Action Messages

Before you start

The concept can be used when these prerequisites are met:

• Correct lead times exist for the items
• Planning policy is connected to the item
• Time fences are set
• Continuous net-change or other message generating functions are used
• Criteria for generation of an action message are fulfilled (see above).

General description

The messages are predefined in M3, but the usage and the rules may in certain cases be controlled by a setup. An action message may be created for every transaction in the material plan. One transaction may only have one action message, while there may be up to 10 action messages per item, summing up all action messages relating to the item. To activate action messages, it is important to set up the planning policy in 'Planning Policy. Open' (MMS037), where you can deactivate some messages and time filters.

Description of action message groups

Action messages can be categorized into these groups:

• A messages (Release messages)
• B messages (Rescheduling messages)
• C messages (Delayed order messages)

A messages can be regarded as natural messages for a planner. They indicate that an order should be released or firmed up.

B messages indicate that some sort of manual replanning or deletion has to be done for planned or released orders. These messages signal that some kind of problem has occurred within the material plan and that action is needed.

C messages are a planner’s indication that an order is or might be delayed. For these messages, replanning will not solve the situation. The action has to include investigations on effects further in the supply chain.

Description of action messages

These action messages are used:

• A1 - Release and reschedule in
• A2 - Release order
• A3 - Transform to firm planned order
• A4 - Release distribution order return
• A5 - Increase the period production quantity (inside lead time)
• B1 - Reschedule in released order
• B2 - Reschedule in planned order
• B3 - Reschedule out released order
• B4 - Reschedule out planned order
• B5 - Increase the periods production quantity
• B6 - Maximum balance exceeds planning time fence
• B7 - Delete order
• B8 - Increase the planned quantity (only for order policy 15)
• C1 - Released order is delayed
• C2 - Released order will be delayed
• C3 - Firm planned, order-initiated order with finish day within lead time.

A1 - Release and reschedule in

This message indicates that a planned order must be released and rescheduled.

These criteria must be fulfilled for an A1-message:

• Item must be master scheduled coded = 1 or 0
• The planning or alternative planning date on the transaction must be within or on the lead time date for the item.

A2 - Release order

This message indicates that a planned order must be released since the release date is before or equal to today's date. These criteria must be fulfilled for an A2-message:

• Item must be master scheduled coded = 1 or 0
• The transaction must be a manufacturing, purchase, distribution, or maintenance order
• The release date of the transaction must be passed or equal to today’s date.

A3 - Transform to firm planned order

This message indicates that a planned order must be firmed since the planning date is inside the planning time fence.

These criteria must be fulfilled for an A3-message:

• Item must be master scheduled coded = 1 or 2
• It must be a planned order with status < 20
• The planning date and the alternative planning date of the transaction must be within or on the same date as the planning time fence date on the item.

A4 - Release distribution order return

This message indicates that the maximum stock is exceeded in a warehouse, which are supplied from another warehouse. The message is given on the proposed return order for the supplying warehouse. The system also automatically creates the proposed return distribution order. These criteria must be fulfilled for an A4-message:

• The projected on hand balance at the planning time fence must exceed the maximum stock at supplied warehouse
• Item must be procured by distribution (acquisition code = 3)
• The item must use a Planning Policy where the parameter "Excess generates DO return" is activated
• The item must be reorder point planned (RoP, planning method = 2 in 'Item. Connect Warehouse' (MMS002)).

A5 - Increase the period production quantity (inside lead time)

This message indicates that the maximum production rate in 'Production Rate. Open' (RPS030) is not enough compared to the requirements (inside the lead time). The calculation is done per planning bucket.

These criteria must be fulfilled for a A5-message:

• Item status must be between 20 and 49
• Item may not be coded as a Phantom item
• The item must be MRP or manually planned, which is defined by the Planning policy field in 'Item. Connect Warehouse' (MMS002)
• The item must have a period based order policy with or without balance check (order policy 23 or 24)
• All capacity in earlier buckets must be used.

B1 - Reschedule in released order

This message gives an indication that a released order should be replanned to an earlier date due to requirements that are not covered. For an MRP-planned item this could happen if a demand, within the planning time fence (PTF), is replanned to an earlier date.

