Production and materials planning guide
Model-based material planning reviews product models and quantities from different orders in a shared period view. Model requirements are considered alongside valid product structures, inventory, reservations and open supply to clarify which materials are needed for which orders and periods.
Choose which orders, model groups and production periods will be reviewed together. Separate confirmed orders, production requests and their dates so the demand basis remains clear.
Check that order lines match the correct model, item code and, where applicable, colour, size or measurement variants. Duplicate records for the same model under different codes can split or misgroup requirements.
Verify that the bill of material or production recipe used for each model is the valid version. Variant-specific differences should already be represented in the company’s product structure; the purpose here is to confirm the plan uses the right model data, not to redefine that structure.
Bring model quantities from orders together with their material data in the relevant planning periods. Review total demand for shared materials across models while retaining model, order and due-date detail for traceability.
Check available warehouse quantities, reserved stock, expected output from production in progress and open purchase deliveries. Assess whether material will be available by the planned requirement date; a total stock figure alone is not enough.
Compare model-material periods showing shortages or excesses with source orders and records. Reassess after correcting quantities, dates, model codes or stock information, and confirm decisions with production and materials-planning owners.
Example: two customer orders require 60 and 40 units of the same model in the same planning period. The plan can show a total of 100 units for the model while retaining customer order and due-date detail. Material requirements derived from model data can be grouped for shared item codes; lines that differ by variant or due date remain separate. Finally, stock, reservations and open supply are checked against each requirement date.
Order 1
60
Order 2
40
Period total · same model
100
It helps review model quantities from multiple orders and their material requirements together by period. Total demand for shared materials becomes visible while retaining the order or model that created each requirement.
A consolidated view is useful when orders use the same material and compatible production or delivery periods. Preserve detail where variants, quality requirements, warehouses, lots or due dates differ; do not merge incompatible requirements into one total.
Determine whether the product or material changes by variant. If material demand differs by variant, track the corresponding codes and quantities separately; if the material is shared, requirements can be aggregated in the correct unit and period.
The model-level view helps identify which products, models and order groups create demand. An MRP run evaluates that demand against bills of material, inventory and open supply to produce the material plan. Item codes, periods and quantities should be consistent across both views.
When using model totals, retain order, variant and due-date detail. Well-grouped requirements support shared material preparation, while traceable source records help investigate planning differences.
Continue with guides, products and resources related to this topic.
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ERP GuidesManage material readiness by considering production plans, inventory records and open supply together in the MRP process.
ERP GuidesTrack the operation, resource and quantity status of production orders to make delays visible.
