Release Management in practice

Release Management supports automotive business processes in which the release schedule planning between suppliers and OEMs plays a decisive role. Shipment schedule, planning schedule, and sequence schedule messages are exchanged with applications that are connected to Infor ION and external trading partners. Release Management is typically used in combination with the Transformation area, the Shipping area, a communication client, and an ERP system that is connected to ION. These are examples of supported business processes:

Two requirement levels

In this scenario, planning schedules and shipment schedules are processed. Usually, daily call-off requirements are transferred in a message as "firm" and delivery forecast requirements as "planned". Therefore, the BOD separation in Release Management selects daily call-off requirements of type "firm" from the combined plan. Release Management publishes them in a ShipmentSchedule BOD for which goods are shipped to the customer. The requirements of type "planned" are published in a PlanningSchedule BOD. This forecast is used by the supplier to plan his business processes.

Transformation transforms the incoming delivery forecast message, for example, the EDI message EDIFACT DELFOR, into a PlanningSchedule BOD that is sent to Release Management. Release Management processes the PlanningSchedule BOD and creates a combined plan that contains the planned requirements. According to the BOD separation rule, Release Management publishes the planned requirements in a PlanningSchedule BOD that is sent to the ERP system.

Transformation transforms the incoming call-off, for example, the EDI message DELJIT, into a ShipmentSchedule BOD that is sent to Release Management. Release Management processes the ShipmentSchedule BOD and creates a combined plan that contains the firm requirements. According to the BOD separation rule, Release Management publishes the firm requirements in a ShipmentSchedule BOD that is sent to the ERP system.

Ship on planned quantities

In this scenario, only planning schedules of requirement type "planned" are processed. Thus, the BOD separation in Release Management cannot distinguish between "firm" and "planned" requirements. In this case, the BOD separation in Release Management selects the requirements from the combined plan, for example, by time horizon. Requirements that are scheduled for a short time period are published in a ShipmentSchedule BOD. For example: Requirements within a specified time horizon of 14 days are published in a ShipmentSchedule BOD for which goods are shipped to the customer. The requirements after this time horizon are published in a PlanningSchedule BOD. This forecast is used by the supplier to plan his business processes.

Transformation transforms the incoming schedule, for example, the EDI message EDIFACT DELFOR, into a PlanningSchedule BOD that is sent to Release Management. Release Management processes the PlanningSchedule BOD and creates a combined plan that contains the planned requirements. According to the BOD separation rule, Release Management publishes requirements within a short time horizon in a ShipmentSchedule BOD. Requirements after that time horizon are published in a PlanningSchedule BOD that is sent to the ERP system.

Mixed data in EDI

In this scenario, "firm" and "planned" requirements are transferred together in one planning schedule. Thus, the BOD separation in Release Management selects requirements of type "firm" from the combined plan. Release Management publishes them in a ShipmentSchedule BOD for which goods are shipped to the customer. The requirements of type "planned" are published in a PlanningSchedule BOD. This forecast is used by the supplier to plan his business processes.

Transformation transforms the incoming delivery forecast schedule, for example, the EDI message EDIFACT DELFOR, into a PlanningSchedule BOD that is sent to Release Management. Release Management processes the PlanningSchedule BOD and creates a combined plan that contains the planned and firm requirements. According to the BOD separation rule, Release Management publishes the planned requirements in a PlanningSchedule BOD and the firm requirements in a ShipmentSchedule BOD. The BODs are sent to the ERP system.

Pick-up sheet

In this scenario, planning schedules and shipment schedules are processed. The "Pick-up sheet" scenario is a referenced process in which each unique pick-up sheet number can only be sent once. The pick-up sheet number is the shipment reference number. Requirement date/time and requirement quantities of a pick-up sheet message are fix and cannot be changed. Thus, the BOD separation in Release Management selects Shipment Schedules of type Referenced with the message subtype Pick-up Sheet from the combined plan. Release Management publishes them in a ShipmentSchedule BOD for which goods are shipped to the customer. The planning schedule requirements of type "planned" are published in a PlanningSchedule BOD. This forecast is used by the supplier to plan his business processes.

Transformation transforms the incoming delivery forecast message, for example, the EDI message EDIFACT DELFOR, into a PlanningSchedule BOD that is sent to Release Management. Release Management processes the PlanningSchedule BOD and creates a combined plan that contains the planned requirements. According to the BOD separation rule, Release Management publishes the planned requirements in a PlanningSchedule BOD that is sent to the ERP system.

Transformation transforms the incoming pick-up sheet message, for example, the EDI message EDIFACT DELJIT PUS, into a ShipmentSchedule BOD that is sent to Release Management. Release Management processes the ShipmentSchedule BOD and creates a combined plan that contains the pick-up sheet requirements. According to the BOD separation rule, Release Management publishes the pick-up sheet requirements in a ShipmentSchedule BOD that is sent to the ERP system.

Sequencing

In this scenario, planning schedules and sequence schedules are processed. The "Sequencing" scenario is a referenced process. In this process, a sequential call-off message contains sequencing information such as manufacturing reference number, vehicle identification number, job sequence number, or assembly line. The supplier uses this information for production-synchronous and shipment planning in the requested sequence. The BOD separation in Release Management selects shipment schedules of type Referenced with the message subtype Sequenced from the combined plan. These requirements are publishes in a SequenceSchedule BOD for which goods are shipped to the customer. The planned requirements of the planning schedule are published in a PlanningSchedule BOD. This forecast is used by the supplier to plan his business processes.

Transformation transforms the incoming delivery forecast message, for example, the EDI message EDIFACT DELFOR, into a PlanningSchedule BOD that is sent to Release Management. Release Management processes the PlanningSchedule BOD and creates a combined plan that contains the planned requirements. According to the BOD separation rule, Release Management publishes the planned requirements in a PlanningSchedule BOD that is sent to the ERP system.

Transformation transforms the incoming sequential call-off message, for example, the EDI message EDIFACT DELJIT SYNCRO, into a SequenceSchedule BOD that is sent to Release Management. Release Management processes the SequenceSchedule BOD and creates a combined plan that contains the sequenced requirements. According to the BOD separation rule, Release Management publishes the sequenced requirements in a SequenceSchedule BOD that is sent to the ERP system.