Question: MRP II did not replace or improve MRP. Rather, it expanded the scope of materials planning to include capacity requirements planning, and to involve other functional areas of the organization.” Compare and
contrast MRP and MRP II.

MRP and MRP II

MRP (materials requirement planning) and MRP II (materials requirement planning II) are information management systems for scheduling and billing materials required in production.

MRP is the first generation information system for materials planning, while MRP is a more advanced software that has added functional features.

MRP manages inventory, reduces cost, and optimizes production activities with increased efficiency.  These benefits are also obtained with MRP II.  In addition, MRP II offers Master Production Scheduling (MPS) that eliminates production bottlenecks.  MRP II also features Purchasing Management to ensure steady flow of materials.  Finally, MRP II incorporates capacity planning in order to meet customer demand.

Therefore, MRP II can be said to be more strategic and shows advanced features than MRP.

Explanation:

MRP and MRP II have both eased the tasks of production managers, enabling them to efficiently manage production materials.  They have also made it easier for production managers to organize materials before the actual production takes place.  However, the two materials requirement planning softwares can be integrated with Advanced Planning and Scheduling Software to increase production efficiencies.

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