Production Planner Academy
Run MRP, maintain bills of material and routings, and release work orders the shop floor can execute. 5 courses.
Course 1 · Products & materials master
Create and maintain products
Open the Products table. Create records with a unique SKU, name, unit of measure, product type (raw material, component, or finished good), and the compliance flags (ITAR, DFARS, AS9100) that apply.
Understand product types
Raw materials are purchased, components are consumed inside work orders, and finished goods are what you ship. The type drives how MRP treats the product.
Keep compliance data complete
For aerospace work, populate country of origin and any certification references on the product so procurement and shipping can reference them later.
Exercise
- Open the Products table and create one finished good with SKU FG-1001.
- Create two components that belong in its BOM (e.g., a machined bracket and a fastener).
- Verify UoM and type are set correctly on all three.
Completion criteria
- Finished good and components created
- Types and UoM verified
- Quiz answered correctly
Course 2 · Bills of material & routings
Build a bill of material
Open BOMs and create a BOM for the parent product. Add BOM Components rows: component product, quantity per parent, and scrap factor where applicable.
Define the routing
Add Routing Operations for each step (machining, inspection, assembly) with labor hours and machine standards. The routing tells the shop floor how to build the product.
Validate structure
Check the BOM covers every component the product needs. Missing components surface later as negative stock or incomplete work orders, so fix structure up front.
Exercise
- Create a BOM for FG-1001 with both components and quantity per parent.
- Add two routing operations with labor hours.
- Reopen the product and confirm the BOM and routing are linked.
Completion criteria
- BOM created with components
- Routing defined
- Quiz answered correctly
Course 3 · MRP runs & net requirements
Run the MRP engine
Trigger the MRP Run workflow from the MRP page. It reads demand (sales orders, open work orders), nets against supply (on-hand, open POs, planned orders), and writes requirement lines.
Read requirement lines
Open MRP Runs and their requirement lines. Understand gross requirement, on-hand, net requirement, and planned release date for each product.
Review planned orders
Planned orders are MRP's make-or-buy suggestion. Confirm the classification before converting: make orders become work orders, buy orders become purchase orders.
Exercise
- Trigger an MRP run after confirming open demand.
- Open the requirement lines and explain any net requirement for FG-1001.
- Review planned orders and classify each as make or buy.
Completion criteria
- MRP run executed
- Requirement lines reviewed
- Quiz answered correctly
Course 4 · Work order release & management
Convert planned orders to work orders
Run the Convert Make Planned Orders workflow. Each planned order becomes a Work Order with components pulled from the BOM.
Schedule and prioritize
Review work order due dates against promised dates and capacity. Resequence priorities so the shop floor knows what matters first.
Track execution
Monitor work order status and component readiness on the Work Orders Workbench custom page. Escalate late or short work orders early.
Exercise
- Convert one make planned order into a work order.
- Open the work order and confirm its components match the BOM.
- Set a priority and confirm the due date.
Completion criteria
- Work order converted from planned order
- Components verified
- Quiz answered correctly
Course 5 · Planning exceptions & KPIs
Handle shortages
When net requirements exceed supply, review the horizon. Options: expedite an open PO, create a new buy planned order, or move a work order date.
Review planning KPIs
Use the MRP dashboard and requirement lines to watch: coverage days, exception lines, open work order load, and planned vs. actual completion.
Iterate the plan
MRP is a cycle, not a one-off. Re-run regularly, keep demand current, and reconcile exceptions each cycle.
Exercise
- Identify one exception line from the last MRP run.
- Decide the corrective action and apply it.
- Re-run MRP and confirm the exception clears.
Completion criteria
- Exception identified and resolved
- KPI review performed
- Quiz answered correctly