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1) General questions about ERP, MRPII, JIT & TQ

How do you decide whether to use computers to plan a manufacturing company?

Which is best - best of breed or a fully integrated system?

How can ERP improve a company's business performance?

What actual benefits should you expect from implementing ERP and a Business Excellence project?

Which ERP system to choose?

What is the difference between ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), MRPII (Manufacturing Resource Planning) and APS (Advanced Planning Systems)?

How can you get all managers to make the cultural changes necessary to make ERP work?

What is the European Business Excellence Model?

What functionality would you expect in an older MRPII or a new ERP system?

2) MRPII / ERP More detailed questions

What is abnormal demand and how do you handle unforecast orders in an MRPII or ERP environment?

How does a manufacturing company know how much safety stock to hold?

When should you backflush and when you should definitely not?

Why bother to forecast sales as you know the forecast will be wrong?

How accurate should a sales forecast be?

How do you handle unforecast orders in an MRPII or ERP environment?

How does a manufacturing company determine how much safety stock to carry?

How does MRP work (step by step)?

What is current best practice in part numbering systems?

What is current best practice in part descriptions?

Do you need a separate part number when parts are the same but tested to different specs?

Where does the 98% accuracy figure on the ABCD checklist come from?

Should you implement ERP with the BIG BANG or phased approach?

What are planning time fences?

Should an item be put on the master schedule before it has been fully designed?

What should you include on the bill of material?

3) Questions relating to World Class Manufacturing, JIT (Just in time, lean manufacturing, continuous improvement etc.)

How does Six Sigma enhance just in time (JIT)?

How does the use of World Class Manufacturing, Lean Manufacturing and Just in Time (JIT) vary between mass production and process industries?

 What stops many manufacturing companies from using world class manufacturing / lean manufacturing techniques.

What are the basic principles behind World Class Manufacturing?

When is JIT appropriate and when ERP or MRPII?

How to drive the change to JIT with new performance measures?

How to implement Kanbans - the pre-requisites and a step by step guide

What is the historical development of Lean Manufacturing?

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