Materials Requirement Planning or MRP is an important functional requirement for any manufacturing organization. This is especially true for large businesses which have a number of different manufacturing lines with numerous products and complex manufacturing processes.
An automated MRP solution looks to properly source the materials & inventory to meet production requirements, and plan & schedule the shop floor to optimize the production process. Therefore the choice of an appropriate MRP solution is a critical decision that large manufacturers have to make.
At ITQlick we can provide large businesses with recommended solutions, which can aid them in their selection process.
In order to do this ITQlick has reviewed numerous manufacturing MRP software solutions and evaluated them against some important factors which are relevant to these organizations. First, we have considered the comprehensiveness of the MRP functionality, and the extent of industry best practices that are incorporated into the software.
Then we checked the scope of the technology infrastructure needed, evaluated the ease of use of the software, and how the software can integrate with the current systems already available.
Finally, we have checked the scalability of the product to meet the growth & expansion requirements of the organization. Based on this, our list of solutions is as follows.
1. Epicor Manufacturing
Epicor Manufacturing offers a comprehensive MRP solution that includes support for lean manufacturing which focuses on quality improvement & production optimization. Additionally advanced planning & scheduling supports a wide variety of process & mixed mode manufacturing requirements that meet the needs of both discrete & process manufacturers.
This enables large businesses to utilize the software in multiple industrial settings, and it is flexible to be deployed on-premise and either as a hosted or cloud-based solution based on the business requirements. Given that most large businesses generally are looking to consolidate their software infrastructure on one enterprise solution platform with an MRP, Epicor Manufacturing offers a good option to do just that.
2. Datacor Chempax
This MRP solution is focused on the specific needs of chemical distributors. Datacor Chempax includes a recipe formulator for chemical production which can be interfaced with the laboratory, along with manufacturing requirements for this process.
The product utilizes a unique collaboration platform that can be accessed throughout the organization via mobile devices. This allows real-time planning & scheduling controls, and easy access to safety information & regulations for chemicals management & processing. Additionally, there is analytics with dashboard support to effectively monitor the production process and reduce stoppages.
3. ECI M1
ECI M1 can handle make-to-order, mixed mode manufacturing, and custom solutions for unique manufacturing processes of a particular organization. There is a shop floor data collection module with advanced planning & scheduling, job cost & analysis, purchasing & materials management, and quality management.
The application supports mobile device access, a flexible product configurator to optimize inventory planning, and can be customized to match process requirements as well. With its own suite of enterprise applications, ECI M1 provides large manufacturers a flexible but reasonably priced solution that can scale to their growth requirements.
4. SAP Manufacturing
SAP Manufacturing includes effective resource management to ensure proper allocation to production responsibilities, and mapping of the full production value chain so that the cycle from materials to product completion is fully optimized.
SAP Manufacturing supports lean manufacturing for quality improvement and outsourced manufacturing to support the production process. Additionally, it provides in-depth analytics to monitor performance, match production operations with KPIs, and address capacity & material constraints as required.
With mobile device support and real-time information access, SAP Manufacturing provides large businesses with a powerful solution to control the full production process.
5. IFS Manufacturing
IFS Manufacturing handles different manufacturing processes including batch, discrete, repetitive project manufacturing, and blended manufacturing needs, giving large enterprises a wide array of options in a multi-production business.
The product supports lean manufacturing and Kanban which focuses on pull-based planning for manufacturing optimization, and Failure Mode & Effect Analysis to determine process deficiencies and aid in improvement.
Another important feature is its material compliance forecasting that sources inventory based on projected production needs, so that storage costs are reduced, while production is enhanced. IFS Manufacturing is a good choice for large businesses that need a comprehensive MRP solution that can be configured easily to their requirements.