For more detailed information about these and other features, see the NDS Online Help
or click on the desired link below to view details about that feature.
Forecasting, MPS & MRP Planning
NDS Planning includes the Material Requirements Planning (MRP), Master Production Scheduling (MPS), Statistical Forecasting, Proxy Item Planning, and Reorder Point Applications.
Material Requirements Planning allows users to shape their material planning process to fit their business. In addition to applying industry standard MRP logic, it provides user definable time periods and retains the planning data in both bucketless and bucketed forms. The lag time between scheduled receipt and inventory availability is user defined. The MRP operates in the simulation mode with an authorization step. After regeneration of the MRP and management approval, the new plan may be released to the system in the form of planned orders and changes, or if determined to be unacceptable; the MRP can be regenerated without affecting the production system. MRP can be calculated for a single plant or a group of plants. Managing material plans is simplified by the way in which data is viewed in the system. For example, an inquiry can be made which displays the complete plan for a part, including planned and released orders, projected available inventory and pegged requirements; or a simple inquiry which displays messages only. As planned orders are authorized, the capacity plan is automatically maintained. As well as the usual bucketed inquiries and reports, all of the calculation and pegging detail is available from the MRP results.
Master Production Schedule has multi-warehouse / plant capability and is designed to set production schedules in just-in-time, make-to- order, make-to-stock and repetitive environments. MPS is designed to accept forecast data from a variety of sources and the MPS may be presented in units or currency. The MPS is bucketless with a user-defined series of reporting periods for easy reference. The master scheduler establishes three planning time fences: the planning horizon, the firm planning time fence and the demand time fence (when MPS is frozen). The planner can maintain planning exception messages and priority and filter levels for each message. A wide range of planning characteristics can be established at the item and plan level to define the planning rules. As planned orders are authorized, the capacity plan is automatically maintained. The MPS includes features such as statistical forecasting, independent forecast, rounding mechanism definition, variable period size and abnormal demand masks.
Forecasting uses sales data to calculate forecasts of future activity according to rules set up for each item. It provides seasonality, item grouping, user defined alpha smoothing and safety factors. The forecast calculation results are merged by the application with any manually entered forecasts prior to being processed by MPS or Reorder Point.
The Material Proxy Planning is used in environments where a variety of similar materials can be used to create a parent item. Planners determine which components will be used to create a parent item by each item's specifications rather than the parent item's bill of material, parts lists, drawings, etc. The planner creates a short term relationship between a set of materials and parent items according to the specifications required by the parent item and those provided by the materials. The decision as to which material will be used on a work order is deferred until the work order is released.
The Reorder point application provides for retail and distribution center replenishment. It performs reorder point calculations and generates orders automatically. Sales forecasts can be included in the reorder point calculations. This module provides for a quick look at either a single item or items that currently have demand. In addition, it may be used in conjunction with the work order release application to generate replenishment orders from MPS and MRP planned supply orders.
For more detailed information about these and other features, see the NDS Online Help
or click on the desired link above to view details about that feature.
