MRP Master Data Readiness Checklist
MRP gives accurate results only when item, BOM, routing and inventory records are accurate. This checklist covers the data areas that most often explain why a planning run looks wrong.
0 of 36 items complete
12 critical items still open - these are the highest-risk gaps.
Item master planning data
Bill of material
Routing and capacity
Inventory and supply records
Process and governance
Count ticked items. Below 70% of the list, MRP output is unlikely to be trusted. Every critical item should be ticked before relying on MRP for purchasing decisions.
Automated data quality checks
Optional: a conversation about running these data checks on your ERP on a schedule.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use the checklist
Work through the groups with someone who knows the item and BOM data, not just the system administrator. Tick each item you can show evidence for, such as a report, not just an intention. Items marked critical cause wrong orders or missing orders when they fail. Export the result as a list of open items to turn into a clean-up plan with owners and dates.
Why data comes before settings
Most MRP complaints, such as too many action messages, wrong dates or phantom shortages, trace to data rather than the planning engine. A wrong quantity per on a BOM line multiplies through every planned order. A purchased lead time that is a guess shifts every release date. Inventory counted at 80% accuracy makes the netting step unreliable. Fixing data costs less than adding parameters to work around it.
Typical gaps found
Reviews of planning data tend to find the same patterns.
- Lead times entered at go-live and never updated.
- Obsolete items still on active BOMs generating demand.
- Units of measure that differ between purchasing and stock.
- Past-due purchase orders left open for months.
- Safety stock set high on many items as a blanket fix.
Frequently Asked Questions
How accurate must inventory be for MRP?
Many planning texts suggest record accuracy in the mid to high nineties percent for the items that matter, measured by cycle counts. Lower accuracy means planners add buffers and ignore system advice, which defeats the point of MRP.
Should lead times be updated automatically?
Some ERPs can propose lead times from receipt history. That helps, but a planner should review proposals, because one late shipment can distort the average. Treat automatic values as suggestions on important items.
How often should this checklist be run?
Run it fully before go-live, after a major data migration, and then yearly. The inventory and supply group should be checked weekly in some form, since open orders and stock change constantly.
What is the most common critical gap?
Incorrect BOM quantities and obsolete items still on active structures are the most common, followed by poor on-hand accuracy. These create wrong demand on many components at once.
If you want these checks run automatically against your live ERP data and reported weekly, we can build that read-only.
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