Manufacturing Resource Planning Systems and MRP II Systems
There are a whole raft of different ERP and MRP software systems available on the market. While they all have different strengths and weaknesses and target different markets they are all follow the same underlying MRP logic. MRP systems have been around for as long as there have been computers powerful enough to do the MRP calculations in a sufficiently compressed timescale. Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II) is defined by APICS as a method for the effective planning of all resources of a manufacturing company. Ideally, it addresses operational planning in units, financial planning in dollars/pounds, and has a simulation capability to answer "what-if" questions and extension of closed-loop MRP.
This is not exclusively a software function, but a marriage of people skills, dedication to database accuracy, and computer resources. It is a total company management concept for using human resources more productively. MRP II and ERP are often used interchangeably in reality.
