I’m new to using MRP so this may be obvious/impossible. When I run MRP I will see suggestions to buy parts that have been non-conformed and are then technically taken out of inventory until we make decision on what to do with the part. A lot of the time we will decide to use the part or rework the part so it goes right back into inventory at that point. I want to know if there is a way to tell MRP not to show me a suggestion to buy a non-conformed part until there’s an action for me to take such as return to vendor or rework. A different question might also be are we using DMR the right way? Is there a way to non-conform a part without it actually leaving inventory right away?
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“Nonconformance” means that someone has decided that this particular item is questionable, and needs to be looked at by a Higher Authority to either say that it isn’t, or what needs to be done to fix it. Until the Higher Authority has given its blessing, that part cannot be used for any other purpose… so it has to come out of inventory.
By that same standard, MRP looks at stock on hand (inventory quantity) to make suggestions. Since Nonconformed stuff is not in inventory, it is not considered.
Although it is probably possible to make MRP consider Nonconformance parts, doing so is likely to either slow the MRP process significantly or (more likely) crash it altogether. Neither is a good option.
If a LARGE percentage of your nonconformed items are put directly back into stock, then perhaps some folks need training on what should and should not be considered nonconforming.
What group is asking for this? Purchasing? Production? Quality? Finance? What problem are they trying to solve?
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When you put a part into a DMR, you are basically saying it is totally bad, and you dont know the disposition yet. Yes, it COULD be fixed, but you dont know when or how… you dont know if it will be changed into a different part number. So the system is putting it in quarantine until you make that decision.
Since it is quarantined, MRP is making the executive decision that “you dont have enough” and is suggesting to make/buy more.
One option would be to immediately create a rework job if you are fairly sure that you will be reworking it, and issue the parts from the DMR to the rework job. Now, that job would look like a supply. It would have a due date. MRP would now be able to suggest to reschedule the rework job instead of buying more.
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This if for purchasing’s benefit. I don’t like the idea of having something in MRP that I can do nothing about which is what will happen when parts are non-conformed and we have yet to make any decisions about the part. So it’s not necessarily causing a problem, just that I want stuff on MRP that I can take action on. I also heard something about a non-nettable flag that we can check on a part or a bin or something and then MRP ignores it? I cant find anything about that but maybe you know what that is?
You can set a bin (or bins) as non-nettable, and If you have AMM you can put your non-conformed or DMR items in a non-nettable bin. However, they are still considered “not in stock” and MRP will ignore their quantity as if they don’t exist.
From the system help (10.2.200):
Non Nettable
Specifies if inventory balances stored in this warehouse bin are considered non-nettable.
- Select the check box if inventory balances stored in this warehouse bin are considered non-nettable . Inventory balances stored in non-nettable bins are not included in on-hand quantities, in MRP calculations, are not considered as a source of supply inventory for fulfillment processing in the Fulfillment Workbench, nor as source of supply inventory for the Replenishment Workbench.
- Clear the check box if inventory balances stored in this warehouse bin are considered nettable . Inventory balances stored in nettable bins are included in on-hand quantities, in MRP calculations, are considered as a source of supply inventory for fulfillment processing in the Fulfillment Workbench, and as source of supply inventory for the Replenishment Workbench.
Ernie,
Ok that makes sense. So maybe I’ve got that idea backwards? Would it make sense for us to create a non-conformance bin and make it nettable and put non-conformed parts there until they are dispositioned?
What is your goal here?
Two goals really. I want more visibility of what we have in DMR and for MRP to stop suggesting that I buy something because its technically not in stock
Epicor is not designed to work that way, it is designed to work opposite that… and swimming upstream in this case will be REALLY REALLY difficult, if even possible. I would recommend approaching this from a process perspective… how long does stuff sit in DMR? How can you shorten that time? If a large percentage of items in DMR get put back into stock, why did they go to DMR in the first place?
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