The master production schedule is a set of planning numbers that drives which process?

• A. Master schedule
• B. MRP
• C. CRP
• D. Materials requirements planning (MRP)

Answer: (A)

The master production schedule provides the quantities and timing for finished goods, which is exactly the input that materials requirements planning uses. MRP takes the end-item schedule from the MPS and explodes it through the bill of materials to determine what components, subassemblies, and raw materials are needed, in what quantities, and when they must be available. This allows procurement and production to align with the planned finished-goods output. Capacity planning (CRP) uses the outputs of MRP, not the MPS directly, to assess whether capacity can meet the planned requirements. So the process driven by the master production schedule is materials requirements planning.