As a production planner, creating an efficient and effective production schedule is an incredibly time-consuming task. In this article, we want to highlight the amount of manual work required to create a good schedule and the challenges involved.

Analysis of data and information: A thorough effort

An important aspect of production planning is the collection and analysis of data and information. Collecting, interpreting and analyzing all the necessary information is a lot of manual work. This includes information about “which sales orders are open”, “is there staff sick”, “are the machines working or is there a malfunction”, “are there raw materials for what I want to make”, “how much is already in stock”, “what really has to be finished today and what can be finished tomorrow”, “how are my lines set up and how do I group products in order not to change them unnecessarily”. In the process, sifting through historical production data, analyzing market trends and understanding customer needs requires a lot of time and attention. It is a thorough effort in which the production planner must be precise to gain valuable insights that form the basis for effective planning.

Communication and collaboration: investing in effective interaction

Successful production planning also requires close collaboration and constant communication with various stakeholders. It is manual work to build strong working relationships and understand the needs of each stakeholder. Personal interaction, emails and phone calls to communicate with production staff, buyers, suppliers and customers takes a lot of time and commitment. But it is crucial to communicate effectively, obtain feedback and resolve any problems or challenges. These manual efforts are invaluable in creating a collaborative environment that optimizes production planning.

Dealing with complexity: Numerous constraints

Creating a good production schedule is a challenging task for a planner, mainly because of the many different dimensions, variables and constraints that must be taken into account. This complexity adds another layer of time-consuming work to the planning process.

First, there are the dimensions of planning, such as time, capacity and resources. A production planner must make the best use of available time to meet demand. This means scheduling production activities at specific times, taking into account lead times and ensuring efficient planning of available labor hours and equipment. Balancing these dimensions requires precise coordination and a deep understanding of production processes.

In addition, there are several variables that can affect scheduling. Consider seasonal fluctuations in demand, changes in customer orders, unexpected production disruptions or delays in supply chains. It is the production planner’s responsibility to be flexible and able to respond quickly to these variables while maintaining schedule efficiency and consistency.

In addition, there are numerous constraints that must be considered when creating a production schedule. These include constraints on available machine and labor capacity, inventory levels, regulatory compliance and quality standards, and the lead time required for each product. Identifying and managing all of these constraints requires detailed knowledge of the operational capabilities and limitations of the production facility.

The production planner must consider all of these dimensions, variables and constraints in creating a schedule that is simultaneously feasible, cost-effective and customer-oriented. This requires thorough analysis, accurate calculations and making informed choices. Manually processing all this information and making the right decisions can take considerable time and effort.

Planning is continuously responding to changes

The planner must constantly monitor whether things change and adjust the daily planning accordingly. This causes the planner to be busy several times a day analyzing data and information, communicating with the various stakeholders, and evaluating and possibly adjusting the planning if necessary. So this is not a one-time manual action, but something the planner can have a full day job on.

Conclusion

The manual work involved in creating an effective production schedule is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Collecting and analyzing data, communicating and collaborating with stakeholders, and dealing with the myriad constraints are tasks that are time-consuming but critical to creating an effective production schedule. It is through these efforts that production planners can understand the complexities of the manufacturing environment and develop a schedule that meets the needs of the business.