Materials-requirement-planning

Although this book is focused on material and capacity requirements planning from an MRP perspective, the information directly translates into ERP, making this book essential reading for anyone, business- or technically-oriented, in ERP. The reason is the techniques, issues and factors that this book covers are the same for either environment.

First, this book thoroughly describes materials management, workflow and production capacity, and does so in a clear manner. I especially appreciate the fact that the authors take pains to define and explain every term and concept that they introduce. This is a refreshing change from many book in which assumptions about the reader's knowledge is made, which often leads to frustration or misunderstanding. It also removes any ambiguity and ensures that terms that can have multiple meaning are placed into their proper context.

Second, some of the material is out of date. For example the cited limitations of MRP software applications that existed when this book was written in 1993 have long since been rectified in the newer ERP packages from SAP, Baan and J.D. Edwards. However, even in the obviously out-of-date sections of this book are hidden gems, such as the Class ABCD System that was first developed by Oliver Wright as a means of classifying the maturity of MRP implementations based on answers to a 35 question checklist. This checklist can be applied with virtually no modification to ERP systems. Other gems include the way the authors distill major concepts into their salient points, such as TQM, and show how they relate to MRP, again, the same comparisons can be applied to ERP.

The best thing about this book, however, is the detailed treatment of inventory control, materials requirements management, capacity planning and workflow - all of which are as integral to ERP as they are to the older MRP systems that this book describes. As you read this book you will gain an intimate knowledge of how everything works and fits together instead of a high-level conceptual understanding. That, in my opinion, is the best reason to get this book and thoroughly read it. In addition to this book I also recommend "Manufacturing Data Structures: Building Foundations for Excellence With Bills of Materials and Process Information" by Jerry Clement, John Sari and Andy Coldrick. That book adds the information systems perspective that is based on modern ERP systems and seamlessly augments the material in this book.

It provides elementary and important knowledge to those who are interested in implementation of MRPII/ ERP on factories

Without question this is the classic MRP text. Originally written in 1975, this 1994 updated version covers the basic logic and setup of MRP. Though most production and inventory management books cover MRP, they tend to cover it so quickly that if you didn't already understand MRP, you probably still won't after reading them. Orlicky's Material Requirements Planning moves more slowly and provides much more detail. It's also written in an easy to understand style that makes it great for beginners.

The book is not perfect, however. I would have liked to see more details on some topics such as planning bills and phantom bills. Also the structured approach that would lead you to believe you must have a formal Master Production Schedule (MPS) to run MRP is misleading (this is a common problem with virtually all MRP books). MRP can run fine being fed directly by the forecast in certain environments.

Probably the most important reason to read this book is the simple fact that it is likely the people that designed your MRP software used this book as a roadmap.

Everybody interested in MRP has seen Orlicky's book as a reference work. This book compliles it's work plus all the developments of this technique since its issue in the fifties. The beauty of this work is that it gathers all the pitfalls, successes and fails encountered by the "MRP crusades". It also contends about the realationship between MRP and JIT and it's possible combination.

I am the system administator at my company. Out of frustration at many problems we have been having with the MRP module of our integrated system, I looked for a good source of knowledge about how MRP *should* work. In Orlicky's MRP I found that source. Orlicky's MRP is probably one of the best written books on the subject that I've seen. I had no trouble at all understanding the complex concepts that were presented, despite my lack of MRP knowledge and experience. Indeed, during the time that I read the book, I discovered that there were several things we were doing wrong because we didn't have a good understanding about the way MRP should work. For example, for a long time we had been laboring under the fallacy that a released work order should increase allocations not only for the primary components of a parent but also for the components of those components! Orlicky's MRP set me straight, stating that mistaking the Planning phase of MRP for the Execution phase (or vice-versa) was a common problem. I will never have that problem again thanks to this book. Another thing I learned from this book was how the bill of material, MRP, and backflushing were interrelated. This book is an excellent manual for those who wish to learn more about MRP, and it's a good source to refer to when looking for answers about why your MRP system isn't performing well.

This is an excellent book for both the beginner and the expert. It focuses on the absolute fundamentals of Material Requirements Planning that we, all too often, overlook. Keep this one on your shelf and use it to make sure that you are always in step with the fundamentals. While this is not one to describe the "leading edge" of materials management, you won't be able to get there without doing what this book describes.

This book is for two types of people. First, if you are a novice in the field of production and inventory control, and you want to learn about your profession and how to become an expert, then this MRP text must be the the first book you read and keep in your library. It will continue to be a reference as your career progresses.

This book is also important to folks who consider themselves an expert in the field but who either want a great reference book to review the basics or may want a book to use as a basis for teaching others.

In either case, this book is one you will want to be handy. It covers all the basics of material planning and scheduling, inventory, and shop floor execution in a way that is easy for everyone to understand. This book is truly one that has alredy, and will continue to stand the test of time.

Shapiro's book is really an interesting introduction to modeling the Supply Chain. After an easy to follow overview on the tools: Linear Programming (Simplex) and Mixed Integer Programming (with an appendix over the Branch and Bound method), these fundamentals are applied to strategic and tactical issues related to modeling the SC. Some actual applications together with their outcomes make examples more credible and dowm to earth. Examples run on excel's solver are strightforward and useful to get a basic handle on the topic.

