Can MRP create PO suggestions for mfrd parts without creating jobs?

Kinetic ERP
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We have a need to bring in raw materials in accordance with a customer’s quarterly PO of a forecasted need of a mix of manufactured parts and qtys. However, we give them flexibility to select on a shorter timeframe which specific manufactured parts and quantity mix to make from these raw materials.

So, we need to have PO demand for raw materials, but the PO demand cannot be based on jobs.

I thought Epicor Forecasts of the customer’s forecasted manufactured parts might work. I tried adding a forecast for one of the manufactured parts, then MRP, then Generate PO Suggestions. But no PO suggestions were created for the raw materials. Also, no jobs were created by MRP, although Planning Workbench recommended increasing the qty of an existing job.

Is there a way to have MRP create PO suggestions for a manufactured part without creating jobs?

Or, if I use Forecasts, is the only way to do it will be by forecasting all the raw materials? If I do it this way, I don’t see how forecasted qtys will be consumed, especially if the jobs are make-to-stock.

1 Like
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Just curious, a few questions…
How accurate have the customers forecasts been?
Your goal is to have materials on hand to shorten your lead/response times?
If Forecast doesn’t work, maybe MPS?
Or worst case… set min/max on the part masters for your materials… at least any of them with a long lead times?

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Sorry for the delay - things got crazy there for a while.

How accurate have the customers forecasts been?
Moderately accurate. Part of the challenge is supply chain issues, which affects the possible product mixes.

Your goal is to have materials on hand to shorten your lead/response times?
Yes, especially for the long leadtime parts.

If Forecast doesn’t work, maybe MPS?
Yes, but I think MPS has the same concern as forecasts: that it will end up generating jobs in order to create PO demand.

Or worst case… set min/max on the part masters for your materials… at least any of them with a long lead times?
That doesn’t really work due to the costs involved, and the needs changing on a quarterly basis.