Surface Item Prod BOM Component Availability on the Enhanced Planning Worksheet

MRP’s logic for the last 40+ years presumes that BOM component demand will be sufficed via the creation of PO’s, and the receipt of PO lines, in time for the Prod Order for the upper level parent to be released on its Start Date.  In a perfect world, all PO lines are received and the parent’s Prod Order can be released without any component shortages.  We all know this is very wishful thinking and not reality.

Currently when using the Planning Worksheet (and possibly the Enhanced Planning Worksheet?), a user would have to perform the following to determine if the top level parent has enough component availability to either create a top level prod order, or release an existing top level prod order that was created in anticipation all of the purchased components, or subassemblies, are in stock and available for picking:

• From the Planning Worksheet, for the parent litem BC is recommending the create the creation of a Prod Order, use the Item Availability by BOM Level to view component availability
• If the parent item prod order has been created, but not released to production, use the Job Shortage report…or the Item Availability by BOM Level function from the Prod Orders line.

My suggestion is this:  When the Enhanced Planning Worksheet is generated, if a planned prod order for the upper level parent is recommended:  Have the Enhanced Planning Worksheet display the recommendation to create a planned production order in a color (e.g., green) if all of the upper level parent’s BOM components are available in inventory.  This is similar functionality that the OFW uses to determine if all of the SO line items are available to ship (SO is displayed in green); if the SO lines are not available, the SO is displayed in red.

Basically, my recommendation is to have the EPW perform an “Item Availability by BOM Level” check when the EPW is generated.  Display in green if the recommendation to create the upper level prod order can be fully picked if all BOM components are available.

MxAPS may have this functionality built-in, but it would be great if this functionality can be built into the EPW.