What is Demand Driven Material Requirements Planning DDMRP

What is Demand Driven Material Requirements Planning?

Demand driven material requirements planning (DDMRP) is a planning and execution methodology that aims to provide a more efficient and effective way to manage inventory, production, and supply chain operations. Unlike traditional MRP systems that rely on forecasts and fixed lead times, DDMRP is driven by actual customer demand and is designed to respond quickly to changes in demand. 

This approach enables companies to better manage their inventory levels, production schedules, and supply chain operations, which ultimately leads to higher customer satisfaction, improved product quality, and reduced costs.

DDMRP is driven by the actual demand of customers

Benefits of DDMRP

Demand driven material requirements planning DDMRP is becoming increasingly popular among businesses due to the benefits it provides over traditional MRP systems. Here are some of the key benefits of DDMRP:

Improved Customer Satisfaction

Meeting customer demand is critical to any business. DDMRP ensures that the right products are available at the right time, resulting in improved customer satisfaction and loyalty. By producing goods based on actual customer demand, businesses can avoid overproducing or under producing, which can lead to dissatisfied customers.

DDMRP is beneficial for businesses

Reduced Inventory Costs

Maintaining inventory can be expensive, especially if businesses overstock or keep safety stock unnecessarily. DDMRP uses actual customer demand to drive production and inventory management, which reduces the need for safety stock and overstocking. By reducing excess inventory, businesses can free up working capital, reduce storage costs, and improve cash flow.

Better Supply Chain Management

DDMRP enables companies to better manage their supply chain operations by providing greater visibility into demand and supply. By creating strategic inventory positions (SIPs) for each SKU, businesses can ensure that they have the right amount of inventory at the right time. Real-time adjustments to inventory and production schedules can also be made to meet changing demand patterns. This visibility enables businesses to minimize lead times, optimize production schedules, and improve on-time deliveries.

Increased Agility

In today's fast-paced business environment, agility is key to success. DDMRP is designed to respond quickly to changes in demand, enabling companies to be more agile and responsive to customer needs. With DDMRP, businesses can adjust buffer sizes and production schedules in real-time to respond to changing demand patterns, reduce lead times, and improve delivery times.

DDMRP helps businesses increase the chance to survive in the fast-changing environment 

How DDMRP Works

Demand driven material requirements planning DDMRP is a complex process that involves several key steps. This section provides a detailed look at how DDMRP works:

Establishing Strategic Inventory Positions (SIPs)​

SIPs are pre-defined inventory levels that are established for each SKU based on the item's criticality and demand variability. SIPs are calculated using statistical models that take into account the variability of demand and lead times. By establishing SIPs, businesses can ensure that they have the right amount of inventory at the right time to meet customer demand.

Establishing SIPs is necessary

Buffer Sizing

Once the SIPs are established, the buffer size is calculated based on the SIP and demand variability of the item. The buffer size represents the amount of inventory that should be kept on hand to meet customer demand while minimizing the risk of stockouts. Buffer sizing is critical to the success of DDMRP because it ensures that businesses have the right amount of inventory on hand to meet demand without overstocking.

Demand-Driven Planning

Actual customer demand is used to drive production and inventory management, which reduces the need for safety stock and overstocking. Demand-driven planning involves continuously monitoring customer demand and adjusting inventory levels and production schedules accordingly. By using actual customer demand to drive planning, businesses can avoid overproducing or under-producing, resulting in reduced inventory costs and improved customer satisfaction.

Dynamic Adjustments

Buffer sizes and production schedules are adjusted in real-time based on changes in demand, enabling companies to be more agile and responsive to customer needs. Dynamic adjustments are critical to the success of DDMRP because they enable businesses to respond quickly to changes in demand patterns. By adjusting buffer sizes and production schedules in real-time, businesses can reduce lead times, improve on-time deliveries, and increase customer satisfaction.

Good dynamic adjustments pave the way for the success of DDMRP 

To conclude, demand driven material requirements planning (DDMRP) is a planning and execution methodology that has proven to be effective.