Rough-Cut Capacity Planning (RCCP) — Manufacturing Glossary

Rough-Cut Capacity Planning (RCCP) is a high-level capacity validation technique that checks whether the Master Production Schedule (MPS) is feasible before running MRP. RCCP uses aggregate resource profiles to quickly identify major capacity conflicts at key work centers, allowing planners to adjust the MPS before investing time in detailed material planning.

At User Solutions we describe RCCP as the "sanity check" that prevents planners from running MRP against an impossible schedule. It takes minutes instead of hours and catches the big problems early.

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How RCCP Works

RCCP uses a simplified approach to capacity validation:

1. Define resource profiles for each finished product — the estimated hours required at each key work center to produce one unit.
2. Multiply MPS quantities by the resource profile to calculate capacity loads.
3. Load the results into weekly or monthly time buckets.
4. Compare loaded hours against available hours at each key resource.
5. Flag overloads for MPS adjustment.

Resource Profiles

A resource profile (also called a bill of resources or bill of labor) is a simplified summary of the routing. Instead of listing every operation, it aggregates hours by key work center:

These profiles capture the essential capacity consumption without the detail of full routings.

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RCCP Example

A manufacturer has three key resources, each available 80 hours per week. The MPS for Week 15:

RCCP immediately flags the CNC Mill as overloaded by 32.5% in Week 15. Before running MRP, the planner can:

• Shift 15 units of Product B to Week 14 (which has spare CNC capacity)
• Approve 10 hours of overtime for Week 15
• Reassess whether all 60 units of Product A are truly needed in Week 15

This adjustment takes 15 minutes. Without RCCP, the planner would run MRP (2 hours), then run CRP (30 minutes), then discover the overload — wasting 2.5 hours on planning that was based on an infeasible MPS.

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Why RCCP Matters for Scheduling

Validates the schedule before detailed planning. RCCP catches major feasibility problems at the MPS level, before MRP generates thousands of planned orders against an impossible plan.

Saves planning time. Adjusting the MPS and re-running RCCP is fast. Re-running MRP and CRP after discovering problems is slow. RCCP front-loads the feasibility check.

Focuses on bottlenecks. By checking only key resources, RCCP directs attention to the constraints that matter most. Scheduling software like Resource Manager DB handles detailed sequencing; RCCP ensures the aggregate plan is sound.

Supports S&OP decisions. RCCP operates at the level where Sales & Operations Planning makes decisions — aggregate product families and time periods. It provides the capacity data needed for executive-level production commitments.

Bridges business planning and execution. In the MRP II hierarchy, RCCP sits between the business plan and detailed MRP, ensuring that high-level commitments translate into achievable production plans.

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Related Terms

• Capacity Requirements Planning (CRP) — The detailed capacity check performed after MRP, complementing RCCP's high-level validation.
• MRP II — The manufacturing management framework where RCCP validates the MPS before MRP processes it.
• Planning Horizon — The time span across which RCCP evaluates capacity feasibility.

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FAQ

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This term is part of the Manufacturing Glossary. For a deep dive into material planning, see our MRP Guide.