Simple MRP

Feature Overview

Simple MRP answers the everyday planning question: which items need replenishment, and how much? It calculates supply needs for a scoped set of items by comparing projected demand (sales orders, production components, forecasts, and more) against projected supply (existing purchase orders, production orders, transfers) and current inventory, then proposes new supply lines to close the gap.

Unlike BC's native regenerative or net-change planning worksheet, Simple MRP is deliberately targeted and transparent: a planner selects (or accepts a default) Planning Template that defines exactly what the calculation includes — which demand and supply types, the date range, and various inclusion/exclusion switches — runs the calculation, and reviews every proposed line in a dedicated journal before anything is committed. Nothing is created in Business Central until the planner explicitly carries the accepted lines forward.

Once a calculation has produced lines, the planner can review the underlying demand/supply detail for each item directly in the journal's FactBoxes, optionally auto-fill order quantities and dates using the Suggest Quantity to Order engine, mark which lines to act on, and carry the accepted lines to the Reverse Planning – Planning Worksheet, from which standard Business Central purchase, production, transfer, or assembly orders are created.


Pages used	Reverse Planning - Simple MRP, Reverse Planning - Planning Templates, Reverse Planning - Planning Worksheet
Entity types supported	Items and Stockkeeping Units, at item or item+location(+variant) level
Key configuration fields	Planning Feature (on the template), Calculation Period, Include Purchase/Production/Transfer/Assembly/Service/Sales Orders, Run for all Low Level Codes
Integrates with	Planning Worksheet (destination for accepted lines), Suggest Quantity to Order engine, Rolled Up Lead Time (via Calculation Period), Graphical Inventory Profile, Flexible Forecast (Convert to Forecast), Sales Configurator

Getting Started

Open Reverse Planning – Worksheet Setup and confirm your personal Journal Batch Name is configured.
Open Reverse Planning – Planning Templates, filtered to Planning Feature = Simple MRP, and either use Refresh Standard Templates to load Abakion's defaults or create your own template (item scope, demand/supply types to include, calculation period).
Open Reverse Planning - Simple MRP.
Click Calculate Simple MRP and select the template and item/location scope for this run.
Review the resulting lines — Item No., Quantity to Order, Order/Supply dates, Action Message, and the FactBoxes showing the item's demand, supply, and inventory detail.
Optionally click Suggest Quantity to Order to auto-fill order quantities and dates for lines that don't already have them.
Set Accept Action Message on the lines you want to act on (or use Set Action Message to batch-toggle).
Click Carry Out Action Message to send accepted lines to the Planning Worksheet.
Open the Planning Worksheet and run its own Carry Out Action Message to create the actual purchase, production, transfer, or assembly orders.

Related Features

Simple MRP shares its Planning Template infrastructure and journal batch mechanism with Move Demand Dates and Direct Replenishment, but runs completely independently of them. Accepted lines flow downstream to the Planning Worksheet, the same destination used by the other two journals. Rolled Up Lead Time can feed into a Simple MRP template's Calculation Period so cumulative BOM lead times are respected. Lines can also be sent to Flexible Forecast via Convert to Forecast, and the Graphical Inventory Profile app (if installed) can be opened directly from a line to visualize its inventory curve.

User Stories

Running a basic replenishment calculation

As a purchasing planner
I want to calculate which items need replenishment right now
So that I know what to order without manually checking every item

Setup:

Open Reverse Planning - Simple MRP.
Click Calculate Simple MRP.
Select a Planning Template (or accept the default) and confirm the item scope.
Review the resulting lines.

Scoping a calculation to a specific location

As a purchasing planner responsible for one warehouse
I want to run Simple MRP only for items at my location
So that I don't see or act on replenishment needs for other locations

Setup:

On Reverse Planning – Setup, or via the item filter on the calculation, set the default/filtered location.
Run Calculate Simple MRP.

Note: The default location for Simple MRP calculations is configured on the Item Availability Setup and applied automatically when set.

Creating a reusable template for a recurring calculation

As a purchasing planner who runs the same type of calculation every week
I want to save my calculation settings as a template
So that I don't have to re-enter the same options every time

Setup:

Open Reverse Planning – Planning Templates.
Create a new template with Planning Feature = Simple MRP.
Configure the demand/supply types to include, calculation period, and any other options.
Select this template each time you run Calculate Simple MRP.

