Graphical planning tools in Dynamics NAV and Business Central

“Standard Planning” in Dynamics NAV and in Business Central

The complete\detailed planning in Dynamics 365 Business Central (and in Dynamics NAV sure..) is done through the MPS\MRP planning which can be launched from the planning worksheet (you can find some posts on the planning parameters in this blog); However, it is also possible to use other tools that can be used for job planning or for lean production planning that do not require multi-level planning. The advantage of these tools is that they provide tree views and can be comfortable for top-level MPS planning.

1 2 3 PLAN!

 

#1 – MPS\MRP Running the “Planning Worksheet “

The terms “running the planning worksheet” or “running MRP” refer to the calculation of the master production schedule and material requirements based on actual and forecasted demand. The planning system can calculate either Master Planning Schedule (MPS) or Material Requirements Planning (MRP) on request, or it can calculate both at the same time.

• MPS is the calculation of a master production schedule based on actual demand and the production forecast. The MPS calculation is used for end items that have a forecast or a sales order line. These items are called MPS items and are identified dynamically when the calculation starts.
• MRP is the calculation of material requirements based on actual demand for components and the production forecast on the component level. MRP is calculated only for items that are not MPS items. The purpose of MRP is to provide time-phased formal plans, by item, to supply the appropriate item, at the appropriate time, in the appropriate location, in the appropriate quantity.

Planning Worksheet – Screen

About Planning https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/production-about-planning-functionality

Production Planning https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/production-planning

Run Full Planning (MPS+MRP) https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/production-how-to-run-mps-and-mrp

Replan Prod Orders https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/production-how-to-replan-refresh-production-orders

 

Useful “Integration Tools” for Planning

Summary some of these tools \ existing features (alternative and integrative planning)

As already mentioned above, the advantage of these tools is that they provide tree views and can be comfortable for top-level MPS planning; let’s see these tools in action.

 

#2 – Order Planning: Plan Order-by-Order

Order Planning Worksheet

This planning task can be performed in the Order Planning window, which displays all new demand along with availability information and suggestions for supply. It provides the visibility and tools needed to effectively plan demand from sales lines and component lines and then create different types of supply orders directly. You can enter the Order Planning window in two ways depending on your focus: From an order that you want to plan for specifically or in batch mode because you want to plan for all and any new demand.

You can choose: “All Demand” (to plan all existing demand) or select a “Sectional Demand”

• Production Demand
• Sales Demand
• Service Demand
• Job Demand
• Assembly Demand

Order Planning Worksheet – screen

Make Supply Orders

• Executing “Make Orders” you can create Orders for the selected rows or for the whole project

Make Supply Orders – Screen

Plan Order by Order https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-nav-app/production-how-to-plan-for-new-demand

 

#3 – Item Availability by BOM Level

Specifies availability figures for BOM items that indicate how many units of a parent you can make based on the availability of child items on underlying lines. Any item that has a BOM structure, such as an assembly BOM or production BOM, is shown in the window as a collapsible line. You can expand this line to see the underlying components and lower-level subassemblies with their own BOMs.

You can use the window to find out whether you can fulfill a sales order for an item on a specified date by looking at its current availability and the quantities that can be supplied by its components. You can also use the window to identify bottlenecks in related BOMs. On each line in the window for both parent items and child items, the following key fields specify the availability figures. You can use these figures to promise how many units of a parent you can supply if you start the related assembly or production process.

The Bottleneck field specifies which item in the BOM structure restricts you from making a larger quantity than the quantity that is shown in the Able to Make Top Item field. For example, the bottleneck item can be a purchased component with an expected receipt date that is too late to make additional units of the top item by the date in the Needed by Date field.

Item Availability by BOM Level – Screen

Inventory Overview https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-nav-app/inventory-how-availability-overview

 

#4 – Item Availability by Timeline  

Provides a graphical view of an item’s projected inventory based on future supply and demand events, with or without planning suggestions. The result is a graphical representation of the inventory profile. On the Item Availability by Timeline page, you can modify certain supply orders and suggestions by dragging elements on the x-axis to change quantity or dragging elements on the y-axis to change due date.

On the Item Availability by Timeline page and the Planning Worksheet page you can make the following changes:

• Modify a suggested supply order that only exists as a planning line.
• Modify an existing supply order that the planning system suggests to change.
• Create a new suggested supply order and modify it.

Item Availability by Timeline – Screen

Modify Planning Suggestion in Graphical View https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/production-how-to-modify-planning-suggestions-in-a-graphical-view

How to modify planning suggestions in a Graphical View https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/dynamicsnav-2013/hh168196(v=nav.70)

 

#5 – Item Availability by Event

Shows how the inventory level of an item will develop over time according to supply and demand events. The window provides a condensed view that shows one line of accumulated information per time interval in which inventory figures change. Time intervals where no events occurred are not shown. You can expand each line to show details about the event or events that caused the accumulated quantity on the line.

You can view the information by different periods, and you can apply filters to include projected demand from forecasts and blanket orders and projected supply from uncommitted orders that are suggested in the planning worksheet.

Item Availability by Event https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/dynamicsnav-2013r2/hh893228(v=nav.71)

Item Availability by Event – Screen

 

#6 – Demand Overview

Specifies an overview of demand planning with regard to jobs, service management, sales, and production. In the window, you can get an overview of the availability of spare parts or other items that you may require to fulfil a service order or to use in a job. For example, you can determine whether the item you need is in stock, and if it is not, you can determine when the item will be in stock.

In the General area of the window, you can specify what type of demand you require (like in Order Planning Page). This includes demand information from all order types. Use the Filter area to limit your results. For example, if you want to determine the availability of an item from only one location, you can specify that location, and on the Home tab, choose Calculate.

Demand Overview – Screen

 

#7 – Customize the “BOM Structure Explosion” page

You can customize the “graphical Item BOM structure explosion” feature adding some calculated fields, for example Inventory, Purchase order, Production Orders, Consumptions etc., you can simulate a simple “gross needs calculation” starting from this page (with a multi-level indented layout).

“BOM Structure Explosion” – screen

Have a great Planning!