Managing Intersite Requests
Like MRP, DRP generates planned orders and action messages. Since DRP planned orders represent demands on other sites, they are called intersite requests.
At the supply site, you can reference one or more intersite requests on a distribution order. Typically intersite requests are generated at the receiving site. However, they can also be created dynamically as part of Distribution Order Maintenance (12.17.14) or in Distribution Order Processing (12.17.21).
The need to add a line to a distribution order without a supporting intersite request can occur for a number of reasons, such as the following:
• Urgent demand rises between DRP cycles.
• A few additional items are needed to fill space in a truck or container.
• The supply site wants to ship non-sales items such as samples.
• There is insufficient storage space at the supply site for items that could be stored at the demand site.
Intersite requests are to DRP what planned orders are to MRP. To the receiving site, they are like purchase requisitions or supply records. At the shipping site, they are like sales orders or demand records—external sources of demand that can be master scheduled.
MRP creates the initial demand for DRP-planned items at the receiving site. Running DRP at the receiving site generates intersite demand at the shipping site at the same time it generates intersite requests for the receiving site.
Intersite requests are visible at both sites. A change to an intersite request at the receiving or shipping site is automatically reflected in the corresponding request at the other site. However, the programs used to update intersite requests at the shipping and receiving sites are updating distinct tables in the database:
• The Distributed Site Requisition Detail (dsd_det) is the detail data for the request at the receiving site.
• The Distributed Site Order Detail (ds_det) is detail data for the request at the shipping site.
To transfer intersite requests automatically, the shipping and receiving sites must be connected over the computer network. If they are not, you can transfer intersite requests to the shipping sites in batch after running DRP at the receiving sites.
Optionally, you can then confirm intersite demand at the shipping site. The shipping site translates this demand into distribution orders, which are picked and shipped to the receiving site. If necessary, additional intersite requests can be generated at the shipping site and associated with the order. These orders are received at the receiving site in the same manner as purchase orders.