NETWORK REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS, DESIGN AND MODELING

Network Requirements Analysis, Design And Modeling

Network Requirements Analysis, Design And Modeling

Introduction and Feasibility Study

At the request of the Chief Operations Officer and the Vice President Operations, an evaluation was requested for the development of a Material Requirements Planning (MRP) system. The system is to track and manage raw materials as well as finished product inventory throughout Acme Distribution PLC.

The objective of implementing an MRP is to reduce on-hand raw materials and finished goods inventory costs. Since neither of these items are considered liquid assets, having an over supply of either on-hand can be considered a potential financial loss. An example of a loss condition would be a change in demand for a specific product. Implementing a MRP will allow for regressive analysis (Bandwidth Analysis) of supply and demand in sufficient detail to allow for a modest amount of raw materials and finished products to be kept on-hand or ordered monthly to satisfy customer demands without an increased lead time. (Stewart-Frazier Tools, Inc., 1996). One major advantage of Bandwidth Analysis will be the continual operation of all lines without having a major surge upon receipt of orders. This goal is in keeping with the corporate vision of reducing costs by 10% and cycle time by 15%.

Goals of the MRP are:-Reduce costs by 10%-Reduce cycle time by 15%-Reduce the amount of raw materials on-hand-Reduce the amount of finished products on-hand-Implement Bandwidth Analysis of supply and demandIn determining the objectives for this project, a number of fact-finding techniques were used. First, a review of the corporate organizational charts was conducted to determine the stakeholders.

The results of this survey listed the following individuals as key stakeholders:- Mark NeitzelVP Operations- Ronald NelisDirector Plant Operations (Pontiac)- Craig GranbeigDirector Plant Operations (Albany)- Charles Williamson International Operations- Maria Trinh Chief Information Officer Second, once the stakeholders were identified, interviews were conducted to ascertain the corporate vision and desired results. Third, a review of current policies, practices and procedures was conducted to ensure full comprehension and identification of current on-going business practices. Lastly, a team was sent to all facilities to observe actual operations and to ensure that all key issues had been properly identified and documented.

Training will be required for the users but should not require more than 8 man-hours per user. Users will be involved in the design and implementation of the system.

Customers should realize an improved delivery time as the production lines will be operating at a continual pace.

Technical feasibility includes the following items:-Acme Distribution PLC is currently undergoing an overall upgrade of their network and IT assets. Once completed, the corporate assets should be more than adequate to support MRP usage along with other corporate endeavors in the ERP realm.

Based on input from the software vendor, the MRP will be capable of handling an increase in activity generated by the corporate goal of increased sales and marketing.

Economic feasibility was assessed as follows:-MRP will reduce operational cost by a minimum of 10% by eliminating surge hiring and purchasing to meet production ...