Page 314 - Orlicky's Material Requirements Planning

CHAPTER 16 Project Manufacturing 293

Part of the basic MRP functionality helps this management process, and other parts
of the typical MRP system do not support the desired business model. This includes the
effectivity on the BOM, scheduling activities, and allocating material to projects. Since the
overall project is controlled through a separate project management system, part status
synchronization is desired between the project system and the MRP system. This has
become possible only recently through the development of open databases and middle-
ware linkages. Recent developments in project management such as critical-chain sched-
uling also have provided new resources and insights into a well-established body of
knowledge and toolkit. Since customers increasingly are demanding higher product vari-
ety in lower volumes, the pressure is on design and manufacturing to deliver these prod-
ucts more quickly in a profitable way.
As Heraclitus of Greece said in 513 B.C., “There is nothing permanent except
change.” Effective integration of MRP, PDM, and project management tools allows the
project manufacturer to profitably manage in the face on these increasing changes.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT RESOURCES

Cleland, David I. Project Management: Strategic Design and Implementation. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2002.
Goldratt, Eli. Critical Chain (APICS No. 03203). Great Barrington MA: North River Press, 1997 (in Spanish).
Kerzner, Harold. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling. New
York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 2003.
Newbold, Robert C. Project Management in the Fast Lane: Applying the Theory of Constraints. Hoboken, NJ:
St. Lucie Press, 1998.
ProChain Solutions, Inc., 12910 Harbor Drive, Lake Ridge, VA 22192, provides scheduling software sup-
porting critical-chain scheduling; www.prochain.com.
Project Management Institute (PMI), Four Campus Blvd., Newtown Square, PA 19073, establishes project
management standards and provides seminars, educational programs, and professional certifica-
tion that organizations desire for their project leaders; (610) 356-4600; www.pmi.org.