Patent ID: 7653452

Claim:
A method for material requirements planning, the method being executed by a computer and comprising: loading, by using a processor of the computer, a plurality of bills of materials into a data structure stored in a storage device of the computer, the bills of materials having components with planning levels and the components being arranged in parent-child relationships, wherein the components include a specific child component having a specific planning level; analyzing, by using the processor, parent-child relationships between components of the plurality of bills of materials in the data structure; setting, by using the processor, for each component in the data structure a counter value that indicates a number of parent components for each component, the counter values including a specific counter value for the specific child component, wherein the specific counter value has a value different from a value of the specific planning level if a number of parent components of the specific child component are greater than or less than the value of the specific planning level; decrementing, by using the processor, the counter value of a specific child component when a planning of the parent component of the specific child component is completed, the counter value being decremented by a number used to count the parent component in the counter value during the setting of the counter value, wherein the specific planning level is subordinate to the planning level of an other component included in the bills of materials, the other component having the same planning level as the planning level of a parent component of the specific child component; setting, by using the processor, a planning flag for the specific child component; and proceeding, by using the processor, with the planning of the specific child component even if planning of the other component, which is at a higher planning level than the specific planning level, is not complete and if the planning flag is set for the specific child component.