What does ATP stand for?
| Full form | Available-to-Promise |
|---|---|
| Category | Business & work |
| Type | Initialism |
The initialism ATP stands for Available-to-Promise in supply planning. It concerns the quantity and timing that a system can propose for an order in its configured availability-check context.
A stock count and an order confirmation are different records. SAP’s documentation describes requests with material, plant, quantity and availability date, and checks that can consider receipts, concurrent orders and other restrictions. The quantity physically on hand is therefore not by itself a complete promise for a new order.
Meaning in context
- Available
- The supply considered within the relevant check, including its timing and configured scope.
- to-Promise
- The order-confirmation context, rather than a statement that every unit on hand is uncommitted.
Practical examples
Separate stock and commitments
- Before
There are 50 units on hand, so all 50 are automatically promised to this new order.
- After
In an illustrative same-date example with no other adjustments, 50 units of supply minus 20 already committed leaves 30 before considering the new order.
The original arithmetic separates a stock number from a previously committed quantity. It is a simplified teaching example, not a complete ERP result or actual shipping promise.
Keep the requested date
- Before
A future receipt proves this order is available on any earlier date.
- After
Ask which receipts and requirements the availability check considers for the requested material, plant and date.
A dated receipt and an earlier requested availability are different records. The example does not assume a configured rule, actual stock or delivery commitment.
Original illustrative examples, not quotations or reports of actual events.
Use ATP with clarity
Why can available-to-promise differ from the stock quantity I see on hand?
See all guidance
Read a stock figure
Ask what is on hand separately from what has already been committed.
A stock quantity is one input, not the complete confirmation.
Read a confirmation
Keep the proposed quantity and date attached to the order context.
The record names material, plant, quantity and availability date.
Ask about a difference
Ask which supply, receipts, requirements and checking scope were considered.
Which dated records explain this ATP proposal?
The illustration uses one same-date quantity and one commitment figure in the same units. A real confirmation depends on dated supply, requirements and the configured checking scope.
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By AcronymIndex Editorial Team · Editorial policy