# MRP Planning Practice Self-Assessment > Source: https://netray.co/tools/mrp-planner-practice-self-assessment > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer A 10-question assessment of how well your team operates MRP day to day, with a score and practical next steps. ## Category supply-chain ## Audience - Materials manager - Production planner - Operations manager ## Tool **Kind:** assessment **Questions:** #### How are MRP action messages handled? **Options:** ##### Reviewed daily by named planners and cleared **Score:** 3 ##### Reviewed weekly **Score:** 2 ##### Reviewed only when a shortage appears **Score:** 1 ##### Mostly ignored **Score:** 0 #### How are lead times maintained? **Options:** ##### Reviewed against actuals at least twice a year **Score:** 3 ##### Reviewed yearly **Score:** 2 ##### Updated when someone complains **Score:** 1 ##### Set at go-live and rarely touched **Score:** 0 #### How are planning time fences used? **Options:** ##### Set by item class with a clear rule **Score:** 3 ##### Set on some key items **Score:** 2 ##### Defined but inconsistently **Score:** 1 ##### Not used **Score:** 0 #### How accurate is on-hand inventory? **Options:** ##### Measured by cycle count, high accuracy **Score:** 3 ##### Counted, accuracy moderate **Score:** 2 ##### Counted only at year end **Score:** 1 ##### Unknown **Score:** 0 #### How often are BOM and routing errors found on the shop floor? **Options:** ##### Rarely, and corrected through change control **Score:** 3 ##### Occasionally **Score:** 2 ##### Often, fixed ad hoc **Score:** 1 ##### Constantly, and workarounds are common **Score:** 0 #### How do you treat past-due orders? **Options:** ##### Reviewed and rescheduled or closed weekly **Score:** 3 ##### Reviewed monthly **Score:** 2 ##### Left until they are urgent **Score:** 1 ##### Many are months old **Score:** 0 #### How is safety stock set? **Options:** ##### Calculated from variability and service target, reviewed **Score:** 3 ##### Set by rule of thumb per class **Score:** 2 ##### Set by individual opinion **Score:** 1 ##### Not used or blanket high **Score:** 0 #### How are lot sizes chosen? **Options:** ##### By item behaviour and cost, reviewed **Score:** 3 ##### By class default **Score:** 2 ##### By buyer habit **Score:** 1 ##### Not reviewed since setup **Score:** 0 #### How do planners and the sales team share changes in demand? **Options:** ##### Regular review meeting with agreed forecast rules **Score:** 3 ##### Monthly review **Score:** 2 ##### Email when something big changes **Score:** 1 ##### No formal link **Score:** 0 #### How often do you replan from scratch versus net change? **Options:** ##### Net change daily, full regeneration on a set schedule **Score:** 3 ##### Weekly full run only **Score:** 2 ##### Run on demand with no schedule **Score:** 1 ##### Rarely run, planners use spreadsheets **Score:** 0 **Bands:** #### MRP is mostly a reporting tool **Min:** 0 **Max:** 34 **Verdict:** Planning decisions are largely made outside the system, and data issues probably undermine trust. **Recommendations:** - Start with on-hand accuracy and past-due order clean-up. - Fix BOM quantities on your top revenue items. - Name an owner for daily action messages. #### Partly working **Min:** 35 **Max:** 59 **Verdict:** MRP is used, but inconsistent practices cause avoidable expediting and stock. **Recommendations:** - Define planning time fence rules by item class. - Review lead times against actual receipt dates. - Set a weekly exception review with a clear checklist. #### Solid practice **Min:** 60 **Max:** 84 **Verdict:** Most routines are in place, with room to tighten parameters and review cadence. **Recommendations:** - Review lot sizes and safety stock with cost data. - Add measures such as schedule adherence and planner workload. - Check low-volume items that bypass the process. #### Well run **Min:** 85 **Max:** 100 **Verdict:** Disciplined practice. Gains now come from analytics and automation of routine checks. **Recommendations:** - Automate routine data quality checks. - Document the process so it survives staff changes. - Test simulation of demand scenarios before large orders. ## Content **Intro:** Two plants with the same ERP can get very different results from MRP. This quick assessment looks at habits rather than software settings, and gives you a score and next steps. **Sections:** #### How to use the assessment **Body:** Answer for how things actually happen this month, not what the procedure says. It is best done by the planning lead together with a buyer and a shop floor supervisor, because each sees different gaps. The score is a percentage of the maximum, and each band lists three practical next steps. Repeat it in six months to see movement. #### What the questions measure **Body:** The ten questions cover five areas: exception handling, parameter upkeep, data accuracy, process cadence and links to sales. These are the areas where MRP outcomes most depend on people. Parameters such as lead times and safety stock decay without a review habit, and action messages lose meaning if nobody owns them. #### Reading your result **Body:** A low score is not a verdict on the system. It usually means that planners learned to work around data problems and stopped relying on MRP. **Bullets:** - Pick one weak area, not all. - Fix data before changing parameters. - Assign an owner and date to each action. - Re-run after changes to confirm movement. **Cta:** If you want help turning the findings into an improvement plan, or automating routine checks in your ERP, we are happy to discuss it. **Faq:** #### Is this assessment specific to one ERP? **Answer:** No. The questions describe planning practice that applies in any ERP with an MRP engine, whether it is SAP, Oracle, Infor, Epicor, Dynamics or another system. Field names differ but the habits are the same. #### Who should answer? **Answer:** Ideally the planning lead with a buyer and a production supervisor. One person alone tends to score their own area generously. Disagreement between them is useful information on where the process is unclear. #### How is the score calculated? **Answer:** Each answer scores 0 to 3, the total is divided by the maximum of 30 and shown as a percentage. The percentage is matched to a band. It is a conversation starter, not an audit result. #### What should I fix first? **Answer:** Usually inventory accuracy and past-due orders, because every other practice relies on them. After that, assign owners to action messages and review lead times on the highest spend items. ## Search terms mrp assessment, mrp maturity, mrp effectiveness, planning process assessment, mrp best practices self assessment, are we using mrp correctly, mrp health check questions, production planning review --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json