Hey Guy,
We're back working to tune our supply planning with Dynamics 365 BC.
After some more reading and re-reading of Microsoft documentation and forum posts to find what I do not know, I jumped into empirical tests to check sensitivities of Planning Parameters on Calc. Regen. Plan Planning Worksheet output.
I found that the Lot Accumulation Period field could be causing my MRP output to suggest surplus supply.
Below is detail for my test specimen: supplies and demands that exist for an Item, (lets call its A) that is a child item on parent Item (B). Parent B is a sellable product. To prevent a red herring, information for B is only to clarify demands on child A.
Existing Supplies and Demands for A (before Calc. Regen. Plan):
- Supply: Inventory: 72pcs
- Supply: Purchase Order: 50pcs (Expected Receipt Date 8/31)
- Demand: Parent Item Assembly Order: 36pcs
- Demand: Parent Item Assembly Order: 70pcs
- Demand: Parent Item Assembly Order: 61pcs
- Demand: Parent Item Assembly Order: 5pcs
Existing Supplies and Demands for B:
- Supply: Inventory: 30pcs
- Supply: Assembly Order: 36pcs
- Supply: Assembly Order: 70pcs
- Supply: Assembly Order: 61pcs
- Supply: Assembly Order: 5pcs
- Demand: Any existing or future Sales Order
The MRP output I am looking for would be a single Purchase line for 50pcs of A, therefore covering all of its demand in the system. I have total existing supplies of 122pcs for A, and total demand of 172pcs for A, therefore I only need an additional supply of 50pcs to cover all of A's demand.
With no Lot Accumulation Period, I do get the correct total quantity to cover demand of A, where demand is required quantity to build B (which is only demand for A). But the output is 3 separate Purchase lines. That is, a Purchase line for 34pcs, 11pcs, and 5pcs.
In the ideal case, I want to 'combine' the 3 separate Purchase lines into 1, therefore generating 1 line on a Purchase Order document if Action Message is carried out. Hence my use of the Lot Accumulation Period.
With a Lot Accumulation Period, I get 1 Purchase line on the Planning Worksheet, but for 100pcs. Therefore creating a surplus of 50pcs. Note that the Planning Flexibility on the Purchase Order document for 50pcs of A is 'None'.