Build Ahead, Ship Fast, and Never Run Out.
Make-to-stock manufacturers live or die by their ability to forecast demand, run efficient production batches, and keep the right inventory in the right place. Business Central gives you the demand planning, production scheduling, and warehouse tools to keep fill rates high and carrying costs low.
The Cost of Forecasting Blind
MTS lives and dies on the gap between what you make and what the market wants.
98%+
Fill rate
with demand-driven MRP
↓30%
Safety stock
without losing service level
↑20%
Inventory turns
with smarter batch sizing
Live
Forecast accuracy
tracked SKU by SKU
The problems
The MTS Balancing Act
Too much inventory ties up cash and risks obsolescence. Too little means stockouts and lost sales. Getting it right requires more than gut feeling and spreadsheets.
Demand Forecasting Accuracy
Forecasting demand across hundreds or thousands of SKUs is complex. Seasonal patterns, promotions, and market shifts make historical data alone insufficient.
Inventory Carrying Costs
Excess inventory ties up working capital, consumes warehouse space, and risks obsolescence. But you can't calculate optimal levels without accurate demand signals.
Production Batch Optimization
Balancing setup times, minimum batch sizes, and shelf life constraints against demand requires sophisticated scheduling that spreadsheets can't handle.
Warehouse Complexity
Multiple warehouse locations, zone-based picking, lot/serial tracking, and FIFO enforcement add operational complexity that grows with your product catalog.
Distribution & Fill Rates
Customers expect same-day or next-day shipping. Maintaining target fill rates across all products and distribution channels requires real-time inventory visibility.
True Cost of Goods
Standard costing with variance analysis is essential, but capturing actual overhead, yield losses, and batch-specific costs requires tight production-to-finance integration.
Forecast wrong and you carry it. Forecast right and you own the shelf. The signal has to reach the line in time.
From Reactive Replenishment to Predictive Production
What changes when the forecast, the line, and the warehouse share one brain.
Stockouts on bestsellers, surplus on slow movers
Statistical forecasting with seasonality and trend
Production schedule built by whoever shouts loudest
MRP-driven schedule with finite capacity loading
Warehouse picks the wrong lot, FEFO ignored
Directed picking with lot and expiry rotation
Inventory cost variances surface at quarter-end
Live variance reporting by batch, line, and SKU
What we deliver
MTS Production & Distribution on Business Central
Forecast, produce, store, and ship — all planned and tracked in one integrated system.
Demand Planning & Forecasting
Build forecasts from historical sales, seasonal patterns, and customer commitments. Feed demand signals directly into MRP for automated production and procurement planning.
MRP & Production Scheduling
Material requirements planning that considers demand forecasts, safety stock levels, batch sizes, and production calendars to generate optimal production schedules.
Advanced Warehousing
Zone-based warehouse management with directed put-away and pick, FIFO/FEFO enforcement, lot tracking, and cycle counting. Support for multiple locations and transfer orders.
Batch Production Management
Manage production batches with setup time optimization, minimum/maximum batch sizes, and yield tracking. Consolidate production runs to maximize efficiency without overproducing.
Standard Costing & Variance Analysis
Maintain standard costs with automated variance reporting for material price, usage, labor efficiency, and overhead. Know exactly where costs deviate from plan.
Quality & Compliance
Quality inspections at receipt, in-process, and finished goods stages. Lot traceability for recall management and regulatory compliance documentation.
The MTS Planning & Production Cycle
A continuous cycle of forecast, plan, produce, and replenish — automated and optimized.
Forecast & Plan
Generate demand forecasts, calculate safety stock requirements, and run MRP to determine what to produce and what to purchase — and when.
Schedule & Produce
Convert planned orders into production orders. Schedule against available capacity, release to the floor, and track progress through each operation.
Receive & Store
Finished goods are inspected, received into inventory with lot tracking, and put away in optimal warehouse locations for efficient picking.
Pick, Pack & Ship
Sales orders trigger warehouse picks with FIFO enforcement. Pack and ship with automated carrier selection, tracking, and customer notification.
Analyze & Adjust
Review forecast accuracy, fill rates, inventory turns, and cost variances. Adjust safety stocks, reorder points, and batch sizes based on actual performance.
Forecast & Plan
Generate demand forecasts, calculate safety stock requirements, and run MRP to determine what to produce and what to purchase — and when.
Schedule & Produce
Convert planned orders into production orders. Schedule against available capacity, release to the floor, and track progress through each operation.
Receive & Store
Finished goods are inspected, received into inventory with lot tracking, and put away in optimal warehouse locations for efficient picking.
Pick, Pack & Ship
Sales orders trigger warehouse picks with FIFO enforcement. Pack and ship with automated carrier selection, tracking, and customer notification.
Analyze & Adjust
Review forecast accuracy, fill rates, inventory turns, and cost variances. Adjust safety stocks, reorder points, and batch sizes based on actual performance.
Case Study
How a Dairy Manufacturer Optimized Production Planning and Inventory
A dairy manufacturer producing stock products for retail distribution needed better demand forecasting, production batch optimization, and warehouse management to reduce waste and improve fill rates. We implemented Business Central with MRP-driven scheduling, lot tracking with FEFO enforcement, and real-time inventory visibility — improving fill rates to 98.5% while reducing finished goods carrying costs by 20%.
Frequently Asked Questions, Answered
How does Business Central handle demand forecasting?
Can we manage multiple warehouses?
What costing methods does Business Central support?
How do you handle seasonal demand swings?
Can Business Central integrate with our shipping carriers?
Ready to Optimize Your MTS Operations?
Get a free assessment from manufacturing ERP consultants who understand stock-based production and distribution.