Mandatory Prerequisites:
The learner must have attended the following Instructor-Led Workshop:
• o9 Retail Functional Training Workshop

The learner ideally should have completed the following o9 Academy courses:
• Introduction to Merchandise Financial Planning: Functional Overview
• R2024.09: Retail New Features and Enhancements

Target Audience:
Analysts, Solution Architects, Planners, Configurators/Implementers

About the Course:
Release 2024.12 introduces new features and enhancements to Retail Merchandise Financial Planning (MFP), improving functionality, alignment, and user experience. Updates include tools for integrated product and location planning, inventory re-coding, enhanced scenario planning, and process monitoring. These features provide planners with advanced capabilities to streamline operations, enhance accuracy, and drive better financial outcomes.

The new features covered in this course include:
• Integrated Product and Location Plan
• Inventory Re-coding

The enhancements covered in this course include:
• Scenario Planning
• Process Monitor

Learning Objectives:
• Learn to align and merge plans using the Integrated Product and Location Plan feature.
• Understand how to plan and validate inventory across seasons using Inventory Re-coding.
• Gain insights into scenario planning with a redesigned UI to evaluate multiple outcomes.
• Develop proficiency in process monitoring for improved task management and real-time feedback.
• Master workflows to enhance accuracy and ensure alignment with strategic objectives.

The 2024.12 release enhances MFP with features that simplify complex planning processes, improve alignment across plans, and enhance user efficiency. These tools help businesses optimize financial planning, mitigate risks, and achieve strategic goals.

Please continue reading below to explore each feature and its practical applications.

Integrated Product and Location Plan
The Balance Plan and Merge Plan views in the Location Planning workspace align the Location Plan (LP) with Bottom-Up Product Plan (BUPP) values. This alignment eliminates deviations at the Division x Location level and provides planners with tools to create a merged plan at the Class x Location level. These features enhance plan consistency and facilitate better decision-making.

Inventory Re-coding
The new Inventory Recoding view in the OTB Plan workspace allows planners to manage inventory transitions across seasons by recalculating Ending on-hand inventory. Key validations ensure that errors like negative values or mismatched inventory transitions are addressed promptly, helping users maintain accurate and actionable plans.

Scenario Planning (Enhancement)
A redesigned scenario planning interface allows users to seamlessly adjust drivers across pre-built scenarios, such as Conservative and Optimistic. This enhancement empowers planners to evaluate multiple outcomes, align with business objectives, and prepare for uncertainties.

Process Monitor (Enhancement)
The enhanced Process Monitor introduces features like dynamic date editability, real-time status indicators, and automated updates for overdue tasks. These tools reduce manual efforts, enhance accuracy, and ensure seamless task progress tracking and alignment with organizational goals.

These updates empower MFP users with streamlined workflows, enhanced planning capabilities, and improved accuracy, driving strategic decision-making and operational excellence.