MPR Detailed Course Information

1. The Business Planning Process

• Identify and describe the elements of master planning of resources
• Identify and describe the levels of the planning hierarchy
• Describe and distinguish the roles in the planning process that product volume and product mix play
• Describe the elements of business planning
• Identify and describe the inputs to a business plan
• Identify and describe several manufacturing environments

2. Forecasting Demand

• Explain why forecasting is important
• Identify and describe general methods of forecasting
• Identify factors influencing demand
• Describe considerations in using data for forecasts
• Outline the process of data decomposition

3. Demand Management and Customer Service

• Describe how forecast accuracy is measured
• Explain why and how a forecast should be monitored
• Discuss some reasons why forecasts are inaccurate
• Identify the elements of customer service
• Explain the key elements of quick response and the reason for its importance

4. Distribution Planning

• Identify business strategies related to distribution planning
• List and describe the objectives of a distribution system
• Describe the basic distribution system model
• Discuss the relationship of transportation and safety stock to the number of distribution centers
• Identify and describe quantitative and qualitative factors in distribution center site selection
• Describe the integration of distribution and manufacturing
• Explain the basic concepts of transportation and freight management

5. The Sales and Operations Planning Process

• Describe the ongoing sales and operations planning process and its relationship within master planning of resources
• Explain the role of volume and mix in the sales and operations planning process
• Describe the steps in the sales and operations planning process
• Distinguish between the terms sales and operations planning and production plan
• Identify the participants and the decision-makers in the sales and operations planning process
• Describe the inputs and outputs of the sales and operations planning process
• Identify and describe production methods used in sales and operations planning
• Identify and briefly describe the steps in the resource planning process

6. The Master Scheduling Process

• Briefly describe the master scheduling process as it relates to overall master planning of resources
• Show how projected available balance is calculated and explain why it is important to the master scheduling process
• Distinguish between the terms master scheduling process and master production schedule
• Identify inputs to the master scheduling process
• Demonstrate how to calculate available to promise as well as when and where it is used
• Distinguish between types of bills of material used in master scheduling
• Describe where and how a planning bill of material may be used in master scheduling

7. Managing the Master Scheduling Process

• Describe the tradeoffs of inventory, production, customer service, and profitability
• Describe time fences and their uses
• Describe hedges and how they are used in master scheduling
• Describe the rough-cut capacity planning process and its uses
• Identify the uses of a multilevel master production schedule and show how it is calculated
• Describe the final assembly schedule and how it is used

8. Measuring Performance and Validating the Plan

• Identify and discuss performance measures of master scheduling
• Identify and discuss elements of the customer service measurement process
• Explain why it is important to measure forecast performance
• Identify and discuss ways in which the sales and operations planning process is reviewed
• Identify and discuss elements of a master scheduling policy