Setting items with batch multiple and batch manufacturing size and maximum batch size but the bill of materials ignores these fields and raising incorrect amounts of orders from the demand planner.
The demand planner calculator uses the following attributes to calculate the Qty To Add:
MFG Batch Size
Batch Multiple
Maximum Batch Size
Lowest Batch Qty
Note: The Qty to Add field could be different from Qty Required because the calculator takes the above attributes into account.
For instance, if the item code = bike
MFG batch size = 10
Batch multiple = 5
Maximum Batch Size = 30
Lowest Batch Qty = 5
Maximum Batch Size = This is the maximum quantity of an item that can be made with each Works Order.
The point to be aware of is that if a maximum batch size against a part is added, Orchestrate will still allow us to raise a works order for more than this quantity. This is by design and not a problem for the Demand Planner. Qty to Add column can be used by planners to override the originally suggested quantity. If this number is manually changed, Orchestrate will do what it is told without checking the batch sizes.
Note: The manufacturing batch fields in the item are used for to generate works orders from the demand planner and not works orders that are imported from a ERP system.
The Demand Planner recalculates the demand data when the plan is changing. This could be when:
Sales Orders are created, completed, removed;
Purchase Orders are created, completed, removed;
Works Orders are planned, unplanned or deleted from the plan;
Tasks are created, completed, unplanned, deleted or moved on the plan;
Task quantity changes;
Stock changes;
Data imports are performed;
When calculating the demand data, the Demand Planner considers the following:
Demand currently on the plan (e.g. sales forecast, Sales Orders, etc.);
Available stock;
Production currently on the plan (e.g. Works Orders, Purchase Orders);
Target stock defined against items (inc. Default Target Stock and Target Stock by Date);
Components required to satisfy the outstanding demands;
For quantity batching, Item Periods to Batch: the calculator uses the value if it's defined against the items (in the Items form). Otherwise, it uses the default value defined in the Tools, Options, Planning tab.
When calculating the Plan Required and BOM Required, lead times (Process Lead Time for both the made items and purchased items; Supplier Lead Time for purchased items only) are taken into consideration to work out the Start by Date of an item, which also drives the calculation of the required date of the components needed by an item.
The factor to be aware of is that if a maximum batch size against a part is added, Orchestrate will still allow us to raise a works order for more than this quantity. This is by design and not a problem for the Demand Planner. Qty to Add column can be used by planners to override the originally suggested quantity. If this number is manually changed, Orchestrate will do what it is told without checking the batch sizes.