An MRP consultant is not a software salesperson. The useful ones spend most of their time on data, process and planning discipline — the parts of the problem that software cannot fix on its own.
Typical engagement types
- Assessment — a short diagnostic of planning process, data quality and system fit, with a prioritized plan.
- Selection — independent requirements definition, vendor shortlisting and scripted demonstrations.
- Implementation — data preparation, configuration, testing, cutover and planner training.
- Recovery — fixing a system that was implemented badly or abandoned.
- Fractional operations — ongoing part-time planning leadership.
What to ask before you hire
- Which of my problems have you personally fixed in a plant this size?
- Are you tied to any software vendor, and how are you compensated?
- Who does the data work — your team or mine?
- What does success look like in numbers, and when do we measure it?
- Who owns the process after you leave?
Independence and disclosure
Some excellent professionals are affiliated with a software product; others are entirely independent. Neither is disqualifying. What matters is that the relationship is disclosed before recommendations are made.
Finding the right fit
Expertise in your specific failure mode matters more than general manufacturing experience. Someone who has cleaned up multi-level BOMs in a medical device plant is not automatically the right person to rebuild a job-shop scheduling process.