Inventory Workbench - Internal Setup

Set up Inventory Workbench - Internal in Claret with our detailed guide. Understand the master data requirements and configure your items, locations, and supply/demand mappings.

In order to use the Inventory Workbench - Internal and generate supply plan recommendations, there are master data items that need to be configured. Many of these are also used in other modules and so may already be set up, but here we will walk through what information is needed and how this informs the Inventory Workbench.

Core Data

The foundation of the Internal Workbench is built on three key elements, and the relationships between them:

1. Items - The products you produce and store

2. Locations - Your production and storage locations (where inventory is held)

3. Customer Groups - Who buys those items (to drive demand forecasts)

These are connected through Item @ Locations, Item @ Customer Groups, and the Supply and Demand Map.

The following steps take you through each set of data required to get Inventory Workbench - Internal up and running.

Master Data Requirements

Follow these steps to configure the master data required for Inventory Workbench - Internal.

Step 1: Set Up Your Item Hierarchy

1. Go to Settings > Master Data > Item Hierarchy.

2. Create or select a Finished Goods Item Hierarchy.

3. Go to Settings > Master Data > Items.

4. Add items to the hierarchy.

The Item Hierarchy Type you select in your View configuration determines which items appear in the workbench.

Step 2: Set Up Your Inventory Locations

Create locations representing where you produce and store inventory. These are the locations you will select in the workbench dropdown.

1. Go to Settings > Master Data > Location Maintenance.

2. Create locations for each production or storage point (e.g., "Main Warehouse", "Production Facility A").

Inventory locations represent your internal production and storage facilities, not partner or customer locations.

Step 3: Link Items to Locations

Create Item @ Location links for each item stored or produced at each location.

1. Go to Settings > Master Data > Item @ Locations.

2. Create links between items and the locations where they are stored or produced.

Only locations with Item @ Location links will appear in the workbench dropdown.

Step 4: Set Up Your Customer Group Hierarchy and Customer Groups

Customer Groups represent who buys your products. Their demand forecasts drive your production planning.

1. Go to Settings > Master Data > Customer Group Hierarchy.

2. Create or finalise a Customer Group Hierarchy.

3. Go to Settings > Master Data > Customer Groups.

4. Create customer groups representing your customers or market segments.

Step 5: Link Items to Customer Groups

Item @ Customer Group links define which customers buy which items. This is the demand side of the planning equation.

1. Go to Settings > Master Data > Item @ Customer Groups.

2. Create links between items and the customer groups that buy them.

Demand forecasts are stored against Item @ Customer Group combinations. The workbench aggregates demand for an item across all customer groups mapped to the selected location.

Step 6: Configure the Supply and Demand Map

The Supply and Demand Map connects Item @ Customer Groups (demand) to Item @ Locations (supply). This tells the workbench which customer group demand data to use for each item at a location.

1. Go to Settings > Master Data > Supply and Demand Map.

2. For each item, create mappings that link the Item @ Customer Group to the Item @ Location.

For example, if "Chardonnay" is sold to customer group "West Coast Retailers" and produced at "Main Winery", create a Supply and Demand Map entry linking the Chardonnay @ West Coast Retailers to Chardonnay @ Main Winery.

The Supply and Demand Map is required for the workbench to function. Items will only appear in the workbench grid if they have Supply and Demand Map entries linking their Item @ Customer Group to their Item @ Location at the selected location.

Step 7: Set Up Sale Types for Demand

1. Go to Settings > Master Data > Sale Types.

2. Create sale types for demand forecasts and history (e.g., "Sales Forecast", "Actual Sales").

Sale Types for demand are assigned in your View configuration (Demand tab) to pull in forecast and history data for production planning.

Step 8: Set Up Supply Types

Supply Types categorize your production plans (e.g., "Planned Production", "Scheduled Production").

1. Go to Settings > Master Data > Supply Types.

2. Create supply types for your supply plans.

Supply Types are assigned in your View configuration (Supply tab). The workbench uses this to store generated supply plan recommendations.

Step 9: Import Sales Forecast Data

1. Go to Settings > Transactional Data > Sales.

2. Import your sales forecast and/or history data.

Sales forecasts drive the demand side of production planning. Without demand data, the workbench cannot calculate when production is needed.

Step 10: Import Existing Supply Plans (Optional)

1. Go to Settings > Transactional Data > Supply Plans.

2. Import any existing supply plans if available.

Existing supply plans are displayed in the workbench. You can then edit them or regenerate using the Run Supply Plan feature.

Step 11: Import Inventory Data

1. Go to Settings > Transactional Data > Inventory.

2. Import current inventory levels at each location.

Current inventory levels are the starting point for Days on Hand calculations and supply plan recommendations.

Step 12: Check Calendars (Optional)

1. Go to Settings > Master Data > Calendars.

2. Check existing setup to confirm Fiscal Years are in line with your requirements. Note changing calendars here will affect all areas of Claret.

Calendars define fiscal periods for time-based planning. Select calendar-based time settings in your View to use these.

Verifying Your Setup

Once you have completed the setup, verify everything is working:

1. Navigate to the Inventory Workbench - Internal (Pack module).

2. Create a new View and select your Item Hierarchy Type and UOM.

3. Configure the Demand tab with your sales forecast Sale Type.

4. Configure the Supply tab with your Supply Type.

5. Select a location from the dropdown.

6. You should see items appear in the grid.

If no items appear or you see an empty state message, check the following:

• Verify Item @ Location links exist for items at the selected location.

• Verify Item @ Customer Group links exist for those items.

• Verify the Supply and Demand Map connects the Item @ Customer Groups to the Item @ Locations.