ERP Migration & SelectionFree assessmentPDF, Excel, Word exportDiscrete Manufacturing

Small Manufacturer MRP Readiness Assessment

Small manufacturers often buy MRP software hoping it will fix messy data and loose processes, and then find it mirrors them. This assessment scores ten readiness factors in a few minutes and shows what to fix first.

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1. How accurate are your bills of materials today?

Think about whether the BOM matches what the floor really builds.

2. How accurate is your on-hand inventory?

3. Do you have defined routings or process steps with times?

4. Do you have a single clean item list with part numbers?

5. How do you plan purchasing today?

6. Will floor staff record transactions (receipts, issues, completions)?

7. Who will own the system day to day?

8. Do you know your top 5 problems the system must solve?

9. How do you track lots, serials or customer traceability needs?

10. Do you have budget and time for implementation, not only the subscription?

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How to use the assessment

Answer for how things are today, not how you hope they will be. Ask the plant manager, the buyer and the warehouse lead to answer separately, then compare, since owners often rate readiness higher than the floor does. Your score is a percentage of the maximum, mapped to four bands with recommended next steps.

Answer honestly for today
Have two or three people answer separately
Revisit after 90 days of improvement
Save the result as your baseline

Why these ten factors

Planning logic only works on accurate inputs: BOMs, inventory balances, lead times and routings. The other factors decide whether the system sticks: floor adoption, a named owner, clear goals, and budget for implementation. The traceability question works in reverse, since needing lot control raises requirements, so the absence of a need scores higher for simple tools.

Reading your band

A low score is not a no, it is a sequence: fix data first, then buy. A middle score means start selection while you close gaps. A high score means choose carefully and plan cutover well. Whatever the band, the recurring blockers are inventory accuracy and ownership, so address those even if everything else looks good.

Common mistakes

Treating implementation as an IT task rather than an operations change, loading a messy spreadsheet into a clean system, buying features you will not use, and skipping floor input. Scoring yourself generously also hides the exact gaps that cause failed rollouts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What score should I aim for before buying?

Aim for at least the middle band, around 60 percent, before you commit. Below that, the system is likely to expose data and process problems you will have to fix anyway. You can still run demos earlier to learn what good looks like.

Is inventory accuracy really that important?

Yes. MRP calculates shortages from on-hand and open orders, so wrong balances produce wrong purchase suggestions and shipping promises. Many teams get to 95 percent accuracy for key parts with weekly cycle counts and strict transaction discipline before go-live.

Can a spreadsheet be enough?

For a handful of products and low order volume, a well-run spreadsheet can work. Once you have multi-level BOMs, many open orders or customer traceability needs, the manual effort and error rate usually outgrow it. The assessment helps judge where you stand.

Does this replace a vendor evaluation?

No. It tells you whether you are ready for any system, not which one fits. Use it alongside a demo checklist and a cost comparison. Re-run it after addressing the gaps to confirm progress.

If your result shows gaps and you want an outside view on priorities, Netray can walk through it with you.

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