ERP & MRP Planning worked example

Rough Cut Capacity Planning at 61% target rough-cut utilization: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop target rough-cut utilization to 61%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Calculate rough-cut capacity utilization from required master-schedule hours and available work-center hours.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Required MPS load hours: 3,800 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Available rough-cut capacity hours: 4,400 hr (held at the documented default)
  • Target rough-cut utilization: 61 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 85)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Rough-cut utilization = required MPS load hours ÷ available rough-cut capacity hours × 100.
  • Rough-cut capacity utilization works out to 86.36 % at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Gap to rough-cut target works out to -25.36 points at these inputs.
  • Required MPS load hours works out to 3,800 hr at these inputs.
  • Available rough-cut capacity hours works out to 4,400 hr at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where target rough-cut utilization sits at 85% and the headline result is 86.36 %, this scenario lands almost exactly on the baseline at 86.36 %.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to target rough-cut utilization, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. RCCP uses aggregate bill-of-resource load factors, not routed operation data, so it can miss short-interval overloads and assumes the chosen resource is the true constraint.

Results at a glance

  • Rough-cut capacity utilization: 86.36 % (headline result)
  • Gap to rough-cut target: -25.36 points
  • Required MPS load hours: 3,800 hr
  • Available rough-cut capacity hours: 4,400 hr

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Rough Cut Capacity Planning calculator, set target rough-cut utilization to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.