Consulting · SAP IBP
SAP IBP consulting: from planning process to a robust system
We translate business requirements into an SAP IBP design of planning levels, key figures and data flows, and support rollout, operations and further development.
SAP Integrated Business Planning
What it is about
SAP Integrated Business Planning (SAP IBP) is SAP's cloud solution for supply chain planning, built on SAP HANA. It covers S&OP, demand, inventory and supply planning and creates transparency across the entire supply chain. SAP IBP is the strategic successor to SAP APO.
An IBP project succeeds when the system supports the planning process, not the other way round. That is why we combine process consulting for S&OP and demand planning with system design: planning area, planning levels, key figures, integration and the user interfaces planners work with every day.
Scope
The modules of SAP IBP
IBP for Demand
Statistical forecasting with best-fit selection, history cleansing, consensus planning and demand sensing.
IBP for Sales and Operations
The S&OP process in the system: scenarios, capacity and financial view, alignment and approval.
IBP for Inventory
Multi-echelon inventory optimisation with safety stocks and target coverage per stocking level.
IBP for Response and Supply
Supply planning and allocation through to order-based planning with real-time integration.
Demand-Driven Replenishment
Planning based on DDMRP logic with decoupling buffers for volatile demand.
Supply Chain Control Tower
KPIs, alerts and transparency across the supply chain in one view.
Challenges
Typical starting points
End of APO maintenance
Mainstream maintenance for SAP Business Suite 7, and with it SAP APO, ends at the end of 2027; extended maintenance at the latest at the end of 2030. The transition has to be planned now.
Excel next to the system
Planners work in shadow spreadsheets because process and system do not fit together. The tool loses acceptance.
Custom solutions instead of standard
Old special solutions are rebuilt one to one instead of using the standard. Effort and maintenance grow.
Integration underestimated
Master data, data quality and interfaces to S/4HANA or ECC decide the project's success and are often addressed too late.
Performance
Planning levels that are too granular and too many key figures slow down planning runs and user interfaces.
Four releases a year
SAP ships IBP quarterly. Without release management and regression tests, operations run into surprises.
Project
How we work
- 01
Discovery
Define benefits, scope and modules: which planning processes should be mapped in IBP, and in which order?
- 02
Fit-to-standard
In workshops based on SAP Best Practices we check where the standard fits and where adjustments are justified by the business.
- 03
Design
Planning area, attributes, planning levels, key figures and integration flows; wherever possible based on SAP's harmonised planning area.
- 04
Realisation
Configuration in sprints, data migration, integration and testing with real data and real planners.
- 05
Go-live and hypercare
Training, cutover and an accompanied stabilisation phase after the start.
- 06
Operations and further development
Release management, new features per release, performance care and extension with further modules.
Technology
Integration and user interfaces
Time-series planning data traditionally reaches SAP IBP via SAP Cloud Integration for data services (CI-DS); SAP now also offers Cloud Integration from the SAP Integration Suite for this purpose. Order-based planning uses real-time integration (RTI) with SAP S/4HANA and SAP ECC. Which route fits depends on the system landscape, data volume and frequency.
Planners work in the IBP Excel add-in or web-based in Planner Workspaces and Fiori apps. The AI assistant Joule adds new capabilities with each release. We design the user interfaces by role, so that every planner gets exactly the view the process requires.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about SAP IBP
What is SAP IBP?
SAP Integrated Business Planning is SAP's cloud solution for supply chain planning, built on SAP HANA. It covers S&OP, demand, inventory and supply planning as well as supply chain transparency.
Which modules does SAP IBP have?
IBP for Demand, IBP for Sales and Operations, IBP for Inventory, IBP for Response and Supply, Demand-Driven Replenishment and the Supply Chain Control Tower. The modules can be licensed individually or in combination.
When does maintenance for SAP APO end?
SAP APO follows the deadlines of SAP Business Suite 7: mainstream maintenance ends at the end of 2027, extended maintenance is available until the end of 2030. The successors are SAP IBP and PP/DS in SAP S/4HANA.
How long does an SAP IBP implementation take?
That depends on modules, integration scope and data situation. A first module can go live within a few months; a complete APO replacement usually takes considerably longer.
How is SAP IBP connected to SAP S/4HANA?
Time-series data flows via SAP Cloud Integration for data services (CI-DS) or via Cloud Integration from the SAP Integration Suite. Order-based planning uses real-time integration (RTI).
Do you work with Excel in SAP IBP?
Yes: for many planners the IBP Excel add-in is the most important interface. There are also web-based Planner Workspaces and Fiori apps.
How often are new SAP IBP releases published?
Four times a year, in February, May, August and November. Structured release management with testing is therefore part of operations.
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