DEVELOPMENT OF A MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS PLANNING (MRP) SOFTWARE FOR JOBSHOPS

Abstract

The development of a Material Requirements Planning (MRP) software for jobshops is presented in this write-up. The software aims to help in managing materials requirements in job shops by providing weekly reports of orders to work centers and suppliers in order to meet the scheduled due dates for customers' orders. Studies on material requirements planning were conducted to determine the ,necessary data required for developing a material requirements planning software for jobshops. The software was developed in window based Visual Basic 6.0 programming language, by creating a user-friendly interface to facilitate easy input of data. Then a database was created to integrate the various input data and by taking into consideration all the operational factors involved in material requirements planning, appropriate outputs are generated, which will enhance planning in jobshops. The output report of the application was tested for accuracy by comparing the material plans generated for a machine fabrication jobshop over a period of time with the result obtained [rom manual material requirements planning computation. The reports of the software were found to be accurate. The software is easy to use and will find great application in industries in developing countries.