The Constraints and
Limitations of Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II)
as a Tool for Shop
Floor Control
by
Martin Mbaya
Submitted to the
Department of Mechanical Engineering on May 5, 2000 in Partial Fulfillment of
the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical
Engineering
ABSTRACT
Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II) is a planning
system used in various industries to manage manufacturing resources. This study
explored the suitability of MRP II in controlling the shop floor by analyzing
its constraints and limitations. The study is part of a larger effort by MIT’s
Production System Design Laboratory to establish an information system that
meets the functional requirements of a physical (manufacturing) system. A literature survey of different books and
papers on MRP II and Shop Floor Control was conducted and supplemented by
interviews with individuals who have worked with MRP II systems. The production
System Design Decomposition, a
diagnostic tool developed by the Production System Design Laboratory was
then used to determine what the constraints
and limitations facing MRP II on the shop floor were. A case study at
company X, a centrifuge manufacturer which uses MRP II in its production
process was then used to tie in the issues raised from the literature survey
with a real world example. The results of the literature review and the case
study both revealed that MRP II was a poor tool for controlling the shop floor
and proposed the use of hybrid systems that combined Kanban control with the
strong planning capabilities of MRP II.
Thesis Supervisor: David Cochran
Title: Professor of Mechanical
Engineering