What is external pattern in SAP (CA-DDF-RT - Demand Data Foundation for Retail)?

SAP Term: external pattern

• Component: CA-DDF-RT

• Component Name: Demand Data Foundation for Retail

• Description: Set of external demand-related data that can be used as alternative input for modeling and forecasting. Typically, external pattern data consists of past and future KPIs such as customer footfalls or store traffic, sales figures or volumes, or other customer-specific metrics. External pattern data is helpful if there are specific periods of the year where consumer demand is difficult to forecast. Typically, this is caused by a complex combination of influencing factors that changes fromyear to year. Using the external pattern data as an alternative to the regular input data can then enhance both modeling and forecasting.

Smart SAP Assistant

• Key Concepts: 
  External pattern is a feature of the Demand Data Foundation for Retail (CA-DDF-RT) component of SAP. It is used to define the external data sources that are used to provide data for the Demand Data Foundation. This includes external sources such as POS systems, ERP systems, and other external sources. 
  
  How to use it: 
  External pattern is used to define the external data sources that are used to provide data for the Demand Data Foundation. This includes defining the source type, source name, and source parameters. Once defined, the external pattern can be used to access the data from the external source and use it in the Demand Data Foundation. 
  
  Tips & Tricks: 
  When defining an external pattern, it is important to ensure that all of the necessary parameters are specified correctly. This will ensure that the data from the external source can be accessed correctly and used in the Demand Data Foundation. 
  
  Related Information: 
  For more information on how to use external pattern in SAP, please refer to the SAP Help documentation on Demand Data Foundation for Retail (CA-DDF-RT).