We do use MRP to generate the list of items that need to be ordered, and it does the sorting out of how much is needed versus what is on hand or already on order, comparing the sales orders to inventory, sorting through the various BOM's at several levels to come up with the list of required items. Once the MRP is "generated" (which you can do as often as you want in order to update the requirements), then you can view via inquiry or print a complete list. You can also enter minimum stock and minimum order quantities in the item, and it will also include those in the calculations. It does not seem to handle substitute items, where item B could substitute for item A in an assembly if you are out of A.
The MRP functionality was what mainly drove the decision to upgrade our system to MAS, but we have over 1600 BOM's at 4 levels, so it would be (and was) a nightmare without a way to have the system generate the requirements.
The key to having it generate MRP correctly is having the BOM's entered properly. We are a fluid process manufacturer, so it was difficult to grasp that we had to generate a lot size of 1 (or fraction/multiple thereof), rather than a batch of, say, 5,000 lbs; and then the finished goods items had to use only a fraction of the lot of 1 rather than a fill of XX lbs, based on the density (lbs/gallon) of the product. But, once we figured that out, and changed the BOM's accordingly, it works!
I might also say that moving from 4.3 to 4.4 allowed us to gain 1 decimal in precision without adding an outside enhancement. If that is a problem for you, you can get an enhancement from Sage that allows extra decimal precision just by adjusting how many numbers are to the left (or right) of the decimal in quantity fields, and that does not change the length of the field and is not particularly expensive (a 1 time fee plus a smaller yearly expense).
There is also a field in the BOM for "scrap %". That does not actually write off anything to scrap, it only places a factor in the BOM that increases the BOM quantity of that component item according to a formula, and then MAS uses the resulting calculation to compute the Extended quantity in a Production Entry (or Work Order). If you want the formula, let me know. We find that particularly useful to force MAS to be more exact in the quantity calculation for the fluid items.
I agree that the Work Order process is too cumbersome. In our case we issue Work Orders to production in order to print out the items that they need to manufacture; they enter on the Work Order what was actually used; then we make a Production Entry to enter the actual in MAS and delete the Work Order. Sounds maybe harder, but it is actually easier and uses much less paper and takes much less time than the WO process, which requires you to release, issue material, complete and close the WO in 4 separate steps. Oh, and the WO quantity used is not calculated correctly unless the item is an integer.
Probably way more than you ever wanted to know...
