Planning

IFS ERP does not limit planning to producing a manufacturing schedule; it offers a holistic approach spanning demand management, capacity, purchasing and work order scheduling. Different planning methods coexist on the same platform, and the most suitable method can be selected for each product or material.

Material Requirements Planning (MRP)

MRP is the most fundamental and widely used planning method in IFS. Production and purchase proposals are generated automatically based on sales orders, forecasts and inventory levels.

Gross/net requirement calculation and order proposals

Level-by-level planning across the product structure

Lead times and safety stocks taken into account

Proactive planner alerts through exception messages

Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS)

APS is used especially in environments where resource capacity is critical. Work orders are scheduled with finite-capacity logic, respecting machine, labor and tooling constraints.

Detailed finite-capacity scheduling

Identification and optimization of bottleneck resources

Alternative routing and resource scenarios

Improved delivery date reliability

Replenishment Planning (Reorder Triggering)

In consumption-based or fixed-level planning environments, the replenishment method takes over. When stock falls below a defined level, the system automatically creates a reorder proposal.

Min/max stock level and order point management

Kanban-style consumption-based triggering

Reduced transaction load for low-value, high-volume materials

Supplier Schedule Based Planning

Used especially by automotive and other high-volume manufacturers, this model communicates requirements to suppliers in periodic schedules and tracks confirmations through the system. Suppliers gain forward visibility of upcoming requirements, while firm and forecast horizons stay clearly separated in the system.

Supplier schedules in weekly/monthly periods

Automated data exchange via EDI

Separation of firm and forecast horizons

Forecasting & Demand Planning

IFS can forecast demand based on historical sales data, seasonal effects and market expectations. The resulting forecasts feed directly into MRP and the master production schedule.

Statistical forecast models and seasonality analysis

Forecast consumption logic to prevent double counting

Support for sales and operations planning (S&OP)

Calendar and Capacity Based Planning

Work calendars, shift patterns and resource capacities are defined in the system; the planning engine generates all proposals against this real capacity data. As a result, every plan produced rests on the resources actually available on the shop floor, not on theoretical capacity.

Work calendars per site, department and machine

Rough-cut (RCCP) and detailed capacity analysis

Capacity load reports and what-if scenarios

Key IFS Capabilities

These are the IFS Cloud capabilities that make the difference in our planning projects:

MRP and Master Scheduling: Gross/net requirement calculation and automatic level-by-level derivation of the master production schedule

CRP and RCCP: Rough-cut and detailed capacity requirements planning that makes the load-capacity balance visible

IPO (Intersite Planned Orders): Automatic planning of supply requirements between sites in multi-site organizations

Demand Planning: Demand management with statistical forecast models and forecast consumption logic

Finite-capacity scheduling (APS/CBS): Detailed scheduling that respects machine, labor and tooling constraints

Exception messages: Automatic, action-oriented planner alerts whenever something breaks the plan

Processes It Works With

Planning takes sales orders and forecasts as its input; its output reaches the floor as production work orders and purchase proposals. Warehouse and inventory data feed the calculations in real time, so the plan is always built on current stock reality. Thanks to the single data model, sales, production and procurement all read the same plan — everyone looks at the same numbers.

With WiseApp, planning turns from experience-based guesswork into a data-driven discipline: the right method, the right parameters, reliable delivery dates.

Let's walk through your processes around Planning and see the value IFS ERP creates for your business — live.

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