Demand Processor
The Demand Processor consists of the following sub-processes that are launched automatically when you submit the request: Load Demand Interface, Demand Stream Pre-Processor, Demand Stream Table Update, Demand Stream Order Processor, and the Demand Stream Forecast Processor. Records failing validation at any level are bypassed by the remaining processes.
The Load Demand Interface loads incoming EDI planning, shipping, and sequenced demand transmissions into the Oracle Automotive Demand Interface table. These transmissions relate to customers, forecasts, and sales orders that have been defined in Oracle Applications.
The Demand Stream Pre-Processor validates and formats the demand requirements. All RAW/FAB requirements are ignored. All duplicate firm requirements are summed into a single requirement.
For order lines, the Demand Stream Pre-Processor validates the information to make sure that duplicate options within models do not exist. If duplicate options do exist, the Demand Processor will error out. The Pre-Processor identifies item types. Order Import determines sub-models and option classes, and derives the links necessary to represent the hierarchy.
Attention: You cannot have duplicate options included within the same model. For example, if OptionA is included in OptionClass1 more than once, the Demand Processor will produce an error and cease processing. Also, if OptionA is included in both OptionClass1 and OptionClass2, the Demand Processor will produce an error and cease processing.
For forecast lines, the Pre-Processor looks up the corresponding Forecast designator and aggregates forecast lines with common Forecast Designator (name), Ship-from and Ship-to Organization, Item, Customer Requested Date, and Requested Shipment Date into one line in preparation for the Demand Stream Forecast Processor.
The Demand Stream Table Update process updates demand tables with the most recent requirements validated by the Demand Stream Pre-Processor and verifies that all quantity changes fall within the defined tolerances for the item. If you set the Archive parameter to Yes, a snapshot will be taken of the demand as it exists before the update.
The Demand Stream Order Processor identifies changes in existing firm demand and uses Order Import to load current requirements into Oracle Order Entry / Shipping. Manually entered lines in Order Entry/ Shipping are not treated as requirements. Demand records with zero quantities are treated as cancelled requirements and are deleted from Order Entry / Shipping. See: Order Import.
The Demand Stream Forecast Processor loads the forecast portion of requirements into Oracle Master Scheduling/MRP. Forecast consumption is not activated for these forecasts.
The Demand Stream Processor automatically submits the Demand Management Exceptions Report if exceptions are encountered. See: Demand Management Exceptions Report.
Submission
You can submit the Demand Processor manually, or you can submit this process so that it runs automatically at predefined times and intervals.
Manual Submission
To submit this process manually, navigate to the Submit Requests window (via Demand Transactions on the Navigator) and enter Demand Processor in the Request Name field. Specify the parameters for which you want to run the Demand Processor. See the Parameters section.
Automatic Submission
You must perform the following steps to submit this process automatically:
1. Create a UNIX account on the machine on which you are running Radley CARaS. You must use the same login as you use for Oracle Applications.
For example, if JOEUSER was your login for Oracle Applications, you would use JOEUSER as your login for your new UNIX account.
When you export demand information out of Radley CARaS, Radley CARaS creates a demand file named DEMAND.timestamp and places the file in the sqlcom/inbound directory (this directory is determined by your setup, but we will use sqlcom/inbound for this example). In our example, the file would be named DEMAND.095000 if the file was exported at 9:50:00.
2. Navigate to the Submit Requests window (via Demand Transactions on the Navigator) and enter Demand Processor in the Name field.
The Parameters window displays.
3. Enter ALL in the File Name field on the Parameters window.
The first time you export demand information out of Radley CARaS, Oracle Automotive creates a file named after the user login name. Using our example, Oracle Automotive would create a file named JOEUSER in the sqlcom/inbound directory. This file contains a list of all demand files exported out of CARaS since the last time the Demand Processor was run. For example, if JOEUSER had exported three demand files ten minutes apart starting at 9:30, the following files would be listed in JOEUSER: DEMAND.093000, DEMAND.094000, and DEMAND.095000.
When you specify ALL in the File Name field on the Parameters window, the Demand Processor loads the demand files listed in JOEUSER and processes those files. Once the files are loaded into the interface table, the names of the demand files are deleted from JOEUSER. The actual demand files will still remain in the sqlcom/inbound directory.
Attention: The first time you export files out of Radley CARaS, Oracle Automotive also creates a userlogin.lck file (JOEUSER.lck in our example). Whenever you export files out of Radley CARaS (which writes demand file names into JOEUSER) or are running the Demand Processor (which reads the demand file names from JOEUSER), the JOEUSER.lck file will be locked (if you open the file, JOEUSER.lck will contain the word LOCKED). Once all files have been exported out of Radley CARaS or the Demand Processor has completed, JOEUSER.lck will be unlocked (JOEUSER.lck would contain the word UNLOCKED). The lock file, when locked, prevents the Demand Processor from reading the JOEUSER file while export file names are being written to the file and prevents export files names from being written to JOEUSER when the Demand Processor is reading the file.
4. Set up the Demand Processor so that it runs at the required times and/or intervals. See: Submitting a Request
The Demand Processor will run at the specified times/intervals that you define.
Parameters
File Name
Enter the name of the EDI demand transmission file you want to load into the Oracle Autmotive Demand Interface Table. (via the Load Demand Interface). If you specify only this parameter, the Load Demand Interface loads all requirements contained in the specified EDI demand transmission file and the Demand Processor processes all loaded records.
Enter ALL if you are running the Demand Processor automatically. See the Submission section for more information.
File Names reside in the directory path specified in Oracle EDI Gateway. See: Oracle EDI Gateway Profile Options.
External Customer Name
Select a customer (CARaS trading partner) number to process only those records for a specific customer. See: Entering Oracle Automotive Customer Information.
External Ship-To
Select a customer shipping address abbreviation to process only those records for a customer with the specified shipping address abbreviation. See: Entering Oracle Automotive Customer Address Information.
Archive
Select Yes to archive existing records in the demand tables before they are updated.
Transmission Name
Enter the name of the transmission file to process only those records with the specified transmission name. This is the name assigned to the EDI transmission that includes the date, time, and user ID.
See Also
Submitting a Request
Viewing Requests
Demand Stream Loader
