Material Resource Planning (MRP) Management Planning
Your company’s approach to materials resource planning (MRP) makes a difference throughout every step of your production process. Effective MRP management is essential for developing efficient master production schedules, minimizing overstock, and making timely procurements of resources needed to create your products. Many companies use paper-based MRP systems, filling out and collecting signatures and reviews, but doing so can limit your ability to reliably deliver high-quality products. By contrast, a software-based solution can streamline workflows, saving time and money where it will make the most impact.
MRP management is the set of processes used to implement, oversee, and apply materials resource planning (MRP), a set of processes and tools that are used to monitor inventory levels, anticipate material requirements, and procure these resources as needed during the production process.
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The Planning Process
Usually, MRP management planning is undertaken by an MRP planner, a professional who is experienced with schedule development and requirement assessment. The planning process may include several determinations, including:
- Transition plans: If your company already has a paper-based material requirement planning system in place, you should weigh the costs and benefits of switching to solutions that are entirely or partially electronic.
- Feature identification: The MRP software and tools you use should meet your company’s needs. Important considerations include whether the software collects relevant data, integrates with your existing MES/ERP/MOM systems, and is easy to use.
- Direction and oversight: The planning process should include a discussion of who will take charge of the MRP solution once it’s in place. This may be the MRP planner or another role.
What Are the Features and Benefits of MRP Management Planning?
The major benefit of effective MRP management planning is that your company will select, implement, and use a materials resource planning solution that is adapted to your specific business needs. The MRP management planning process can result in a solution that will enhance your ability to maintain delivery timelines, control costs, and:
- Develop master schedules: MRP tools give you the information you need to develop more accurate and complete master production schedules.
- Monitor inventory levels: Real-time inventory monitoring lets you minimize excess stock and reduce the occurrence of bottlenecks that can delay delivery.
- Perform data analysis: Resource level monitoring provides the raw data needed for sophisticated historical and predictive analysis.
Who Can Benefit from MRP Management Planning?
Companies who don’t currently have an automated materials resource planning solution would gain significantly from a comprehensive MRP management planning process. In particular, the following roles would see direct benefits in their areas of work:
- Supervisors: Supervisors can use materials resource planning data to create reports on production processes, respond to audits, and conduct recalls more effectively.
- Engineers: Your engineers will use the data gathered by the MRP solution to improve their process flows, supporting production accuracy and delivery time.
- Line Workers: Finding the right solution can help line workers complete their tasks efficiently and in compliance with regulation and cGxP.
If your company has a manual or hybrid (half paper, half electronic) MRP system in place, considering alternatives that are more usable, integral, or automated may result in many of the same benefits. Well-integrated software solutions have multiple advantages over common paper-based material requirement planning processes, including automatic calculations, reduced waste, better regulatory and cGxP compliance, and more.
MasterControl MRP Management Planning Solution
MasterControl Manufacturing Excellence solutions can provide smart, adaptable MRP management functionality that supports modern smart manufacturing principles and your company’s digital transformation journey. Our software can augment or integrate with your company’s existing ERP, MES, or MOM production systems to kickstart your MRP processes. Manufacturing Excellence is designed with the end user in mind, and can drive short- and long-term cost savings for your company by:
- Reducing production cycle times: By eliminating bottlenecks and accurately predicting resource needs, MRP material requirement planning software can reduce your production start to end times.
- Conducting faster, more accurate recalls: Accessible, human-readable resource logs make it easier to identify affected lots during mandated product recalls.
- Analyzing current stock levels and predicting future needs: Our MRP solutions gather data that can be used to predict resource needs, especially when integrated with an MRP II or ERP system.
- Reducing errors and increasing compliance. Our innovative solution features a user-friendly UI that makes it easy to develop convenient forms that drive compliance and accuracy.
Learn More
To find out more about MasterControl Manufacturing Excellence and how it simplifies MRP management, please contact a MasterControl representative.
The QMS Provider for the FDA
MasterControl Inc. and its partner, i4DM, are expanding their FDA project, serving as the QMS providers for a second FDA division. The two companies have been the QMS providers for the FDA's Office of Regulatory Affairs since 2009. Now they will also serve as quality providers for the Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis, which is part of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
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