Planning optimization for distribution
Important
This content is archived and is not being updated. For the latest documentation, see Microsoft Dynamics 365 product documentation. For the latest release plans, see Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform release plans.
Important
Some of the functionality described in this release plan has not been released. Delivery timelines may change and projected functionality may not be released (see Microsoft policy). Learn more: What's new and planned
| Enabled for | Public preview | General availability |
|---|---|---|
| End users by admins, makers, or analysts |  Nov 29, 2019 |
To be announced |
Feature details
Planning optimization is specifically designed for very fast calculations with massive data volume. It’s built as a hyper-scalable multitenant service, meaning that multiple tenants can cooperate simultaneously to calculate the plan. Also, the planning service will remove the load of master planning from your ERP system and work with a data stream that minimizes the server load.
Customer benefits
Eliminate daily time reserved for planning batch job
- Customers with large data sets have issues completing all batch jobs at night.
- 24/7 business where it is hard to get any time slots.
Comfort that future business growth will not overload the planning system
- A hyper-scalable service ensures that planning will be fast and not have performance implications.
- Automated upgrade to latest version without downtime.
More frequent planning runs – not just daily or weekly
- Update plan during office hours, without having to wait for the nightly run.
- Changed planning parameters are reflected in minutes.
- See the result of planning simulations right away and keep tweaking parameters on the fly until you get the desired result.
Improved customer service with shorter total lead time
- New demands are detected and managed earlier.
- Order same day because you don’t have to wait for the nightly plan.
- Many customers can save one day of lead time as supply is ordered right away.
Cost and capital savings by reduced inventory levels
- Less safety stock is needed due to faster replenishment.
Availability
For more information on how to get started with the planning optimization preview, see Get Started.
Feature highlights
- The first version of the planning service will address the needs of both distributors and wholesalers with purchase and transfer supply.
- Out-of-the-box integration with Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management.
- Support purchase and transfer supply suggestions.
- Ensure supply suggestions to maintain fixed safety stock levels, based on on-hand levels and future demand.
- Time-based safety stock option, to support fluctuation and seasonality in demand.
- Include purchase and transfers lead times, for duration and order date calculation.
- Pegging between supply and demand, providing full visibility for how a given demand is fulfilled or what demand a given supply fulfills.
- Lot-for-lot reordering policy support, combining all demand within a defined period into one supply suggestion.
- Order quantity modifiers that adjust order suggestions to a desired minimum, multiple, and/or maximum quantity.
- Plan just one item or a subset of all products by filtering the products included in a given planning run.
- Multiple plans with specific setup, allowing the planner to simultaneously operate with multiple plans.
- Detect and communicate order delays and possible fulfillment dates, when the plan can’t be optimized to fit all demands.
- Calendar support to handle available and closed periods related to warehouses, vendors, customers, and more.
- Support for reservations between supply and demand are recorded and respected by the planning engine.
- Option to include demand forecast with reduction based on recorded demand.
- Reordering policy that supports refilling to a predefined maximum inventory level.
Geographic areas
This feature will be released into the following Microsoft Azure geographic areas:
- United States
- Europe
- Australia
- Canada