In this 2hr video several ERP & MRPII methods of planning and managing finished goods inventory are provided to drive home the need for effective long-range scheduling and planning. This includes a look at each of the major topics that exist under the ERP/MRPII umbrella for long-range planning, i.e., the methods and uses of Business Planning; Production Planning; Resource Planning; and Master Scheduling. Shipments Forecast, Production Planning Bills and Customer Promise Strategies are presented as Demand Management tools to offset a projected crisis simulated via Master Production Scheduling (MPS) and Resource Capacity Planning (RCP).

Mid-Range Planning, from 1 to 3 months into the future, is the focus of this 2hr video. The Master Production Schedule (MPS) is a time-phased statement of commitment by a company to a given production schedule. Resource Capacity Planning helps to determine future loads on the factory, inventory investment, production, delivery time, and service. "Available-to-Promise" planning logic is probably the most valuable aspect of MPS in relation to enhanced customer service and on-time delivery. Material Requirements Planning (MRP) features and functions provide precise time-phased projections of component requirements so that time-in-inventory may be minimized. It also provides the input for detailed production capacity planning and to test for near-term component and raw material availability problems.

Here we look at traditional methods for scheduling and releasing manufacturing orders. Finished goods, sub-assembly, and component requirements are discussed with emphasis on dispatching, capacity projections, status reporting, and inventory functions required to support and execute MRP & MPS production quantities. The tools of work order management, and detailed capacity planning will be utilized to properly schedule and load production areas without the constraint of material shortages or machine/assembly loading problems. Material & equipment failures, strategic interventions and work orders, shop-floor dispatch lists, and detailed capacity planning are also provided. This 2hr video ends with a discussion of implementation requirements that are often overlooked by many companies and includes an in depth look at what it takes to motivate the work force.