SAP ATP · Advanced Available-to-Promise (aATP) · SAP S/4HANA
Secure material availability. Make delivery commitments more reliable.
A reliable availability check is essential for realistic delivery commitments and coordinated processes between sales, materials management, production planning and logistics.
SAP offers various functions for this – from the classic available-to-promise check (ATP) to the extended capabilities of Advanced Available-to-Promise (aATP) in SAP S/4HANA.
E&S Swiss Consulting helps companies analyse their availability processes, structure business requirements and integrate suitable SAP functions into the existing process landscape.
When availability and delivery commitments do not match
In many companies, difficulties arise because the availability check, material planning and operational processes are not sufficiently aligned. Typical challenges are:
! Confirmed delivery dates cannot be met reliably.
! Availability checks do not take relevant stock and receipt elements into account as expected.
! Material bottlenecks are detected too late.
! Different priorities of sales orders are not adequately reflected.
! Changes in the supply situation lead to time-consuming manual corrections.
! Sales, procurement, production and logistics work with different information.
An effective availability check needs clear rules, suitable data and end-to-end alignment of the processes involved.
SAP ATP and aATP – different options for the availability check
Classic
Classic SAP ATP
The classic available-to-promise check helps companies check the availability of materials and products based on relevant stock and planned receipts and issues.
Depending on the process and system configuration, availability checks can be used in sales, production and materials management, among other areas.
Typical topics:
- Checking groups and checking rules
- Scope of check
- Consideration of stock and of receipts and issues
- Date and quantity confirmation
- Integration with sales and production processes
SAP S/4HANA
SAP Advanced Available-to-Promise (aATP)
SAP aATP extends the availability check in SAP S/4HANA with additional functions for demanding confirmation and prioritisation processes.
Depending on the SAP S/4HANA version, scope of functions and licensing, the following functions may be relevant, for example:
- Product Availability Check (PAC)
- Backorder Processing (BOP)
- Product Allocation (PAL)
- Alternative-Based Confirmation (ABC)
Important: Not every function is available in every system version or configuration. Actual usability must be checked in the respective SAP system.
Comparison
| Topic | Classic ATP | SAP aATP |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Availability check and date confirmation | Extended availability check, confirmation and prioritisation |
| Material availability | Check of relevant stock and receipts | Check of relevant stock and receipts with extended checking options |
| Order prioritisation | Depends on the process and available functions | Backorder Processing (BOP) to re-evaluate and prioritise confirmations |
| Product allocation | Available depending on the SAP system and solution used | Product Allocation (PAL) to control limited product quantities |
| Alternative confirmation | Depends on available functions and customer-specific solutions | Alternative-Based Confirmation (ABC), for example with alternative plants |
Availability check in conjunction with planning and logistics
The availability check is not an isolated SAP process. How meaningful it is depends on how well the relevant data and processes are connected.
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Sales and order processing
Availability checks help determine confirmable quantities and dates in the sales order process.
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Materials management and procurement
Stock, procurement processes and planned receipts are important foundations for assessing material availability.
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Production planning
Production requirements, production orders and planning results influence when materials and products are expected to be available.
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Logistics and delivery
Availability confirmations must be aligned with the downstream logistics processes.
How E&S Swiss Consulting supports you
01
Analysis of the starting situation
We examine existing availability checks, relevant business processes, SAP settings and typical problems.
02
Business target picture
Together we define requirements for confirmation, prioritisation, material availability and collaboration between the areas involved.
03
SAP design and implementation
We support the selection, design, configuration and integration of suitable ATP or aATP functions.
04
Testing and go-live
We support functional testing, the evaluation of planning results and the introduction of coordinated processes.
Our goal is traceable availability decisions and processes that work reliably in day-to-day operations.
What a coordinated availability check makes possible
✓ Greater transparency about material and product availability
✓ Traceable rules for date and quantity confirmations
✓ Better alignment between sales, procurement, production and logistics
✓ A structured approach to material bottlenecks
✓ Fewer avoidable manual corrections
✓ A better basis for realistic delivery commitments
Looking at the availability check holistically
SAP SD – Sales and order processing
Sales orders, delivery date commitments and outbound deliveries build directly on the result of the availability check. We integrate the availability check holistically into sales and delivery processes.
SAP PP and PP/DS – Production planning
Production planning and the availability check must be sensibly aligned.
SAP MM – Procurement and materials management
Material master data, procurement and inventory management are important foundations for availability.
Inventory optimisation
A coordinated inventory strategy supports the balance between security of supply and tied-up capital.
Frequently asked questions about SAP ATP and aATP
What is the difference between SAP ATP and aATP?
Classic ATP is used to check material and product availability. In SAP S/4HANA, SAP aATP offers additional functions for extended confirmation, prioritisation and allocation processes. The scope of functions actually available depends on the system in use.
Is SAP aATP available in every SAP S/4HANA system?
Not all aATP functions are available in every version, deployment option or licensing set-up. The technical and functional prerequisites should be checked before an introduction.
Can SAP aATP prevent material bottlenecks?
SAP aATP can help make better use of availability information and manage confirmations in a more targeted way. However, it does not automatically create missing materials or capacities.
How does ATP relate to SAP PP/DS?
Production planning and the availability check fulfil different tasks. SAP PP/DS supports the planning of material requirements and production capacities; ATP or aATP supports availability and confirmation processes. What matters is the functional alignment of processes and data.
When is it worth reviewing the ATP settings?
Especially when delivery confirmations are frequently corrected, material bottlenecks become visible too late or existing checking rules no longer fit the business processes.
Improve the SAP availability check in a targeted way
Would you like to review your ATP processes, evaluate SAP aATP or improve the alignment between material planning and delivery confirmation?
E&S Swiss Consulting supports you from analysis to functional implementation.