Distribution Resource Planning – Bill of Distribution

I’m having trouble getting my head around using DRP for our business scenario. The Suiteanswers and documentation as it relates to Resource Networks/Category is not incredibly helpful.

For example: We have two main warehouses that drive demand for ‘Domestic’ and ‘International’ sales. The two warehouses house different sku assortments.

We have both tunrkey and non-turnkey products.

I established the following in setup of DRP:

• International   and Domestic distro network
• Internation and Domestic distro categories

2 examples:

• Have a turnkey item (XXX) purchased from Vendor A
• Demand is at the ‘Domestic’ warehouse
• Item is setup with:
  • Network: Domestic
  • Category: Domestic
  • Domestic Warehouse setting: source type transfer
  • Vendor A setting: source type purchase
• Have BOD (bill of distribution) –
  • Network: Domesti
  • Category: Domestic
  • Transfer to Location: Domestic Warehouse
  • Source Location: Vendor A

I ran this item in demand/supply planning and as expected the supply plan generated a TO for the item from Vendor A to Domestic Warehouse.

2nd example:

• Non-turnkey item, called ‘AB’
  • Component A – purchased from Vendor B, then transferred to Vendor C
  • Component B (bulk, fill, assembly) – purchase from Vendor C
  • Vendor C is the location of assembly/work order
  • Assembly item is then transferred to Domestic Warehouse
• Demand is at the Domestic warehouse for the assembly item
• Assembly item is setup with:
  • Network: Domestic
  • Category: Domestic
  • Domestic Warehouse: source type transfer
  • Vendor C (site of assembly build/work order): source type purchase
• Component B
  • Network: Domestic
  • Category: Domestic
  • Vendor C – source type: Purchase
• Component A
  • Network: Domestic
  • Category: Domestic
  • Vendor C – source type: Transfer
  • Vendor B – source type: purchase

This scenario I’m stuck on – I tried to initially create a BOD to the Domestic Warehouse from source Vendor C but I got a message that the record already existed (probably from the initial BOD I created for DOM Warehosue with source Vendor A).

Any advice on this setup or what I’m missing? I’m honestly just generally confused by the purpose of the distribution network and distribution category and how they interact with the BOD. Am I supposed to setup a new category or network for every single potential path from a different source (ie Vendors) to my warehouse (ie domesitc warehouse)?

Also when I tried to run supply plan on the assembly item AB nothing generated (had generated elevated demand and the item had no current open work orders/transfer orders or on hand to meet the demand). I had the use distribution network check and were not BODs between Vendor C and Domestic Warehouse so I assume that was the issue.