I have a potential client asking for help setting up MRP for their young company. I have never touched the MRP module before and have no experience with the module or manufacturing processes themselves. Should I offer to help for an hourly contract rate? And if so, how long do you think it would take to get it going? They're a new company but they're already looking to expand and engage the services of companies in other countries. My 12 years of NetSuite experience have been mostly my employers' NetSuite admin(s) figuring out what needs to be done, then having me build scripts and workflows where needed to fill in where NetSuite and its modules don't fully meet the requirements of their business processes. Those admins were always long time veterans in the company and the industry the company is in, and knew the company's business processes very well. I'm coming in cold. I'm trying to give them an estimate of how long it would take me to help them get MRP completely set up, and that's the knowledge gap I'm working with. They also want help with other things like integrations and reporting, so if I can't do the MRP part as quickly or effectively as they need then it's not necessarily a deal breaker.

Word of caution. This is a business critical function, if it's setup wrong or the company isn't ready for a Just-in-Time model, it could result in stock outs and lost revenue. The complexity of their business/inventory model and their experience with tools like that will be key pieces to make your decision off of.

I do appreciate the word of warning! It helps me see why experience in MRP is important.