Lean MRP explains how to implement a Lean Manufacturing pull system on the shop floor using "virtual kanbans" enabled by a stable ERP-generated production schedule. This essentially establishes a traffic control system that will reduce congestion and travel times for materials and products in a factory.

This is not the usual “yada-yada”. The concept of Lean MRP is a novel one, which holds the promise of transformational change particularly in job shop environments.

In addition to attaining the on-time performance, inventory, and lead time benefits of a pull system, Lean MRP can also help improve the accuracy of forward-looking schedule projections to support the making of reliable promises to the customer.

This book is for those manufacturing managers who have always strived for a Lean operation but nevertheless feel that a computerized ERP system offers a more practical and scalable solution for managing a large, complex, and/or turbulent shop floor. Manufacturers in high mix industries such as contract manufacturing, aerospace, or industrial equipment can particularly benefit from this novel and innovative approach. For them, the prospects of Lean MRP offer an exciting opportunity to positively and comprehensively transform the whole of their operation as opposed to accepting isolated islands of Lean improvement that only skirt the periphery of the scheduling, on-time performance, inventory, and lead time challenges they face.