If the available stock is zero and the discontinuation date is in the past, which business process will be affected?

When the available stock is zero and the discontinuation date has already passed, material requirements planning (MRP) becomes significantly affected as it relies on having stock available to meet production needs. MRP's primary purpose is to ensure that materials are available for production and that products are available for delivery to customers. If a material is discontinued, it will not be considered for future planning, as MRP will no longer plan for materials that are no longer available or have been phased out, which would lead to disruptions in the supply chain if not addressed.

In this scenario, with no stock available and the material no longer being part of the production strategy due to its discontinuation, MRP will not generate any procurement proposals for such a material. This could potentially lead to delays in manufacturing processes if alternative materials are not identified or planned for in advance.

On the other hand, production order release, backflushing, and kanban processes may be influenced indirectly but do not directly impact planning in the same manner, as these activities would typically occur after MRP has done its calculations and determined stock levels and requirements. Therefore, MRP is the most directly affected business process in this scenario.