Planning with technology ERP and MRP II and DRP II

How technology has impacted planning and forecasting in supply management is the subject of this section. For example, Enterprise Resource Planning systems help keep track of men,materials and money in terms of processes happening in human resources, supply management, production, production planning,accounting and finance among a myriad of sub-processes. Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) has grown into Manufacturing resource planning  II (MRPII) that extends from materials to other elements of ERP like production plans and manufacturing schedules so that it is not only materials you track but also when they come in and how much they cost on an ongoing basis. On the downstream side we have Distribution Requirement  Planning (DRP) that tracks requirements for distribution of finished goods. DRP II extends "requirements" to "resources" (for the "R" in DRP) and accounts for multi-level distribution, manpower requirements and financial flows.