Re: Users of MRP -- BPCS-L

From Al Macintyre

We are using MRP CAP DRP but not FOR on 405 CD mixed mode in the design 
engineering & manufacture to order (job shop) of Electrical Wiring Harnesses 
for several industries (see SIG) which of course is NOT the Food Industry.  
We have been on one version or another of BPCS for over 10 years.

These are extremely powerful & useful applications which can be a major 
assistance to your production & purchase planning, but you need to have 
accurate engineering information in various files, such as lead times, for 
them to work correctly.  You also need to have staff who understand the 
differences between general ERP theory & BPCS practice to use the system as 
it is designed to be used.

This means that your implementation plan must include some formal education 
in the BPCS modules you will be moving to.

Example of an area of risk when not using properly trained staff people, or 
good visibility of cumulative lead times ... MRP does not plan new orders 
past due.  Once an order has been created & it gets to be past due, MRP can 
help, but if the theoretical order is past due at time of creation, MRP does 
not create it.

Suppose a customer calls in a RUSH order in which some of the sub-component 
assemblies would have had to be made in the PAST prior to the customer call, 
to make the product in time.  Customer Service person keys in the customer 
requirement & hopes that MRP regen, which we run each night, will be able to 
cope Ok.  That is a false hope.

MRP does not generate an exception report listing all the stuff needed to 
make that requirement that cannot be done because it cannot plan with a time 
machine into the past, instead BPCS assumes we know what we are doing & that 
we will manually plan the past due portion of the order.

Since we very heavily use common sub-assemblies in our production, that cross 
customer parts & cross customers, this means a high risk that on the RUSH 
customer order we end up using stuff MRP planned for some other customer, and 
now we have a shortage.

Again ... this risk happens when there are staff who do not understand the 
differences between general ERP theory & how BPCS works, and when there is 
not good visibility of cumulative lead time ... when accepting a customer 
order change, it is critical to know if the requirement dates for all 
sub-components & raw materials affected involve dates that are before today, 
meaning a time machine is needed to get everything right & BPCS does not 
function in the time travel universe.

> From: Merl McGriff [SMTP:mmcgriff@REDGOLD.com]
>  
>  As a user of BPCS vs 6.0.04 - July Cum - I am looking for anyone who is
>  using the MRP/MPS/CAP/FST modules of BPCS in a manufacturing enviroment
>  (perferable a
>  food manufacture). We are currently not using these modules, but are
>  considering doing an MRP Implementation in the near future and are trying 
to
>  get a feel for what kinds of companies are using BPCS for their MRP 
process.
>  
>  
>  Anyone who replies, If you could give me your Company's name and what type
>  of product(s) you manufacture it would be greatly apprieciated. 
>  
>  Thank You in Advance For Your Replies!
>     
>  Merl McGriff
>  Corporate Project Manager
>  Red Gold, Inc.


MacWheel99@aol.com (Alister Wm Macintyre) (Al Mac)
AS/400 Data Manager & Programmer for BPCS 405 CD Rel-02 mixed mode (twinax 
interactive & batch) @ http://www.cen-elec.com Central Industries of 
Indiana--->Quality manufacturer of wire harnesses and electrical 
sub-assemblies - fax # 812-424-6838

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