# MRP for Cabinet Shops: Start With Reliable Inputs

Canonical: https://millbase.ca/blog/mrp-for-cabinet-shops-start-with-reliable-inputs
Author: [Coby Birenbaum](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cobybirenbaum/)
Published: 2026-10-19
Updated: 2026-10-19
Archive edition: 2026-09-03

Material requirements planning depends on trustworthy demand, bills of materials, stock balances, and lead times.

[Material requirements planning](https://help.sap.com/docs/r/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/10.0/en-us/44e98a287851363de10000000a1553f6.html) depends on trustworthy demand, [bills of materials](https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_ON-PREMISE/18ee18df146f46e9a7738186eebceaa7/ff04c453f57eb44ce10000000a174cb4.html), stock balances, and lead times. If those inputs are inconsistent, the planning output can create confident but impractical purchase suggestions. Improve the foundations before relying on the calculation.

## Check the inputs

- Confirm approved job requirements and revisions.
- Separate usable stock, reservations, and confirmed incoming supply.
- Validate units and supplier lead times.
- Identify special-order items and noninterchangeable finishes.

## An input example

A hypothetical bill of materials requires 100 hinge pairs, but inventory is recorded in individual hinges without a conversion. The plan can be wrong even when its arithmetic is internally correct. Fix the unit relationship before trusting the recommendation.

## Evaluate the workflow

Ask a vendor to show how changes and exceptions affect the plan. Confirm whether MRP is actually part of the product rather than assuming it from general manufacturing language.

## Related reading

- [Warehouse Management Software for Cabinet Shops: A Practical Buying Guide](https://millbase.ca/blog/warehouse-management-software-for-cabinet-shops-a-practical-buying-guide)
- [Millwork Software vs ERP: Choosing the Right Scope](https://millbase.ca/blog/millwork-software-vs-erp-choosing-the-right-scope)

## Definitions and further reference

- [SAP: material requirements planning](https://help.sap.com/docs/r/68a2e87fb29941b5bf959a184d9c6727/10.0/en-us/44e98a287851363de10000000a1553f6.html)
- [SAP: bills of material in production planning](https://help.sap.com/docs/SAP_S4HANA_ON-PREMISE/18ee18df146f46e9a7738186eebceaa7/ff04c453f57eb44ce10000000a174cb4.html)
- [Oracle: warehouse management systems explained](https://www.oracle.com/scm/logistics/warehouse-management/what-is-warehouse-management/)

## How Millbase can help your shop

### Test Millbase with your own shop workflow

Bring one representative cabinet job to a [Millbase demonstration](https://cal.com/millbase/30min). Follow [the project and its recorded costs](https://millbase.ca/#projects), inspect [the inventory workflow](https://millbase.ca/#inventory), and review [live floor activity](https://millbase.ca/#floor-pulse). Ask the person who will use each screen to perform the task and check the resulting record.

Ask the [Millbase AI agent](https://millbase.ca/#how-it-works) a question grounded in your workspace records. For example: *“For this project, compare estimated and actual labour and show the workers and workstations behind the total.”* You can select a project or worker, ask follow-up questions, and request [supported reports and CSV exports](https://millbase.ca/#insights).

Check the result against the same project records and try a follow-up question. Confirm any required integration, import, export, or specialist planning workflow during the demonstration rather than inferring it from the software category.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does every cabinet shop need MRP?

No. Consider complexity, repeat demand, purchasing workload, and data readiness. A simpler controlled process may be sufficient.

### Can MRP replace supplier confirmation?

No. Planning assumptions and current delivery commitments still need to be reconciled.