MRP Groups: Fine-Tuning Your Material Requirements Planning in SAP PP

In the world of SAP Production Planning (PP), Material Requirements Planning (MRP) is a crucial function. It ensures you have the suitable materials in the right quantities at the right time to meet production demands. But what if your planning needs more nuance than what plant-level settings can offer? That’s where MRP Groups come in.

What are MRP Groups?

Think of MRP Groups as a way to categorize your materials for planning purposes. They act as a layer on top of your standard plant-based planning. You can assign specific control parameters to an MRP Group, which applies to all the materials assigned to that group.

Why Use MRP Groups?

Plant-level planning is a good starting point, but more is needed for complex manufacturing scenarios. Here’s where MRP Groups shine:

• Different material requirements: You have raw materials with constant demand and finished goods with seasonal spikes. MRP Groups allow you to define separate planning parameters for each category, ensuring a more tailored approach.
• Multi-plant planning: Do you manage production across multiple plants? MRP Groups can help you define planning specifics for materials used in different locations.
• Overriding defaults: Sometimes, you might need planning parameters to deviate from the plant settings for a specific group of materials. MRP Groups provide that flexibility.

What can you control with MRP Groups?

Here are some key planning parameters you can define within an MRP Group:

• Strategy Group: This influences how MRP calculates planned orders (e.g., make-to-stock, assemble-to-order).
• Consumption Mode: Defines how the system determines material requirements (e.g., forecast-based, dependent on other materials).
• Planning Horizon: Sets the timeframe MRP considers when planning future material needs.
• Creation Indicator: Defines how the system generates outputs like purchase requisitions or planned orders.

How to Use MRP Groups

1. Define your MRP Groups: Create groups based on your specific planning requirements.
2. Assign Materials to Groups: In the material master data (MRP 1 view), assign each material to the relevant MRP Group.
3. Maintain Control Parameters: Set the desired planning parameters for each MRP Group.
4. Run MRP: When you execute MRP, the system considers the control parameters defined for each material’s assigned MRP Group.

MRP Groups vs. MRP Profiles

MRP Groups and MRP Profiles seem similar, but they serve distinct purposes. MRP Groups focus on planning at a group level, while MRP Profiles define settings specific to individual materials within the material master.

Conclusion

MRP Groups are a powerful tool in SAP PP that allows you to refine your material requirements planning. By leveraging this functionality, you can ensure a more efficient and responsive production process that meets your unique manufacturing needs.