The Filter section on the MRP screen allows the user to tailor the order actions displayed. By selecting a specific buyer code, and purchase order actions only, then only the actions for the buyer are selected.

The date filter allows the user to define how far in the future they wish to see order actions. Any order actions falling on a date before the filter date will be shown. Any order action that is shown also shows all of the subsequent actions recommended by MRP. A part for which the first order action falls later than the filter date will not be shown or printed. In this manner, the user may narrow down the list of actions to be taken to only those due in the next week.

If MRP is run once per week, then the order action filter date should be 5 to 7 days, to cover actions required until MRP is run again. The frequency of running MRP depends on the turn-around times of the company’s orders. If the turn-around time is measured in days (including purchase of parts) then it would be better to run MRP every day or so. In that case, the filter date should be 4 or 5 days out.

In the beginning of bringing up MRP, companies usually suffer a large backlog of order actions. Sometimes these actions cannot be covered before the next MRP runs, so the actions continue to be generated until they are completed. As the process settles down, the company can comfortably run MRP as often as necessary to keep purchasing up with the MRP needs.

For further dteail see Article #1080 .