These criteria must be fulfilled for a B1-message:

• The item cannot be master scheduled coded = 2 or 3
• There is a shortage within the PTF and a released order can be moved to cover this requirement (only valid for RoP-planned items)
• The new planning date for the transaction is moved a larger number of days than what is stated on the time filter days on the planning policy (only valid for MRP-planned items). Example: Today’s date 991203 Time filter days 2 New planning date 991202. The system will then compare if 991202 is moved more than 2 days (991203 minus 2 days), which it is not in this case. When comparing the number of moved days, the system will use these dates from the system calendar:

• Manufacturing orders use workdays
• Purchase orders use goods receiving days
• Distribution orders use distribution days

B2 - Reschedule in planned order

This message gives an indication that a firm planned order should be re-planned to an earlier date due to requirements that are not covered. For an MRP-planned item this could happen if a demand, within the planning time fence (PTF), is replanned to an earlier date.

Note that these exceptions exists for the B2-message:

• If the shortage is within the lead time and the item is master scheduled coded = 0, then the proposal will get an A1-message instead of a B2-message
• If the shortage is within the PTF and the item is not master scheduled coded = 0, then the proposal will get an A1-message instead of a B2-message.

These criteria must be fulfilled for a B2-message:

• The item cannot be master scheduled coded = 2 or 3
• There is a shortage within the PTF and a released order can be moved to cover this requirement (only valid for RoP-planned items).
• The proposed number of rescheduling days must be more than the number of time filter days in the planning policy (this is only valid for MRP-planned items). Example: Today’s date 991203 Time filter days 2 New planning date 991202. The system will compare if 991202 is moved more than 2 days (991203 minus 2 days), which it is not in this case. When comparing the number of rescheduling days, the system will use these dates from the system calendar:

• Planned manufacturing orders use workdays
• Planned purchase orders use goods receiving days
• Planned distribution orders use distribution days.

B3 - Reschedule out released order

This message gives an indication that an order should be re-planned to a later date due non-needed replenishment. This could happen if a demand, within the PTF, is replanned to a later date. If no other requirements exist, the order will instead get a B7-message.

These criteria must be fulfilled for a B3-message:

• The item must be coded as MRP-planned.
• The cost for the too early receipt must be larger than the dampening cost in the planning policy. The cost is calculated as the transaction quantity x standard cost for the item x (number of proposed rescheduling days/365) x (the inventory cost of capital/100). The alternative is that the proposed number of rescheduling days must be more than the number of time filter days in the planning policy. See example for B2-messages above.

B4 - Reschedule out planned order

These criteria must be fulfilled for a B4-message:

• The transaction cannot be released (order category must be = **0)
• The cost for the too early receipt must be larger than the dampening cost in the planning policy. See B3-message above for description of the calculation
• The proposed number of rescheduling days must be more than dampening number of days in the planning policy.

B5 - Increase the periods production quantity

This message gives an indication that the maximum production rate in 'Production Rate. Open' (RPS030) is not enough compared with the requirements. The calculation is done per planning bucket.

These criteria must be fulfilled for a B5-message:

• Item status must be between 20 and 49.
• Item may not be coded as a Phantom item.
• The item must be MRP or manually planned, which is defined by the Planning policy field in 'Item. Connect Warehouse' (MMS002).
• The item must have a period based order policy with or without balance check (order policy 23 or 24).
• All capacity in earlier buckets must be used.

B6 - Maximum balance exceeds planning time fence

This message gives an indication that the maximum stock according to the item/warehouse information is exceeded. Generally it is generated when the projected on hand balance on transaction date exceeds the allowed maximum stock.

These criteria must be fulfilled for a B6-message:

• The item must be reorder point planned.
• The orders must be released or firm planned manufacturing, purchase, and distribution or work order.
• The transaction does not qualify for a B7-message.

B7 - Delete order

This message gives an indication that a replenishment order is not needed anymore. Generally it is generated when the projected on-hand (PoH) balance is positive without the replenishment order and no other requirements in a later time will result in a negative PoH. If other requirements exist later in time (which will result in a negative PoH) the order will instead get a B3-message.

