Activate Macro Order Functionality and Define Time Frames

… whether macro orders should be used for planning purposes in M3 planning tools (in the current version of the system, only M3 Fashion Planner Workbench).

If the check box is selected, macro orders will be generated for items that are connected to a macro order policy in 'Macro Order Policy Selection Table. Open' (RPS360).

… the bucket length to use when orders (or preliminary orders) are aggregated into a macro order.

The date used to determine whether an order or supply chain can be included in a macro order, is

* the finish date for an order

* the planning date for a customer order or demand order on the top-level demand for a supply chain.

If the date above is within the bucket, the order (or preliminary order) can be aggregated.

How is the Bucket Calculated?

The start and stop dates for the buckets are calculated from a predefined historical date. The buckets are never overlapping. The start date of a bucket is always set to the day after the finish date of the preceding bucket.

Example: The predefined start date is on Monday, January 1, 2007. If you set the bucket length to 7 then weekly buckets will be generated, always starting on a Monday and ending on a Sunday.

Tip

You can define different bucket lengths for definite orders and preliminary orders. This enables you to set longer buckets and thereby a higher aggregation level for preliminary orders on a longer horizon. The information that the planner needs to validate is thereby minimized. This can be seen as good practice due to higher uncertainty of the actual date for non-confirmed preliminary orders. Aggregation on a longer horizon reduces possible errors in time.

… the bucket length to use when materials and operations for an order (or preliminary order) are aggregated into a macro order.

The date used to determine whether the material or operation can be included in the aggregated macro order is the reservation date for material and the finish date for operations in the manufacturing order. If this date is within the bucket, the material or operation might be aggregated.

Note

If you enter 0 as the bucket length, then there is no limit in the aggregation. All the materials and operations that belong to an order will automatically be aggregated into the macro order.

See also the description for the field help 'Bucket length – macro order/preliminary order' above.

… how many days (and hours) the materials and operations for an order (or preliminary order) are considered valid in a macro order after they were generated.

The number entered in this field is used to calculate a new regeneration date and time on the macro order header in 'Macro Order. Open' (RPS300). Note that the regeneration will not take place automatically at this time. However, it will be performed automatically when M3 PWB retrieves the macro order from M3 BE if the date/time has been passed.

Tip

It is recommended that you do not enter too many days, since changes such as the reporting of operations do not affect the macro order details until they are regenerated.