Materials Planner Weekly Review Checklist

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6 critical items still open - these are the highest-risk gaps.

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Before you start

Confirm the last MRP or planning run completed without errorsCRITICALCheck that item master, BOM and routing changes since last week are reflectedCheck that demand inputs (sales orders, forecast, work orders) are currentReview the previous week's open actions and carry-over itemsNote any planned shutdowns, holidays or capacity limits in the horizonOpen the shortage and exception reports you will work from

Shortages and critical supply

List parts short against orders due in the next two weeksCRITICALConfirm supplier dates for every open order that covers a shortageCRITICALExpedite, split or reschedule orders with late confirmationsIdentify alternates or substitutes approved for the short partsAlert production and sales to orders likely to slipCheck inbound shipments, customs or inspection holds on critical items

MRP action messages

Process release, new order and expedite recommendationsCRITICALReview reschedule-out and cancel messages for open ordersReview past-due planned orders and fix their causeConfirm firm planned orders are still validCheck for negative on-hand or unmatched allocationsReview exceptions for items with zero or missing lead times

Parameters and policy

Compare actual supplier lead time with planned lead time on the top 20 items by valueCheck safety stock and reorder points on items with repeated stockoutsCRITICALCheck min-max levels against recent usage for fast moversReview lot sizes and order multiples against supplier termsSubmit change requests for parameters that need updatingConfirm no temporary safety stock increase is past its review date

Excess, slow and accuracy

Review open orders for parts with more than twelve weeks of coverCheck the no-movement report for new slow-moving itemsFlag excess stock candidates to the weekly inventory meetingReconcile cycle count variances above thresholdCRITICALCheck items with high inventory value and low turnsUpdate the weekly KPI sheet: shortages, past-dues, turns, service level

Aim to complete the critical items every week. Carry unfinished items to next week's list with an owner and a date.

Get the Monday exception pack built from your ERP

Optional: an expert review of how to automate the shortage, lead time and aging reports behind this routine.

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How to use the checklist

Work through the groups in order, ticking items as you complete them. The first group verifies that your data and the planning run are trustworthy, since everything else depends on them. Shortages come second because they hurt customers soonest. Export the ticked list to PDF to attach to your weekly review or Excel to track completion over time. Adjust the items to your ERP and your planning horizon.

Why exceptions first

MRP produces more recommendations than any planner can read line by line. Exception-based planning means focusing on messages that change an outcome: orders that will be late, shortages against firm demand, and cancellations that release cash. The rest can be handled by rule or on a slower cycle. The checklist reflects this order: confirm the run, handle shortages, process action messages, then fix the parameters that created repeat problems.

Record the root cause of each repeated exception
Fix the parameter, not just the order
Keep a short list of parts that always need attention

Linking to parameters and policy

A planner who keeps expediting the same part is usually fighting a wrong parameter: a planned lead time shorter than reality, a safety stock too small for supplier variability, or a lot size that conflicts with a pack multiple. The parameter group asks you to compare planned with actual lead time on high-value items and to raise a change request when the data supports it. Over a few months this reduces exception volume more than any amount of faster firefighting.

Common mistakes

Skipping the data checks and then acting on a stale run. Clearing action messages by releasing everything, which inflates inventory. Ignoring cancel and reschedule-out messages, which leaves excess on order. Not recording decisions, so the next planner repeats the investigation. And leaving the weekly KPI update until the end, when it is the cheapest way to see whether the routine is working.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is weekly the right cadence?

For most discrete manufacturers a weekly routine plus a daily shortage check works well. Fast moving or make-to-order environments may need a daily pass through the first three groups.

Which ERP does this apply to?

It is ERP-neutral. The same steps apply to SAP MRP, Oracle planning, Infor SyteLine or LN, Epicor, NetSuite and others, only the screen and report names differ.

How many parameter reviews should I do a week?

Start with the top 20 items by value or by exception count. A steady 10 to 20 reviews a week covers the item base over a few months without overloading the planner.

What should I track as KPIs?

Typically past-due purchase orders, shortages against orders, service level or on-time delivery, inventory turns and excess value. Pick a handful, chart them weekly and discuss changes, not just levels.

If you want the exception lists, lead time comparisons and no-movement reports produced from your ERP data every Monday, Netray can build that as a read-only assistant over your system.

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Materials Planner Weekly Exception Review Checklist