SAP IBP Interview Cheatsheet (Most Asked Topics)

Key points, definitions, flows, and scenario-based explanations

✅ 1. Core IBP Modules (Know These Cold)

  • IBP for S&OP – Demand + Supply balancing, scenario planning, executive review.
  • IBP for Demand – Statistical forecasting, DP models, forecast automation.
  • IBP for Inventory – Multi-echelon optimization, safety stock calculation.
  • IBP for Supply – Constrained/unconstrained planning, heuristics, optimization.
  • IBP Response – Order-based planning, deployment, resupply.
  • Control Tower – Real-time end-to-end visibility.

✅ 2. IBP Architecture / Integration

  • Runs on HANA Cloud platform.
  • Planning data stored in Stored & Virtual tables.
  • Integration tools:
    • CPI-DS (main legacy option)
    • CI-DS
    • SAP Cloud Integration (SCI)
    • Flat file imports
    • SDI for real-time (rare)
  • Integrates mainly with ECC/S4 for:
    • Master data (MATNR, LOC, CVCs etc.)
    • Key figures
    • Time-series and order-based data

✅ 3. Planning Areas (Heart of IBP)

Interviewers frequently ask:

What is a Planning Area?
A logical container defining the planning model:
✔ CVCs
✔ Attributes
✔ Key figures
✔ Time settings
✔ Versions

PA configuration flow:
Master Data Types → Planning Levels → Attributes → Key Figures → PA Activation.

✅ 4. Master Data Essentials

  • MDO = Master Data Type
  • Key types:
    • Product
    • Location
    • Customer
    • Resource
    • Supplier
  • Master Data Attributes are used in planning levels and calculations.

✅ 5. CVC – Combination of Master Data

  • Combination of key attributes (Product–Location most common).
  • Used to build Time Series.
  • Generated manually or through MDI / CPI-DS.

✅ 6. Time Profiles

  • Defines planning buckets: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Fiscal Periods.
  • Need Time Profile + Calendar for PA activation.
  • Granularity differs per module (Demand = weekly, Supply = daily/weekly).

✅ 7. Key Figures

Core of IBP planning.

Types:

  • Stored Key Figures – Data saved in DB.
  • Calculated Key Figures – Runtime formulas.
  • Helper Key Figures – Support logic.
  • Snapshot Key Figures – Historical versioning.

Attributes:

  • Editable?
  • Aggregation?
  • Disaggregation?
  • Planning level?
  • Calculation mode?

✅ 8. Forecasting in IBP for Demand

Forecast tools:

  • Triple Exponential Smoothing (TES)
  • Croston / Syntetos–Boylan (intermittent demand)
  • ARIMA
  • Best-fit forecasting
  • AI-based forecasting (via SAP Predictive services)

Key topics:

  • Outlier correction
  • Historical cleansing
  • Causal forecasting (external data)
  • Promo planning
  • Forecast error KPIs (MAPE, RMSE, Bias)

✅ 9. IBP for Inventory (MEIO)

Most asked area.

  • Multi-echelon inventory optimization
  • Uses lead time, service levels, variability, cycle stock, pipeline stock
  • Outputs:
    • Safety Stock
    • Reorder Point
    • Target Stock
  • Optimization engine uses stochastic models.

✅ 10. IBP for Supply (Heuristics & Optimizer)

Supply types:

  • Unconstrained heuristic
  • Constrained heuristic
  • Optimizer – best for capacity constraints, cost-based planning
  • Finite resource planning

Key terms:

  • Sourcing rules
  • Production constraints
  • Resource capacities
  • Fair-share allocation

✅ 11. Order Based Planning (IBP Response)

New trending area.

  • Uses Order Data (planned orders, PR, PO, deliveries).
  • Runs on a detailed order model.
  • Has capabilities like:
    • Rescheduling
    • Allocation
    • Deployment optimization
    • Prioritization

✅ 12. Alerts & Control Tower

  • Configurable alerts:
    • Forecast error
    • Stockout risks
    • Capacity issues
  • Alert types:
    • Operator Alerts
    • Exception-based alerts
  • Dashboards build using Analytics & Real-Time Simulations.

✅ 13. Scenarios / Versions

  • Versions support what-if analysis.
  • Scenario planning supports simulation before committing changes.
  • Ask about version locking, copy functions, and merging.

✅ 14. Supply–Demand Reconciliation (S&OP Cycle)

Most common business scenario.

Cycle:

  1. Demand review
  2. Supply review
  3. Pre-S&OP
  4. Executive S&OP
  5. Consensus plan + Approval

Tools:

  • Pivot-style Excel UI
  • Dashboards
  • Collaborative notes

✅ 15. Excel Add-In (Most used by planners)

  • Ribbon interface
  • Planning views
  • Filters
  • IBP formatting
  • Custom sorts
  • Real-time refresh
  • Editable key figures
  • Copy/paste across versions

✅ 16. IBP Security

  • Analytics permissions
  • Planning view permissions
  • Data access control (DAC)
  • Job permissions
  • Master data write permissions

Role types:

  • ADMIN
  • MODELING
  • PLANNING
  • ANALYTICS

✅ 17. Jobs & Processes

Frequently asked:

  • Data integration jobs
  • Statistical forecast jobs
  • Optimizer/Heuristic runs
  • Recalculate workbook
  • Realignment profiles

✅ 18. Realignment Rules

Used when attributes change — e.g., product hierarchy change.
Supports:

  • Copy
  • Split
  • Merge
  • Conditional realignment

✅ 19. IBP Analytics

  • Charts
  • Trees
  • Tables
  • Filters
  • Page layouts
  • Drill-downs
  • Real-time KPI calculations

✅ 20. Common Scenario-Based Questions

Here are the MUST-PRACTICE ones:

  1. How will you fix a forecast bias issue in IBP?
  2. How to model a new product release (NPI/NPP)?
  3. How to handle multiple sourcing and production?
  4. How to set up a multi-echelon inventory strategy?
  5. How to address capacity overload in IBP Supply?
  6. How do you handle large data loads failing in CPI-DS?
  7. What if the planning area activation fails?
  8. How to design a planning level for demand vs supply?
  9. When to use order-based vs time-series planning?
  10. How to configure a safety stock model in IBP Inventory?

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