Manually Editing Buffer Profiles
Last updated
Last updated
Buffer Profile review should ideally take place every few months. You will want to monitor your buffer profiles to ensure that they are large enough to protect you from stocking out while still small enough to ensure you aren't ordering too much or holding too much inventory. Buffer profile review does not need to be strict. The idea of DDMRP buffers is to be roughly right, not precisely wrong. However, you do want to ensure that you are tracking buffer performance and making changes to the buffer profile where necessary and doing a rerun of the Smart Buffer Profiler every few months.
The steps to running the Smart Buffer Profiler to set buffer profiles can be found in the Smart Buffer Profiler section. The steps on this page will cover how to manually change buffer profiles, including how to set up a Min Max and Replenished Override Buffer profile.
Pentair has committed to running the Smart Buffer Profiler on a quarterly basis (as recommended) to ensure the master data and part activity changes are considered in assigning new Buffer Profiles. Pentair does not plan to manually change Buffer Profiles for parts unless it is a one off scenario that needs a quick update.
To change a Buffer Profile on a part, you will need to access that part's Part record. You can do this either through the Part Editor or through the Workbench Preview part details screens. Once you are on the Edit tab of the Part record, click on the Inventory Planning dropdown under the "Inventory Management" section of the record. In the dropdown, scroll down to or type in the buffer profile that you want to change the part to. Make sure you are selecting a buffer profile in the same location as the part.
Once you select that buffer profile, the buffer profile measurements on the part record will change to reflect the new profile. This will allow you to test to see if the new buffer profile looks the way you want it to. Once you have confirmed that the correct buffer has been selected, click the "Save" button in the lower right hand corner of the screen.
There are certain instances in which you may want to change your part to a Min-Max profile instead of using a typical buffer. You will be able to use the same dropdown menu in the Part record to convert the part to a Min-Max. Instead of selecting a new buffer, scroll to the top of the dropdown and select the "MM" option. The buffer will disappear, leaving you to enter the values of the green and red zones.
Pentair AK parts are set up as Min Max in R+
The Min-Max buffer will still follow the same guidelines as a regular buffer in that it will issue a recommended reorder quantity when the Net Flow enters the Red Zone of the MM buffer. This means that the Green Zone should follow the same logic as a regular buffer's green zone. This means that it should often either be the MOQ or the Order Cycle Day x EDU. Like a normal buffer, it is recommended that you use whichever is the largest.
The Red Zone should be treated a little different than the Red Zone of a typical buffer.The first way to think about the Red Zone of a MM buffer is that it is the "safety stock" or minimum amount that you would like to have on hand for this part at all times. However, it's often difficult to know if the safety stock numbers you currently use - if any - are still applicable to the MM equation.The traditional way to calculate the Red Zone in the MM buffer is by substituting in the Yellow Zone calculation and also adding in the Red Zone Safety from the regular buffer. This calculation is:(ADU x RPlus Lead Time) + (ADU x RPlus Lead Time x Variability Factor)The variability factor to use for this calculation is the value assigned to a "3" variability factor setting in a typical buffer profile. If you have an order multiple, you should round the calculated number up to the nearest number divisible by the Order Multiple. This is a good baseline to determine a strong Red Zone for a MM profile.
Once you have determined the Red and Green Zone values that you wish to use, it is time to enter the right values into the MM settings in the Part record. When you set a part to a MM profile, the buffer profile disappears and two fields appear in the Buffer Sizing section: the Top of Max and Top of Min.
Note that the Top of Min = Red Zone value, but the Top of Max = Red Zone + Green Zone. You are not entering the individual Green and Red Zone values. You are entering in the top of the MM buffer and the Top of the Red Zone in the Buffer.
To properly enter in the Min and Max values, you should first add together the Green and Red Zones you calculated earlier. This quantity will be your "Top of Max". Then enter the Red Zone quantity in the "Top of Min".Once you have successfully entered these values, you will want to prevent anyone from overriding this assignment with the Smart Buffer Profiler. Make sure you immediately "Lock" the Min Max profile by clicking the "Lock Profile Assignment" setting to "Yes". This will ensure that no one accidentally removes it in the next buffer profile review.Then select "Save" to save your work and officially assign the MM profile to your part.
