Computer-Aided Process Planning and its Integration with ERP and MRP Systems: A Systematic Review

Abstract

In today's manufacturing industry, Computer-Aided Process Planning (CAPP) is an important tool that helps to convert design information into manufacturing plans efficiently. With the changing dynamics of manufacturing environments with a greater focus on digital integration, integration of CAPP with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) systems becomes significant to achieve operational efficiency. This systematic review is a review of current status and the challenges of digital integration of the CAPP and ERP/MRP systems in the context of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM). The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the dominant approaches, challenges of integration, benefits, and technology trends that emerged from various studies. The aim of the review is to create an organised knowledge base for researchers and practitioners that will help them to make the process planning workflow more optimised, by using better ERP and MRP integration, to set in motion improved resource utilization, production scheduling and decision making. The review is conducted following a documented protocol, according to PRISMA. The CAPP terms were searched in Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar along with ERP, MRP, integration and interoperability terms and only the peer-reviewed English literature published from 2016 to 2025 were included. Titles, abstracts and full texts were screened by two reviewers against pre-stated eligibility criteria, data was extracted on a standard form, the quality of the studies was appraised with a checklist and the 22 included studies were organised on a taxonomy of integration level, CAPP approach (variant, generative, hybrid), enterprise-system scope, enabling technology, and application domain. The synthesis reveals a transition towards STEP-based data exchange, service-oriented architectures, ontology-based and digital-twin architectures, but little evidence of end-to-end integration, especially for SMEs and manufacturers in developing countries. The review is offered as a guide for researchers and practitioners interested in making a step towards closing the gap between design and process planning and enterprise planning.