DS needs them, so their quality now matters for scheduling. Second, CIF does not disappear completely in embedded PP/DS: some objects still use integration models (CFM1 to create, CFM2 to activate), while others transfer directly when a material is advanced-planning-relevant. Treat every CIF model and user exit from SP1 as a line item to analyze, not as something that "goes away".
Worked example: Contoso's mapping for CMC-ALT-100 in Detroit
| Today (APO SP1) | Target | Proof |
|---|---|---|
| DP forecast at product / location / customer group, monthly | IBP consensus demand at the same level | Forecast parallel run within tolerance |
| DP release to ERP as PIRs, version 00 | IBP release via CI-DS to PIRs, version 00 | Counts, totals, sampled dates |
| SNP heuristic: Toledo demand sourced 70% Detroit, 30% Chicago | IBP transportation lanes with the same quota | Supply split within tolerance |
| PP/DS heuristic and planning board on ASSY-10 | Embedded PP/DS on resource from ASSY-10 | Sequence and load per shift compared |
| gATP product check on sales orders | aATP product availability check | Confirmed dates on a fixed order set |
Illustrative course data: one product's mapping and the evidence each line needs.
Gaps worth checking in your release
Successor products have grown fast, and some gaps that blocked early projects have closed. Others remain. Do not rely on a blog from 2017 or 2020; check SAP's current documentation and roadmap for your IBP release and S/4HANA release, and run a fit-gap with your own data. Typical items to check:
- Deployment and transport load building after SNP: which IBP release supports the deployment logic you need, or does S/4HANA MRP with stock transfers cover it?
- Capable-to-match (CTM) rules: map them to IBP order-based planning or to supply optimizer constraints, and test priorities explicitly.
- Rule-based ATP and substitution from gATP: check the aATP features in S/4HANA 2025 (for example product allocation and alternative-based confirmation) against each rule.
- Characteristic-dependent planning for configurable products such as CMC-ALT-240: confirm how embedded PP/DS handles the configuration.
- Planning book reports used for management: rebuild as IBP views, dashboards or analytics, not as custom code.
- Name the functionAPO function and the decision it supports
- Find the successorIBP, embedded PP/DS or aATP feature in your release
- Run fit-gap with dataContoso products, plants and real volumes
- Classify the gapStandard covers it, configure, extend, or accept a process change
- Write the proofThe test that shows the successor supports the decision
At Contoso, the fit-gap closed with three real gaps: a customer-priority rule in gATP that needed aATP product allocation, a Toledo deployment report that became an IBP view, and a PP/DS sequencing rule for winding wire changeovers on WIND-10 that needed a setup matrix. Each became a design item with a named test.
What would you do?
Kenji's team finds 14 CIF user exits on SP1. A consultant says embedded PP/DS "has no CIF", so the exits can be ignored. What should Theo do?
- DP and SNP map to IBP; PP/DS and gATP map into S/4HANA.
- Embedded PP/DS needs the advanced planning switch (licensed), the Advanced Planning material view and PDS from production versions.
- CIF and user exits need line-by-line analysis; they do not simply vanish.
- Test each mapped rule at its limits, not only on typical data.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. Which transaction creates production data structures for embedded PP/DS?
2. Where is a material made relevant for embedded PP/DS?
3. What is the successor of APO gATP?
4. Why did Chicago receive 45% of Toledo demand in the first IBP build?