Loading Abakion's standard template library

As a planning administrator setting up Reverse Planning for the first time
I want to start from a proven set of templates instead of building from scratch
So that planners have working templates on day one

Setup:

Open Reverse Planning – Planning Templates.
Click Refresh Standard Templates.

Restricting a calculation to a specific set of items

As a purchasing planner responsible for a specific vendor's items
I want to run Simple MRP only for those items
So that I only review what's relevant to my role

Setup:

Create or select an Item Filter Template scoped to the vendor's items.
Link the Item Filter Template to your Simple MRP Planning Template.
Run Calculate Simple MRP with that template.

Including forecast demand in the calculation

As a purchasing planner working with items that have no firm sales orders yet
I want to include a demand forecast in the calculation
So that replenishment accounts for expected, not just confirmed, demand

Setup:

On the Planning Template, do not enable Ignore Forecast.
Select the relevant Demand Forecast and, if needed, a Demand Forecast Start/End Date.
Run Calculate Simple MRP.

Excluding forecast to plan only against firm demand

As a purchasing planner who wants a conservative calculation
I want to ignore the demand forecast entirely
So that proposed quantities are based only on confirmed orders

Setup:

On the Planning Template, enable Ignore Forecast.
Run Calculate Simple MRP.

Including production component demand

As a production planner
I want to include demand from production order components
So that raw materials and semi-finished items are replenished in time for manufacturing

Setup:

On the Planning Template, set Include Production Component Demands to the relevant order status scope (e.g. Firm Planned and Released).
Run Calculate Simple MRP.

Cascading a calculation through BOM levels

As a production planner managing multi-level BOMs
I want to run one calculation that plans every level of the bill of materials
So that I don't have to run Simple MRP separately for each low-level item

Setup:

On the Planning Template, enable Run for all Low Level Codes.
Run Calculate Simple MRP on the top-level item(s).

Note: For accurate dates at every level, run Calculate Rolled Up Lead Time first so the calculation has current lead-time data to work from.

Accounting for transfer orders as supply and demand

As a planner managing stock across multiple locations connected by transfer orders
I want to include outbound and inbound transfer quantities in the calculation
So that stock already in transit isn't double-counted or missed

Setup:

On the Planning Template, enable Include Outbound Transfer Demands and Include Inbound Transfer Supplies as relevant.
Run Calculate Simple MRP.

Auto-filling order quantities using an Order Quantity Template

As a purchasing planner
I want to have order quantities and due dates suggested automatically
So that I don't have to calculate them by hand for every line

Setup:

Set up an Order Quantity Template and a linked Date Template.
Link them to your Simple MRP Planning Template, or apply them per line.
After calculating, click Suggest Quantity to Order on the journal.

Reviewing why a line was proposed

As a purchasing planner reviewing a proposed line
I want to see the underlying demand and supply behind the suggested quantity
So that I can decide whether to trust and accept the proposal

Setup:

Select a line in the Simple MRP journal.
Review the Item Demands, Item Supplies, and Calc Inventory FactBoxes for the underlying detail.

Viewing an item's inventory curve before acting on a line

As a purchasing planner
I want to see a visual inventory profile for an item
So that I can spot when inventory drops before deciding on quantity

Setup:

Select a line in the Simple MRP journal.
Click Graphical Inventory Profile.

Note: Requires the Graphical Inventory Profile app to be installed and enabled.

Choosing which replenishment method a proposed line uses

As a purchasing planner
I want to control whether a proposed line becomes a purchase, production, transfer, or assembly order
So that the resulting order matches how the item is actually replenished

Setup:

On the proposed line, review or change the Replenishment System field (Purchase, Prod. Order, Transfer, or Assembly).
Set the corresponding Vendor No. or Transfer-from Code as needed.

Selecting only some lines to act on

As a purchasing planner
I want to only carry out some of the proposed lines, not all of them
So that I can hold back lines needing further review

Setup:

On each line, set Accept Action Message to indicate whether it should be included.
Use Set Action Message to batch-toggle acceptance for selected lines.
Click Carry Out Action Message — only accepted lines are sent to the Planning Worksheet.

Sending accepted lines to the Planning Worksheet

As a purchasing planner
I want to move my accepted replenishment proposals into the Planning Worksheet
So that they can be turned into actual purchase, production, or transfer orders

Setup:

Accept the relevant lines (see above).
Click Carry Out Action Message.
Open Reverse Planning – Planning Worksheet and run BC's Carry Out Action Message there to create the actual orders.