These criteria must be fulfilled for a B7-message:

• The item cannot be master schedule coded = 2 or 3.
• The planned order has status 15 and should be removed for some reason.
• If the project on hand balance is greater or equal to 0 (or the safety stock), the system will activate a B7-message to replenishment orders until this criterion is not fulfilled any more. The activation of B7-messages will be done with beginning of the transaction with the latest planning date.

B8 - Increase the planned quantity (only for order policy 15)

This action message gives an indication that order quantity should be increased, since the demand in the "point of time" bucket exceeds the order quantity. A new planned order with status 10, containing the remaining quantity, will be created.

These criteria must be fulfilled for a B8-message:

• The order must have order policy 15.
• The parameter 145 (Recalculate quantity for order policy 15) in 'Planning policy. Open' (MMS037) must be set to 1.
• The planned order must have status 20.

C1 - Released order is delayed

This message gives an indication that a released order is delayed. Generally it is generated when today's date has passed planning date for the transaction. It is automatically generated and can be activated for different order categories.

These criteria must be fulfilled for a C1-message:

• The item uses a Planning Policy where the parameter "Should AM order delay…." is activated.
• The item cannot be master schedule coded = 2 or 3.
• The transaction is a released order (order category = **1).
• Planning date for the transaction is less than today’s date minus the time dampening days on the planning policy. Example: Today’s date 991203 Damp days 2 Planning date 991125. The system will then compare if 991125 is less than 991201 (991203 minus 2 days). When calculating the adjusted date, the system will use these dates from the system calendar:

• Manufacturing orders use workdays
• Purchase orders use goods receiving days
• Distribution orders use distribution days.

C2 - Released order will be delayed

This message gives an indication that a released order may be delayed. When calculating if the C2 should be applied the system considers operations and remaining time to estimate a possible delay. Generally it is generated when a manufacturing order has not started or started operation that cannot be finished in time.

To create C2-messages for transactions you must run 'Action Message. Create C2' (PMS965) from the menu.

These criteria must be fulfilled for a C2-message:

• It must be a released manufacturing order.
• Item/warehouse must exist.
• Orders must be qualified for selected facilities/warehouse in the run
• The item uses a Planning Policy where the parameter "Should AM delay warnings…" is activated.
• No other action message is active for the manufacturing order.
• The planned start date on the manufacturing order head is earlier than time filter date (today’s date minus the number of time filter days on the planning policy).
• Any operation on the order with status < 60 and planned start date earlier than the time filter date.
• Any operation on the order with status >= 60 and <=70 where the calculated finish date is later than the planned finish date. The calculated finish date is calculated by distributing the remaining time according to the capacity in the capacity calendar for the work center.

C3 - Firm planned order-initiated order with finish day within lead time

This message gives an indication that a requirement might be delayed due to that a connected firmed planned order, with a planned finish day within the lead time, has not yet been released.

These criteria must be fulfilled for a C3-message:

• Item status must be between 20 and 49
• It must be planned as a order initiated item
• Item is not coded as a phantom item
• The item must be coded as master scheduled = 2 or 3
• It must be a planned manufacturing order (Order category = 100)
• The planned order must have status >= 20
• The planning date of the transaction must be earlier than the Lead Time date.

Identifying action messages

To identify items with activated action messages, the planner could use 'Action Message. Change' (RPS001). From RPS001, you may refine the analysis by viewing the transactions that cause the AM for the item in 'Action Message. Open per Item' (RPS002). The only way to remove an AM is to perform necessary action to correct the reason for the AM. In some cases, this may not be possible (especially for the C-messages) so the planner may deactivate certain AM for a specific transaction. This is done in the function 'Action Message. Open per Items' (RPS002) and the AM will then be deactivated for a time period (which can be set in the user-defined rules on panel RPS002/P). Existing deactivations can be viewed in 'Action Message. Open Exceptions' (RPS005).

In various places in the system, activated AM for transactions will be displayed.