Material Synchronization

Material Synchronization links demands to supply. Subsequent simulations respect the supply times and plan operations with linked material demands accordingly.

Material Synchronization standard method follows the first in, first out logic between supplies and demands. If you want to verify the created links, you can analyze the supply times and demand times, which depend on how you have setup the workflow and the Automatic Simulation.

Usually, the workflows contain an action container with these steps:

  1. Automatic Simulation
  2. Material Synchronization
  3. Automatic Simulation

The second simulation replans all orders and you cannot analyze why material synchronization linked certain supplies and demands. To analyze material synchronization, we recommend stopping the workflow either right before the material synchronization or right after the material synchronization. Hereby, the start or end of the supplies and demands are identical to the ones used by the Material Synchronization.

The setup of the simulation before the Material Synchronization has a direct effect on the created links. Therefore, some customers use pull-up to avoid orders being planned too early than necessary. Others make an initial plan with infinite capacity to avoid extra delays on bottleneck orders. The MRP order generation in M3 is also important if Manufacturing Order Proposals (MOP) are created with due dates earlier than the released Manufacturing Orders (MO). You can plan the MOP before MO and link to earlier supplies.

Scheduling Workbench is flexible in how Material Synchronization is setup. For example, you can setup Material Synchronization for selected item numbers. Therefore, you can link the order one level in the BOM and do a simulation then link the next level in BOM and so on. You can also do Material Synchronization stepwise on item level by using Exclude Not Released Manufactured Supplies or Demands, which synchronizes MO but not MOP. Lock these links if another Material Synchronization is finished. Alternatively, you can select Re-insert in Schedule when importing orders then run Material Synchronization directly on M3 start or end. This requires that the start or end in M3 is exactly how you want supplies or demands to be linked.

Parameters in Material Synchronization

Parameters are listed by tabs in the behavior.

  • Primary
  • Secondary
  • Tolerance
  • Batch

Primary

Item selection

Option Description
All items All items are affected.
All internal items Only manufactured items are affected (Item type = 'M').
All external items Only external items are affected (Item type = 'P').
All marked items All items marked in the Material Control using the Mark item button are affected. The Material Synchronization creates, locks, unlocks, or removes links between supply and demand. The Material Synchronization Control can affect links on different types of items. This parameter defines the type of items affected. The selection includes these options:

Items with Shortage Checked Links or Uncovered Demands

The Material Synchronization creates, locks, unlocks, or removes links between supply. You can limit the item selection to only items with shortage checked links or has demands that have no links. The parameter Primary Item Selection makes an initial selection of items. This parameter limits the set of selected items further.
Note: An approach to stepwise material synchronization used by other customers is:
  1. Material synchronization only with released demands and supplies, where the links are locked
  2. Material synchronization for all demands and supplies, where the locked links are respected

Function

The Material Synchronization creates, locks, unlocks, or removes links between supply and demand. On the Standard tab, you will only see the first two options. If you deselect the Standard option in the lower left corner of the panel, these options are available:

Function Description
Shortage check This function generates new links between the selected supplies and demands on the selected items. These links are marked shortage checked. You can then analyze the shortages. The links are not respected in subsequent simulations.
Synchronize This function also generates new links between the selected supplies and demands on the selected items. But opposed to the links generated by the Shortage check function, these links are respected in subsequent simulations.
Lock This function sets the lock status on all the links on the selected items. When making a Shortage check/Synchronization, all links that are not locked and generated by a previous Shortage check/Synchronization are deleted. This function can preserve the result from an earlier Shortage check or Synchronization.
Unlock This function removes the lock status on all the links on the selected items.
Remove not locked links This function removes the not locked links generated by a Shortage check or Synchronization.
Remove all links This function removes all links, which includes locked links, generated by a Shortage check or Synchronization.
Note: The Material Synchronization only affects the links created by the component itself. Preallocations and externally created links are not removed or changed.

Method

When running the functions Shortage check or Synchronize, new links are created. There are two methods available when creating new links.

  • Earliest supply. This method is the standard method. The selected demands are sorted according to planned demand time, latest demand time, and demand type priority. The demands are handled according to this sorting. The first demand is linked to the earliest supply then the next demand is treated and linked to the earliest free supply and so on. Demand type priority starts with demand from stock and then order demands as second priority and last external demands (customer orders) which are sorted based on customer order priority.
  • Closest supply. The demands are sorted according to demand type priority, planned demand time, latest demand time, and sequence number. The demands are handled according to this sorting. The first demand is linked to the closest earlier supply then the next demand is treated and linked to the closest earlier free supply and so on. Demand type priority starts with demand from stock and then order demands as second priority and last external demands (customer orders) which are sorted based on customer order priority. Sorting on sequence number, then order demands are sorted based on sequence number.

Area Restriction

The Area restriction parameter restricts which supplies and demands you can link depending on where they are located. If the same Item has supplies and demands available in different warehouses, you can create links between these depending on the setting of the Area restriction parameter. You can have these options:

Option Description
None Area restriction is not used. You can link all supplies and demands.
Warehouse Demand and supply must be in the same warehouse if they are to be linked together. This is the standard workbench method, because M3 MRP runs on warehouse level. The workbench modification away from warehouse as area restriction is a project responsibility.
Facility Demand and supply must be in the same facility if they are to be linked together.
Division Demand and supply must be in the same division if they are to be linked together.
Warehouse group Demand and supply must be in the same warehouse group if they are to be linked together.
Warehouse group set Demand and supply must be in the same warehouse group set if they are to be linked together.
Note: When Area restriction other than Warehouse is selected, the distribution relations are taken into consideration when the links are created because transportation time can be important when linking across warehouses.