Keeping a line in the journal after carrying it out

As a purchasing planner who wants to track a line across multiple calculation runs
I want to prevent a line from disappearing after Carry Out Action Message
So that I retain visibility of it in the journal

Setup:

On the line, set Keep Line After Carry Out.
Run Carry Out Action Message as normal — this line remains in the journal.

Converting proposed demand into a forecast

As a purchasing planner using Flexible Forecast
I want to turn planning lines into forecast entries
So that I can use them as future demand input for later calculations

Setup:

Select the relevant lines (must have a Quantity to Order value) in the Simple MRP journal.
Click Convert to Forecast.

Note: Requires the Flexible Forecast app to be installed and enabled.

Recalculating lead times before planning multi-level items

As a production planner
I want to refresh the rolled-up lead time for produced items
So that Simple MRP calculates dates using current, accurate lead times

Setup:

Click Calculate Rolled up Lead Time from the Simple MRP journal (or run it separately).
Run Calculate Simple MRP afterwards.

Checking item availability from within the journal

As a purchasing planner
I want to check an item's availability by event, period, variant, location, BOM level, lot, or unit of measure
So that I can make an informed decision on a proposed line without leaving the journal

Setup:

Select a line.
Use Item Availability by and choose the relevant view (Event, Period, Variant, Location, BOM Level, Lot, Unit of Measure).

Splitting a large order across the maximum order quantity

As a purchasing planner
I want to have a large suggested order automatically split into multiple lines respecting a maximum order quantity
So that each resulting order stays within vendor or packaging limits

Setup:

Enable the "Split by Max Order Quantity" preview feature for the environment.
Run Suggest Quantity to Order on a line where the calculated quantity exceeds the item's/SKU's maximum order quantity.

Note: This is a preview feature — the "Is Split Line" column is only visible when the feature is enabled.

Accumulating supply into lot-sized orders

As a purchasing planner
I want to have proposed supply accumulated into lot-sized quantities over a defined period
So that I don't create many small orders when a single larger, less frequent order is more efficient

Setup:

Enable the "Split by Lot Accumulation Period" preview feature for the environment.
Run Suggest Quantity to Order — accumulated lines are marked as lot accumulation lines.

Note: This is a preview feature — the "Is Lot Accumulation Line" column is only visible when the feature is enabled.

Field Reference

Field name	Where to find it	What it does	Default value
Planning Feature	Planning Template	Identifies which journal (Simple MRP, Move Demand Dates, Direct Replenishment, Identify Overstock) the template applies to.	—
Calculation Period	Planning Template	Defines the horizon the calculation looks ahead over; can be linked to Rolled Up Lead Time.	—
Default Start Date / End Date	Planning Template	The default date range for the calculation.	Blank
Ignore Forecast	Planning Template	Excludes demand forecast entries from the calculation when enabled.	No
Include Purchase Orders	Planning Template	Controls whether existing purchase orders count as supply (All, Only Released, None).	All
Include Production Orders	Planning Template	Controls whether existing production orders count as supply, by status.	Firm Planned and Released
Include Production Component Demands	Planning Template	Controls whether production order components count as demand, by status.	Firm Planned and Released
Include Outbound Transfer Demands / Include Inbound Transfer Supplies	Planning Template	Includes transfer order quantities as demand or supply.	No
Include Assembly Orders	Planning Template	Includes assembly orders as supply.	No
Include Sales Orders	Planning Template	Controls whether sales orders count as demand (All, Only Released, None).	All
Include Service Orders	Planning Template	Includes service orders as demand.	No
Run for all Low Level Codes	Planning Template	Cascades the calculation automatically through every BOM level below the selected items.	No
Exclude Items for Control	Planning Template	Excludes specified items from the calculation for validation/control purposes.	No
Journal Batch Name	Reverse Planning – Worksheet Setup / Simple MRP journal	The personal journal batch the planner works in; remembered between sessions.	Blank
Accept Action Message	Simple MRP journal line	Marks a proposed line to be included when Carry Out Action Message runs.	No
Keep Line After Carry Out	Simple MRP journal line	Keeps the line visible in the journal after it has been carried out.	No
Replenishment System	Simple MRP journal line	The order type (Purchase, Prod. Order, Transfer, Assembly) the proposed line will become.	Derived from item replenishment setup