Guest Lecture MCU Supply Chain Management

Student enrolled in the course Supply Chain Management attended the workshop. The workshop on hierarchical operations planning was held on 3 April 2023 to exchange the knowledge and enhance students' understanding of the topic. The workshop covered the following objectives:

• Describe the hierarchical operations planning process in terms of materials planning and capacity planning. The workshop explained how the operations plan is derived from the business plan and how it is translated into a master production schedule, material requirements plan, and capacity requirements plan. The workshop also discussed the factors that affect the choice of planning horizon, time bucket, and aggregation level.
• Describe MRP, closed-loop MRP, MRP-II and ERP. The workshop defined MRP as a system that calculates the quantity and timing of materials needed to meet the production plan. The workshop also distinguished between closed-loop MRP, which provides feedback on the actual performance of the system, and MRP-II, which integrates MRP with other functions such as finance, marketing, and human resources. The workshop also introduced ERP as a software system that integrates all the business processes of an organization in a single database.
• Know how to perform an MRP explosion. The workshop demonstrated how to perform an MRP explosion using a bill of materials, a master production schedule, and inventory records. The workshop showed how to calculate the gross requirements, net requirements, planned order releases, and planned order receipts for each item in the product structure. The workshop also explained how to handle dependent demand, lot sizing, lead times, and safety stocks.
• Understand ERP software applications. The workshop provided an overview of the main features and benefits of ERP software applications. The workshop also discussed the challenges and risks of implementing ERP systems, such as high costs, complex customization, data migration, user resistance, and security issues.
• An overview of MPS and bill of materials. The workshop reviewed the concepts of MPS and bill of materials as essential inputs for MRP. The workshop defined MPS as a statement of what is to be produced, when it is to be produced, and in what quantities. The workshop also defined bill of materials as a document that shows the hierarchy of components and subcomponents that make up a product.

The workshop was delivered by a guest lecturer, Mr. Mohammed, who is an expert in aggregate planning. He explained the main points and the steps of planning using examples from different industries. He also discussed the trade-offs between inventory costs, production costs, and customer service levels in aggregate planning. He engaged the students in interactive exercises and case studies to apply the concepts learned in the workshop.