Flexible applications of MRP based prototyping software for production planning and diversified raw material inventory management

This study aimed to employ a prototype material requirement planning (MRP) software for efficient production planning and rawmaterial inventory management. A case study involving an establishment manufacturing various pieces of medical equipment was considered. Its large number of products resulted in a large number of spare parts and frequent product design changes. Unsystematic raw material management and delayed material inspection were identified as key problems. First, data related to the production planning process were gathered. The problems of inventory, raw material, and warehouse management were analyzed using a fishbone chart. A solution was then obtained using software that implemented MRP principles to calculate and manage spare parts sufficiently for production. After implementing the new system, the production planning time was reduced to 9 h and 34 min (by 34.78%), and the process was reduced to 11 sub-steps (by 61.11%). Additionally, the accuracy before and after the use of the software was compared considering a 24-week period. The resulting accuracy ranged from 95–99 %. The results indicate that the software works efficiently; it can be used to reduce the cost of ordering raw materials is flexible and ideal for industries that generate a large number of spare parts.