Dear DS Experts,
This is not much of an SAP question but a more fundamental one.Since this is an open ended question. you are free to make assumptions.
There are many ways to map a resource for the purpose of capacity evaluation and loading work. I can map 3 packing lines doing identical jobs as single resource. I can also map each one of them + the person manning the end of packing line a one resource. I can map the persons manning all 3 packing lines a s single resource and each line a separate resource.
Assume clean slate APO only implementation - what motivations and assumptions of "convenience" should drive mapping of resources in APO (for that matter any APS system) based on physical world such that it can make lives easy for everyone post implementation,- system, consultants, planners and managers.
My knowledge of APS is not from SAP and it is limited to discrete manufacturing when every machine was a unique resource and so was every "skill". I find it hard to visualize the same in a fully automatic continuous batch process industry. As an example assume a factory converting juice concentrate in bulk into several SKU's. The only point of differentiation in the whole process in the packing lines.
An not so related question
If a tank is meant for both storage of the intermediate product temporarily as well as for mixing and temperature control before packing, what resource type should that "tank" be defined as - Multi activity or Single mixed or multi mixed resource ?. Sorry I haven't yet managed to assimilate the definitions in SAP.
Thanks