The real wordsTheory
What MRP is
Material requirements planning (MRP)A computer-based information system that translates master schedule requirements for end items into time-phased requirements for subassemblies, components and raw materials, working backwards using lead times to determine when and how much to order.
Three questions it answers:
- What is needed?
- How much is needed?
- When is it needed?
The third is what separates MRP from the EOQ family. EOQ answers how much; MRP answers when.