Use distribution relations

Distribution relations defines transportation time between warehouses.

Use Lead Time Handling on external items

Select this parameter to use lead time on purchased items. Lead time is the horizon where you can purchase a material. If supply is later than lead-time, then it is possible to acquire new material at lead time. Demands are marked with L for lead time handling and the demanding order can start at lead time. If purchase lead time changes depending on marked situation, the lead time defined on item or warehouse is not trustworthy and in that case the you can deselect the parameter.

Use Lead Time Handling on internal items

Select this parameter to use lead time on internal items. MRP or DRP create supplies to cover demands for internal items and you can plan these internal supplies and lead time for internal items usually is not used.

Respect Due Date from Spare Part Customer Orders

The purpose of this parameter is primarily to handle spare part customer orders where a manufacturing order delivers to both spare part customer orders and end-item orders or another order.

If an order is linked to an external requirement, for example, a spare part customer order, the due date from the external requirement is copied to the order and the order is marked with Respect due date on order. An order marked this way will have its due date respected when calculating Latest end even if it also delivers to a parent order with a later due date.

Lock Created Links

You can lock the links created by the synchronize function. Locked links is not deleted by a later synchronization of the same item.

Secondary

Item Selection

These parameters select which items are treated by the Material synchronization. You can select to specify a specific item or a group of item numbers or all items.

These are examples of the item selection options:

  • Item Number
  • Item Order Group
  • Planning Policy
  • Level
  • Planner ID

Demand Type

You can select only certain types of demands to be included in the Shortage check or Material synchronization using this parameter. They are not used in the functions Lock, Unlock,Remove not locked, and Remove all links.

Select the type of demands to be included:

  • All. Manufactured, Purchased, External, Stock, and Information demands.
  • External. External demands only.
  • Custom. You can select one or more of the demand types using custom:
    • Manufactured
    • Purchased
    • External
    • Stock
    • Information

Supply Type

You can select only certain types of supplies to be included in the Shortage check or Material synchronization using this parameter. They are not used in the functions Lock, Unlock, Remove not locked, and Remove all links.

Select the type of demands to be included:

  • All. Stock, Primary, Secondary and External supplies.
  • External. External supplies only.
  • Custom. You can select one or more of the supply types using custom:
    • Stock
    • Primary
    • Secondary
    • External

Include firm planned Purchase Order

Select this parameter to include firm planned purchase order proposals.

Exclude Not Released Manufactured Supplies or Demands

Select this parameter to exclude not released manufactured supplies or demands. Only the stock and released orders are considered.

Consider planned orders with status 60 as released

Select this parameter to handle planned orders with status 60 as released orders. Planned orders in status 60 are released automatically in BE. Therefore, those orders are also soon released.

Horizon From Schedule Start Date

Select this parameter to only include supplies and demands within a given horizon. You must specify the horizon in the field to the right as days from the Schedule start date.

Tolerance

Method

Select the tolerance method. This method is used if Method on the Item is set to Default.

  • None. No tolerance method is used during Material synchronization.
  • Percentage. A tolerance percentage of the original demand or supply quantity of the size specified in the Percentage field is used during Material synchronization.
  • Quantity. A tolerance quantity of the size specified in the Quantity field is used during Material synchronization.

Percentage

A tolerance percentage of the original demand or supply quantity of the size specified in this field is used during Material synchronization.

Quantity

A tolerance quantity of the size specified in this field is used during Material synchronization.

Demand Type

Select the type of demands to be included:

  • All. Manufactured, Purchased, External, Stock, and Information demands.
  • Custom. You can select one or more of the demand types using custom:
    • Manufactured
    • Purchased
    • External
    • Stock
    • Information

Supply Type

Select the type of demands to be included:

  • All. Stock, Primary, Secondary, and External supplies.
  • Custom. You can select one or more of the supply types using custom:
    • Stock
    • Primary
    • Secondary
    • External

Batch

Batch method

Select the type of demands or supplies batching is applied for.

  • None
  • Order demands
  • Order supplies
  • Both

Supply batch quantity and demand batch quantity are both defined as order multiple (UNMU in MMS002/F) on item or warehouse level.

Horizon from schedule start

Batching is primarily relevant on the shorter horizon. Batching creates extra demands, supplies, and order links, which affects performance. Defining a horizon for batching limits how far into the future batching is done and thereby improves performance.

Treat demand batches from one order in sequence

Batching divides one demand into several smaller demands. If possible, handle all demand batches from one order in sequence to ensure that the demands are linked to the same supply.

Prioritize batch supplies from only one order

Batching divides one supply into several smaller supplies. If possible, handle all supply batches from one order in sequence to ensure that the supplies are linked to the same demand.

Example

A stock value of 999 is accepted to cover a demand of 1000 with a percentage tolerance of 1%. You can plan the production as soon as possible. Production waiting is avoided until the next supply.

Material synchronization is an important component in planning principles.

Symbols and buttons

See the symbol and button tooltips in the application.