A master planning setup checklist for Dynamics AX 2012

timschofieldaxblog AX2012, Master planning

A few days ago I brushed off my Dynamics AX 2009 documentation and put together a master planning setup checklist for AX 2009. This post is the Dynamics AX 2012 version.

A few things changed from AX 2009 to AX 2012 – well quite a lot changed really – but if you’re going to setup Master planning in AX 2012 you’re still going to be working in lots of different forms, accessed through lots of different menu paths. Incidentally, as I was reviewing the earlier post, I realised that I’d ignored Intercompany master planning – that was because the company I was working with at the time hadn’t purchased the Intercompany module – they only had one operating company, and therefore had no requirement for Intercompany sales orders and intercompany purchase orders. Of course with the new ‘named user’ licencing model in Dynamics AX 2012 all modules are activated all of the time, so I’ve included intercompany master planning in the setup checklist, but obviously if that’s not relevant to your environment just skip over those steps.

I’ve also taken the opportunity to put in a bit more comment and explanation this time around. So here goes:

Module / Menu path Setup Comment
Basic > Setup > Calendar Working times template Your next step is to setup a calendar and define the calendar working times (and open and closed days) using the Working times template – so create this first.
Basic > Common forms Calendar Define work times using the Working times template.

You’ll specify a Today’s date calendar on the master planning parameters and a working time calendar on each coverage group.
Master planning > Setup Master planning parameters You’ll have to re-visit the parameters after setting up a forecast plan, master plans, and coverage groups.
Master planning > Setup > Plans Forecast plans Optional in AX 2012 – only required if you want to plan using Gross requirements (as opposed to Master scheduling’s Net requirements).
Inventory management > Setup > Forecast Forecast models
Inventory management > Setup > Forecast Item allocation keys Optional
Inventory management > Setup > Forecast Period keys Optional
Master planning > Setup > Plans Master plans You need at least one (the ‘Static’ plan in the master planning parameters)
Master planning > Setup > Coverage Min/max keys Not normally used
Master planning > Setup > Coverage Reduction keys Only required if you use a ‘… – reduction key’ Reduction principle in your master plan setup.

If used, Reduction keys are specified on the Coverage group – so set them up first.
Master planning > Setup > Coverage Coverage groups You’ll need a few coverage groups.

Manual or None for no planning;

Requirements for make/buy to order.

Period groups (weeks, months, etc.) for normal planning

Min/Max for re-order point.

Although the calendar’s optional, add one to each coverage group.
Master planning > Setup Intercompany planning groups You’ll have to come back and set this up once the master plans have been created in each company in the intercompany supply chain
Product information management > Setup > Dimension groups Storage groups Normally enable ‘Coverage plan by dimension’ for Warehouse.

You have to plan by Site, and by Product dimensions (Configuration, Size, Colour, Style); and you don’t normally plan by Tracking dimensions (Batch and Serial)
Inventory management > Setup > Inventory breakdown Warehouses Manual warehouses

Refilling warehouses

Transport lead times
For finished goods items:
Inventory management > Inquires > Forecast Demand forecast By item and warehouse
For Production items: Item master (Released products) Plan fast-tab Coverage group.

Engineer fast-tab Production type

Default order settings Default order type

Active Bill of material version

Active route version or production lead time

Production order minimum, multiple, and possibly maximum quantities
For purchased items: Item master (Released products) Plan fast-tab Coverage group.

Default order settings Default order type

Purchase fast-tab Primary vendor. Optionally Purchase action tab > Approved vendor > Setup

Default order settings : Purchase lead time;
Purchase order minimum and multiple quantities
For all items: Plan action tab > Coverage > Item coverage records for minimum stock (by warehouse)

Item coverage records to over-ride default re-filling warehouses

Default order settings : Transfer order (inventory) quantities
System administration > Setup Batch group Best to setup a batch group (and related batch servers) for the master planning batch job
Master planning > Periodic Master scheduling and/or
Intercompany master scheduling		 Setup as recurring batch jobs


4 thoughts on “A master planning setup checklist for Dynamics AX 2012”

  1. Hi Tim,

    Thank you for your extensive document on the settings that are required or optional for planning.
    I have a question though, concerning the planning process itself.
    I have a sales plan entered in Sales/Marketing module.
    Now I want to use the sales plan as a base for my master plan.
    How do I generate master plan to be precise – generate planned orders (both production and purcahse) from my sales plan? I see that I can create a planned order for sales order, but I need to use sales plan as input for my planned orders.
    Can you explain the process in a few sentences, I need only the outline of the process, I’ll fill in the missing details on my own (hopefully).

    So what is the easiest method to create a planned order for a sales plan item, e.g. for July 1st 2017. I have in sales plan a requirement of 100 pcs for product ABC.
    I need a planned production order for product ABC and planned purchase orders for the raw materials that are needed to produce the finished product (including the lead time defined on item coverage settings).

    Thanks again for a great article here!

    Regards,
    Mihailo

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      • Hi Tim,

        Thank you for your response, I have posted it on the community forum, but noone seems to answer the question for days. Maybe people are busy, but I got a lot of views on my topic but noone replies…

        I have managed to get the second part to work as required – to create planned production and purchase orders from demand forecast, exploding boms and considering lead times.

        But the problem remains the import of sales plan into demand forecast.
        I wouldn’t want that done manually, do you maybe have an idea how do I import the sales plan in mass into demand forecast?

        Also, in demand forecast, I managed to break the monthly requirements into weekly ones by using the allocation key 25% per week for a month.
        But the problem is it works only 1 by 1 record. When I select all the entries and try to break the demand into weekly requirements, it doesn’t work (option is greyed out).
        Is it possible to use that functionality in mass?

        Sorry for the questions on your blog, but I’m not sure where to ask since dynamics community isn’t really active these days at least for master planning…

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      • Hi Mihailo – please persist with the Dynamics AX community – it’s the best place to get informal support.
        The best way of importing into the sales forecast table is to use the Data import export framework. But I don’t think that there is a standard Target entity, so you will need to speak to your support partner – and they’ve probably done this already because importing sales forecasts is a common requirement.
        Tim

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