1. Someone says to you, "If a company is already using sales and operations planning to coordinate marketing and operations, then it doesn't need master scheduling as well." Is this true? How are S&OP and master scheduling similar? How are they different? What information does master scheduling provide that S&OP does not? How dif- ficult would it be to develop successful master schedules without doing S&OP first?
2. Can a company complete its material requirements plans before it does master scheduling? Explain.
3. Discuss the importance of accurate forecasting to plan- ning and control systems. What happens if an organiza- tion's planning efforts are strong, except for forecasting?
4. What is MRP nervousness? Can this condition affect DRP systems as well?