The Importance of Implementing Your New MRP System Properly

Now that you realize your growing manufacturing business requires the high quality, simple yet powerful manufacturing software (MRP system) to accurately plan your production and to optimize your company’s processes, and you’ve decided to move forward with chosen software, it’s time to look at the best ways to implement the software in your organization.

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Most of the MRPeasy clients have put their MRP system into operation independent of assistance from external consultants and without extensive training. Over the years, we have studied these success stories to discover their so-called secrets.

Now, we would like to share our findings with you so that you will join the ranks of those companies who made a seamless transition into an MRP system quickly and efficiently.

Here’s what we found:

Take a serious approach

Look at implementing your new MRP system as the most important project your company has ever taken on—there’s an excellent chance it will be!

Prepare for the project diligently:

• Analyze your organization’s present situation and carefully document the processes (You will need to adjust these processes accordingly for successful implementation)
• Set your goals for implementation (Goals are your map for this new and exciting journey for your company)
• Gather all your signed authorizations
• Organize the teams who will be seeing the project through

MRP software is multi-functional and powerful. As such, it requires a serious approach that might include a written project plan to control its execution, a dedicated team, the necessary resources, and the authority to make decisions. The plan should include a timeline, complete with significant milestones, for the implementation of the system.

Sample MRP system implementation project plan:

It is of vital importance that management takes the system’s implementation seriously enough to be willing to allocate the resources that are needed to complete the project on schedule. For example, a project manager should be assigned and given the authority to make most of the on-the-spot decisions and have the freedom to dedicate the time to the project that is needed to keep it moving toward completion.

Get everyone in the organization on board

Everyone in the organization will be affected by your new MRP system, so everyone–from the shop floor on up to the C-suite executives–must be on board when implementation begins. By the time you’re ready to launch the system, anyone who will be working with it must be fully trained and comfortable using it.

The organization’s top management knows the company’s goals, and they hold the power of decision-making, while the middle managers, who will be working most closely with the system, need to have a clear understanding of it. The workers on the shop floor, who must comprehend the system from a manufacturing standpoint, must also understand the new system fully or the issues that MRP was brought in to resolve will remain.

If one step on the hierarchy gets lost or forgotten, the entire project comes to a standstill. That’s why it is so important that every member of the company team be on board. If all levels of the business are not fully engaged in implementation, then it will be like trying to win an important soccer match without your midfielders.

Remember, implementing MRP is a team sport!

Commit the necessary time and resources

If anyone complains about the time that must be committed to implementation, remind them of this: companies go live with MRPeasy in one to three months, on average.
Traditional solutions—SAP, Epicor, Microsoft AX and NAV, for example—typically take from 6 to 18 months. So, while you will have to earmark enough time to get up and running, it isn’t nearly as painful as it is with most of the other on-premise solutions.

A majority of the time that is dedicated to implementation is used for testing. Your project manager might devote as much as 40 to 100 hours to fully understand how to use the software efficiently. Most of that time will be dedicated to analyzing how the software can be best utilized in your particular business, while the balance will involve:

• Becoming familiar with the software
• Setting up and executing a short and simple task
• Documenting results
• Launching a limited pilot

Making progress is not always easy, but it’s critical that you make some progress every week. Make the implementation project your priority and give it the time and financial resources it requires. Without a focused effort, implementation can slow to a halt, and the project could eventually die on the vine.

Congratulations! The MRP implementation has been successful!

Now everyone in your organization–managers and employees alike–will be up-to-date at all times. Now you can start receiving real-time data to assist you in planning and analyzing your manufacturing processes. And now you will be able to react to developments swiftly because the time lag between issues and recognition has been substantially reduced.

But for this to happen, it is essential to have real-time feedback and information from both employees and manufacturing. Correct data input will always be one of the primary keys to the success of your new MRP system. With that in mind, it is critical that everyone involved with the system create new habits that revolve around making sure that the MRP is giving your company its optimal benefits.

We are always here to assist you

Let us help you make the most of your manufacturing efforts. MRPeasy has the products to bring your employees, equipment, and data together in one place. And we have the expertise to show you how to streamline your manufacturing resource planning with one of our easy-to-use and affordable MPR systems. It is the perfect choice for your growing enterprise.

Do not hesitate to ask us about training day – it is full-day training, provided by MRPeasy specialist, or Authorized Consultant, at your premises. In any case, all our clients, who have purchased and used it, and their employees, who participated, we’re satisfied with the day, and the results. The optimal group is between 5 and 15 participants.

Last but not least, you can find more information and advice about MRP system implementation from MRPeasy Implementation Guidelines.