Integrating MRP and inventory requires choosing the right MRP system, evaluating its features, and ensuring compatibility with existing inventory data. Accurate data is crucial to prevent material shortages or overstocks, and special features like location-specific inventory and automatic ordering can benefit operations.
Integrating material requirements planning (MRP) with inventory is easy to do if you make the right preparations when choosing and configuring your MRP system. MRP is a software system designed to keep the right amount of inventory in stock, so MRP and inventory work well together. To best integrate MRP and inventory, evaluate available MRP systems and determine which one fits your company’s cost and characteristics. The features included in MRP systems vary widely, so it’s important to get a system that works within your company’s budget while providing the inventory and integration capabilities your company needs.
When choosing an MRP with inventory integration in mind, you need to find an MRP system that uses file types that are compatible with the current means of storing inventory data. This is especially important if you’ve already loaded a large amount of accurate inventory data into an existing system. The best way to make sure you’re able to move your old inventory information to a new system that handles MRP and inventory is to check your current inventory system for a way to export inventory files. When exporting an inventory file, check the file extension on the inventory file and look for an MRP system that handles the type of file exported by your current inventory program. This can save a lot of time because it can prevent you from having to re-enter information into the new system.
Each MRP system has its own means of integrating inventory within the MRP. Before importing inventory data into MRP, please ensure that any current inventory data you have is accurate before entering it into the new system. Without accurate data, your MRP and inventory information will be incorrect, which could lead to costly and unexpected material overstocks and shortages, defeating the purpose of maintaining your MRP and inventory data. Running out of materials when production is underway can lead to delays or wasted materials and labor costs that can hurt a business.
Special features on an MRP that can benefit operations when integrating MRP and inventory include location-specific inventory features, automatic ordering of needed materials, and future material demand calculations. Location-specific inventory features include the ability to make inventory in certain locations unavailable to business locations within the MRP. This can ensure that business locations use local inventory for materials. Some MRP systems also make calculations that predict how much of a particular material your business will need in the future, or automatically sort commonly used materials to prevent a business from running out of needed manufacturing materials.
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