<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ManualTopic ID="/baanerp/cp/onlinemanual/cl000230" xml:lang="en">
   <Header>
      <Title>Local master-plan functionality</Title>
      <Keyword type="header" order="d1e172830">
         <Level1>Clusters</Level1>
         <Level2>Local master-plan functionality</Level2>
      </Keyword>
   </Header>
   <GeneralSection>
      <Paragraph>Master-plan functionality enables you to perform forecasting and
		inventory planning. To enable you to perform these activities not only on the
		central level, on non-clustered items, but also decentralized, on clustered
		items, ERP Enterprise provides
		master-plan functionality for clustered items. Aggregation and disaggregation
		of forecasts, plans, and orders between the central office and the regional
		distribution centers and sales offices is also enabled through the use of
		master plans.</Paragraph>
      <Paragraph>Of course, master plan maintenance is not mandatory for
		clustered items. Available-to-promise information (ATP), in that case, is still
		available for clustered plan items, because you can obtain ATP information
		without a master plan.</Paragraph>
      <Paragraph>The use of a master plan which supports forecasting and
		inventory planning on clustered items is depicted below:</Paragraph>
      <Figure space-and-orientation="indented-estimated">
         <FigIntro>The following figure shows the sourcing possibilities for
		  clustered plan items:</FigIntro>
         <HTML:IMG xmlns:HTML="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" width="658" height="415"
                   SRC="../images/tr_graph_cl_clusters_local_master_plan_functionality.png"
                   alt="[...]"/>
      </Figure>
      <Note>
         <SectionTitle> Note</SectionTitle>
         <Paragraph>You can maintain a master plan for an item without using
		  master-based planning. Master-based planning is based on the bill of critical
		  materials and the bill of critical capacities. You can use order-based planning
		  instead of master-based planning.</Paragraph>
      </Note>
   </GeneralSection>
</ManualTopic>