See the shortage.See what’s needed.Review, then order.
See what materials your orders need, what you already have, and what to buy, with a planner deciding before anything is ordered.
The requirement reaches a planner.
Follow one MRP run
Planning hand wash FG-220 for the next weeks. Five stages, from demand to a draft purchase order a planner approves.
Demand becomes component needs
Formulas and bills of materials explode level by level into component needs.
MRP: workflow and records
1. Demand becomes component needs
Formulas and bills of materials explode level by level into component needs.
Process (kg) and discrete (each) items plan on the same run.
Demand is bucketed by week over the horizon you set.
- Master schedule
- Master production scheduling and planning scenarios are part of MRP.
Needs are only as right as your formulas and bills of materials.
FG-220 · Hand wash 500 ml
Week 44 demand · 6,000 units
- Bulk HW-BASE
- 3,000 kg
- ↳ Surfactant RM-14
- 420 kg
- Bottle 500 ml
- 6,000 ea
- Pump cap
- 6,000 ea
- Levels
- 3 · kg and ea together
Multi-level, in weekly buckets.
2. Netted Against Usable Stock
Released lots are used earliest-expiry first against weekly need.
Lots that will expire before use are flagged rather than counted.
Safety stock, reorder point, quantity and lead time come from each item's settings.
- Formula
- Net = gross − usable on-hand − scheduled receipts + safety stock.
The calculation is fixed maths from your settings, not an AI forecast.
RM-14 Surfactant · week 44
Gross to net
- Gross need
- 420 kg
- Released stock
- − 150 kg
- Lot expires wk 43
- Not counted · EXPIRING
- Open PO due wk 43
- − 100 kg
- Net + safety 50
- 220 kg to buy
Earliest-expiry lots are used first.
3. See what drove each need
Every buy line shows the chain from finished good to the material.
Firm sales orders are separated from forecast quantities week by week.
Planners can judge how much of a buy rests on forecast.
- Forecasts
- Where you use forecasts, they are entered or imported by you.
AI demand forecasting is coming soon; forecast quantities today are your own.
Peg · RM-14 · 220 kg
Week 44
- SO-4402 · Customer A
- Firm · 140 kg
- SO-4418 · Customer B
- Firm · 30 kg
- Forecast wk 44
- 50 kg
- Chain
- FG-220 → HW-BASE → RM-14
- Planner
- Can trim forecast share
Firm orders separated from forecast.
4. Suggestions grouped into draft purchase orders
Buy lines group by preferred supplier into draft purchase orders.
The planner checks quantities, minimums and lead times, then approves.
Where the supplier portal is on your plan and set up, the supplier can be notified.
- Reorder suggestions
- Where on your plan, reorder suggestions propose orders from consumption, lead time and safety stock; a buyer decides.
A planner approves every purchase order. The supplier portal is Professional and Enterprise.
Draft PO · Supplier C
From this run
- RM-14 Surfactant
- 250 kg · MOQ rounded
- RM-09 Fragrance
- 25 kg
- Supplier status
- Approved
- Lead time
- 2 weeks · order by wk 42
- Status
- Draft · planner review
Nothing is ordered until a planner approves.
5. Save the run and compare
Save a run as a snapshot of buys, planned work orders and exceptions.
Compare a past run with the current picture before approving.
Approve to lock the plan, or archive it.
- Capacity
- Planned work orders go to the schedule board for capacity checks.
Recommendations must be reviewed against stock, lead times and constraints.
MRP runs
History
- Run 14 Oct
- Approved · locked
- Run 7 Oct
- Archived
- Δ vs current
- + 2 buy lines
- Exceptions
- 1 expiring lot · 1 late PO
- Planned WOs
- 3
Each saved run keeps its buys, work orders and exceptions.
MRP Between Sales Orders, Purchasing and the Schedule
Demand comes from sales orders and forecasts; draft orders go to purchasing; planned work orders go to the schedule.
- SchedulingLoad work orders onto lines and see the week at a glance.See Scheduling
- This pageMRPSee shortages early and draft purchase orders for a planner to approve.
- Sales & PurchasingQuote, order, purchase and receive in one flow.See Sales & Purchasing
- InventorySee each lot's location, quantity, hold status and order of use.See Inventory
AI and MRP
Requirements are calculated, purchases approved
Requirements are calculated, purchases approved
Ask V5 how demand, stock and material requirements produce planning suggestions. Reorder suggestions are rule-based; AI demand forecasting is coming soon.
Everything in this feature
What material planning draws on, and which plan each item needs. MRP itself is not listed separately in plan entitlements; ask us. Compare plans
Inventory and lots
All plansReleased stock and expiry dates.
Sales & purchasing
All plansSales orders as demand, purchase orders and receiving.
Visual scheduling
All plansWhere planned work orders land.
Reorder suggestions
Professional and EnterpriseSuggests orders from consumption, lead time and safety stock.
Supplier portal
Professional and EnterpriseNotify suppliers where set up.
Statistical demand forecast
Availability to confirmPer-item method from sales history; planners can override.
Supplier reorder requests
Availability to confirmSuppliers suggest a quantity from the supplier portal for items they supply; buyers convert it to a purchase order or dismiss it.
AI demand and yield forecasting: coming soon, not available today. Availability to confirm: the capability exists in V5, but which plans include it, and whether it is enabled for you, is not yet confirmed — ask us. MRP recommends; planners and buyers decide and approve. Recommendations require review against stock, lead times and configured constraints.
Explore the sample records.
Open a sample report to review its contents, supporting references and how the record is built.
UltimateSample report
Purchase Order
Buy & receive
- Ultimate
Sample register
Replenishment report (CSV)
Ship & trace
Production Planning & Material Readiness Buyer Guide
For planners, purchasing, operations and IT teams connecting demand, schedules, material needs and supplier orders. Use it with or without V5.
- The planning data you must own
- Demand: orders, forecasts and BOM revisions
- Material requirements with a worked example
- Capacity, calendars and a worked week
Plus Shortages, exceptions and plan changes; Purchasing and receiving handoffs; Actual versus plan, RACI and scored buyer tests.
Get the guideWe ask for your name and email so we can handle this request. The full guide then opens on this site, ready to translate, print or save. Privacy policy.
UltimateFree buyer guide
Production Planning & Material Readiness Buyer Guide
Straight answers.
What buyers ask us first about Production & Planning.
Does V5 replace our planning spreadsheet?
Scheduling and MRP give planners a board and suggested orders to review. Planners still decide what to run and when.
Can operators work from a tablet at the line?
Yes. The operator kiosk runs on tablets and shows one step at a time, recording what was done as the work happens.
Which plan includes electronic batch records?
Electronic batch and device records with e-signatures start on Professional. See Compare details on the pricing page for the full list.
More of the product
Start with one area. Add the rest when you are ready.
Warehouse & TraceabilityExplore 
This feature's areaProduction & PlanningExplore 
Quality & LaboratoryExplore 
Documents & TrainingExplore 
Equipment & PerformanceExplore 
Orders & IntegrationsExplore
Try a run with your own formulas and stock.
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