SAP PP – Interview Cheatsheet (Fast Revision Guide)

1. PP Overview

What is SAP PP?

A core SAP ECC/S/4HANA module used for production planning, execution, material availability, capacity planning, and shop-floor control.

Key Submodules

  • Demand Management (DM)
  • Material Requirements Planning (MRP)
  • Capacity Planning
  • Production Orders
  • Shop-Floor Execution
  • Master Data Management
  • KPI & Reporting

2. Core Master Data

1. Material Master (MM) – MRP Views

  • MRP Type
  • Lot Size
  • Procurement Type (In-house/External)
  • MRP Controller
  • Safety Stock
  • Strategy Group

2. Bill of Materials (BOM)

  • Single-level / Multi-level
  • Phantom items
  • Alternative BOMs
  • Usage: Production / Engineering / Sales

3. Work Center

  • Activity Types
  • Standard values
  • Capacity category
  • Cost center link

4. Routing / Recipe

  • Sequence of operations
  • Work center assignment
  • Setup, processing, teardown times
  • Production Resource Tools (PRTs)

5. Production Version

  • Links BOM + Routing
  • Mandatory in S/4HANA for MRP & orders

3. Demand Management (Strategies)

Make-to-Stock (MTS)

  • Strategy 10 – MTS
  • Strategy 11 – Planning w/o final assembly
  • Strategy 40 – Planning with final assembly (most common)

Make-to-Order (MTO)

  • Strategy 20 – MTO
  • Strategy 50 – Planning with project
  • Strategy 63 – Planning with customer-order stock

Planning Time Fence

  • Makes MRP stable for near-term planning
  • Changes restricted within the fence

4. Material Requirement Planning (MRP)

Key MRP Elements

  • Planned Orders
  • Purchase Requisitions
  • Exception messages
  • Scheduling (lead time, backward/forward)

MRP Run Types

  • MD01 – Total planning
  • MD02 – Single material
  • MD03 – Single-item single-level
  • MD04 – Stock/Requirements List

MRP Control Parameters

  • MRP Group
  • MRP Type (PD, VV, Reorder)
  • Lot-sizing (EX, FX, HB, etc.)
  • Availability Check (ATP)

5. Production Orders

Lifecycle

  1. Create (CO01)
  2. Release (status REL)
  3. Print (Shop floor papers)
  4. Issue components (MB1A / MIGO 261)
  5. Confirm operations (CO11N)
  6. Goods Receipt (MB31 / MIGO 101)
  7. Settlement (KO88)

Order Types

  • PP01, PI01, etc.
  • Custom order types allowed

Key Statuses

  • CRTD
  • REL
  • CNF
  • TECO
  • DLV
  • CLSD

Confirmations

  • Partial/Final
  • Automatic GR
  • Backflush components

6. Capacity Planning

Capacity Categories

  • Machine
  • Labor
  • Tools

Key Transactions

  • CM01 / CM21 – Capacity planning
  • CR11 – Create capacity
  • CR02 – Change work center

Capacity Levelling

  • Forward/Backward scheduling
  • Finite/Infinite scheduling

7. Product Costing & Settlement

  • Activity types linked to work centers → cost centers
  • Routing times → planned activity costs
  • Variance calculation (KKS1)
  • Settlement (KO88)

8. Shop Floor Execution

Goods Issue (GI)

  • Movement 261 – Issue to production
  • Backflush vs. manual GI

Goods Receipt (GR)

  • Movement 101 – Receipt of finished goods
  • Auto GR allowed

WIP Calculation

  • WIP based on partially confirmed orders

9. Integration Points

MM (Materials Management)

  • Inventory, BOM components, reservations

SD (Sales & Distribution)

  • MTO, planning strategies, availability check

FI/CO (Finance & Controlling)

  • Order settlement, activity costs

QM (Quality Management)

  • Inspection lots, in-process inspection

PM (Plant Maintenance)

  • Work centers, capacity sharing

WM/EWM

  • Staging of components, picking

10. S/4HANA Changes

Key Enhancements

  • Mandatory production version
  • MRP Live (HANA-based)
  • Simplified BOM/Routing management
  • Embedded PP/DS integration
  • Fiori apps for order management
  • Advanced ATP replaces old ATP (optional)

11. Critical Interview Questions

  1. Difference between MTS and MTO?
  2. What is a Production Version? Why required?
  3. What is planning strategy 40?
  4. Difference between Planned Order and Production Order?
  5. What are MRP exceptions?
  6. How does backflushing work?
  7. What is the role of Work Centers?
  8. Difference between Routing and Recipe?
  9. What happens during Production Order Release?
  10. Explain Capacity Levelling.
  11. What is MRP Live?
  12. Explain production order settlement.
  13. What is a Phantom Assembly?
  14. How does availability check work in PP?
  15. What is the meaning of TECO status?

12. Real-Time Scenarios

Scenario 1: Material Shortage

  • Check MD04 → Missing parts → Run MRP → Trigger PR/PO → Order reschedule

Scenario 2: Order Delay

  • Check capacity loads → Move order dates → Reassign work center

Scenario 3: Wrong component consumption

  • Cancel GI → Re-post correct 261 → Recalculate variance

Scenario 4: MTO vs MTS requirement

  • Change strategy group → Redefine PIR or Sales Order linkages

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