Several chapters on an unified optimization methodology for planning SC problems and databases are also interesting. The book ends up with a reviw on how decisions are taken within an organization and the role of modeling and optimization techniques. Its plain english is another positive point.

My only "but" could be an overly superficial treatment of hot topics in SC as facilities location whereas covering issues as Corporate Financial Planning far from the core of the book. All in all a profitable bought.

Para todos los latinos que esten pensando optimizar las operaciones de una empresa, sea Logística, Inventarios, Producción, les digo: Este libro es la mejor alternativa para aquellos que quieran diseñar, modelar e implementar el SCM en la empresa. Los modelos son mas prácticos que en "The Logic of Logistics" que es muy pero muy matemático, me asusté cuando lo abrí, integrales, derivadas y otras cosas que prefiero no recordar, la verdad, es que ni lo entendí, a pesar de que considero que tengo un nivel poco mas que aceptable en ese campo, debe ser porque estaba en ingles, no?. Los capitulos 3 - 6, presenta los modelos matemáticos. Es 100% Investigación de Operaciones: programación lineal, redes, simulación, es decir el libro de Taha o el Solow, o el Hillier en resumen con ejemplos muy ilustrativos. En el libro hay una dirección para que te bajes un software de optimización muy útil. Te acuerdas del LINDO, el LINGO, el método SIMPLEX, etc? Sabes usar el Solver del Excel? Ahí te explica todo, pero lo mejor de todo que podrás aterrizar esos conocimientos en tu empresa. Esencial para aquellos que trabajen en el área de Planeamiento y Control de la Producción. Yo encuentro este libro en el nivel táctico-operativo, será muy útil para los que quieren hacer un plan de operaciones como Tesis. También explica como modelar los sistemas de información para implementar eficientemente el supply chain, pero hay poco de eso (Atención Ing. de Sistemas e Informáticos, pero les puede servir para comenzar!!). Del cap. 7 al 11, estan las aplicaciones de los modelos en una empresa. Control de Inventarios, Planeación agregada, miren la tabla de contenidos del libro, les dará una buena idea. Lo encuentro mas aplicativo que Logistics and Supply Chain Management (Strategies for Reducing Cost and Improving Service) de Martin Cristopher que es muy teórico. El mismo Prentice Hall lo clasifica en Libros de Estrategia, es decir puras letritas y letritas. El libro de Shapiro te dice: "Manos a la Obra", El de Martin Christopher dice lo que dicen los Gerentes: "Esto es lo que yo quiero, ahora vean como lo logran". Espero que el modesto comentario de un alumno de Ingeniería industrial(UNI) les ayude a que encuentren lo que buscan.

This book is about math-modeling of Supply Chain Management(SCM). While only few analytical SCM books in market, this book is still different. The presentation of math-modeling does not forbid your curiousity in model by giving a proof, theory, lemma; this book shows you the modeling method to capture the complex SCM problem. I like this book over Simchi-Levi (logic of logistics) for its description, practical aspect and future direction. Also, I prefer this book over Chopra (SCM) and Simchi-levi (SCM) for its higher and better modeling issues. This book takes care the readers well since the solution technique is also given, e.g., Linear Programming, Mixed Integer Programming, Unified Optimization, even simulation. While this book is more on quantitative, the interaction between qualitative and quantitative is given -both basic and advanced level. Suggestion to adapt modeling technique to organization is well presented also. The information technology (IT) section covers most SCM issues as well as the implementation and database for SCM. If you're in this area (either academia or practitioner), you have NO EXCUSE not to get this book seriously. For its uniqueness, this book is not supplementary or option, but it's a requirement for you.

The book clearly brings out how to use the MRP II principles for Maintenance Management. The second and third chapters are very important in which the authors have explained the process of creating the Bills of Maintenance and the Master maintenance schedule with examples. I feel the creation of Master Maintenance Schedule as explained in the book is very logical and practical.

The design of Maintenance management systems have been well thought about and well written. The concepts of process modelling and entity relationships have been explained sufficiently and clearly, and one can easily grasp the concepts in one read. The "Thumb rules" for determining the number of tables, given the relationships between entities (presented in the appendix) is quite helpful if one starts desigining the Maintenance Management system. In some places, the authors have gone "over board" by modelling the behaviour using some statistical distributions. However I would say, the authors have made a beginning towards a proactive approach to integrated maintenance management.

The book clearly brings out how to use the MRP II principles for Maintenance Management. The second and third chapters are very important in which the authors have explained the process of creating the Bills of Maintenance and the Master maintenance schedule with examples. I feel the creation of Master Maintenance Schedule as explained in the book is very logical and practical.

The design of Maintenance management systems have been well thought about and well written. The concepts of process modelling and entity relationships have been explained sufficiently and clearly, and one can easily grasp the concepts in one read. The "Thumb rules" for determining the number of tables, given the relationships between entities (presented in the appendix) is quite helpful if one starts desigining the Maintenance Management system. In some places, the authors have gone "over board" by modelling the behaviour using some statistical distributions. However I would say, the authors have made a beginning towards a proactive approach to integrated maintenance management.