The development of an Automated Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP) System has been established by Team 21051 for Ruda Cardinal Inc. Products had previously been serialized in which tracking, report organization, and communication maintained in a mix of analog and digital forms. Digitizing the production system is a great need to Ruda to allow for greater production volume and reduce production time. Therefore, the need arose for a way to track location of hardware throughout product lifecycle, provide on-demand reports of the product, and allow intercommunication between all involved departments at different points in the development process. The created MRP streamlines the manufacturing process allowing for employees to minimize bookkeeping and spend more time manufacturing products. The system features a uniform process that can be followed and replicated for the production of each product of a high-volume contract. Additional features improve ease of use: barcode scanners to allow for products to be easily and concretely tracked through the manufacturing process; automated notifications to update individuals when a product is ready to move to the next steps; and templated Excel sheets to minimize operator error. The MRP was created using agile work methodologies, so three functional iterations of the product were created and delivered to the sponsor throughout the year
