Jun-jun B.

Doinog POM 1:30-4:30

BSAT Ms. Myrna Talaver

What is Production Planning?

Production planning and scheduling is making your manufacturing process flow with
maximum efficiency.   

It is making sure your orders are fulfilled in the most efficient way, without interruptions,
delay, or stress.  

Does that seem like a pipe dream?  

Maybe your workshop production flow just needs a few tweaks. Either way, proper
production planning and scheduling is absolutely necessary.   

It's a fact - production scheduling in manufacturing is especially challenging. It is not

helped by the wide range of resources and processes to manage.  

Right now you might be wondering:  

"How is optimal production efficiency possible for small manufacturers?"  

It takes solid management with the right production planning and scheduling software.
Do this well and watch as every part of your order fulfillment process work together, as
they should.  

Without a solid plan to manage and schedule production, even the simplest business
can get turned around.   

Complete production planning involves the accurate tracking of:   

 Team members;  
 Raw materials; 
 Workstations; 
 Processes; and 
 Supplies.  

Knowing measurements and figures is not enough. You need to understand how each
part of your manufacturing process interact and work together optimally.   

The answer is simple: find the right tools.   

There are many production planning tools available on the market. The problem is that
most of these tools are geared towards large manufacturing businesses. This makes
them too complex for a small business’ needs. On the other side of the scale, there is
off-the-shelf software like Excel. This is not robust enough for effective production
planning. Excel leaves you few chances to analyze and optimize your processes.  

The Importance of Scheduling Production Processes    

Neglecting your order fulfillment process leads to problems arising sooner or later.   

Small inefficiencies may not be noticeable at first. But allow them to continue, then it will
grow into a big one. This leads to bottlenecks in your production process. Bottlenecks
are slow spots in your production line. They can cause significant issues in your
production flow  

These issues affect your whole business:  

 Customers will get frustrated with delayed orders.  

 Crew members will get stressed and demoralized while struggling to keep up.   

It takes an effective production manager to diagnose and address causes of

bottlenecks. This takes time and resources which could be spent elsewhere. 
Afterwards, measures need to be in place that prevents something similar from
occurring.   

Using production planning software helps you break this process down into manageable
pieces. It saves operation managers time when finding ways to optimize the production
flow. It allows you to stay on top of your floor-level management.     

Some may think that you can rush over management or sweep strategy under the rug.  

Make no mistake: 

Production scheduling in manufacturing is one of the hardest but most important things
to get right.   

If any part of your production is off, then delays happen. Manufacturing process

optimization means making sure dead stock and disappointed customers are non-
existent.  

In general, good production planning involves:  

 Producing goods in the most logical and straightforward way possible;  

  Thinking ahead — anticipating situations like high demand, shortfall, and
bottlenecks;   
 Identifying inefficient spots in the production chain; and  
 Finding the optimal way to completing orders on time. 

When Scheduling Production of Products What are the Key Factors to

Consider?  
Production planning is vital for any manufacturing or craft businesses. Even basic
products need a clear and defined flow to turn them from raw materials into quality
goods.  

If this is not followed, your products are sure to drop in quality. Without a proper
process, your standardized practices are sure to be forgotten. 

Crew Management  

Use your team well. Your people are a valuable asset to your business. They play a key
part of manufacturing process optimization. Make it your business to know your people,
including their strengths and weaknesses.   

This way, you can assign each team member to the most suitable tasks and machines.
If someone is sick or goes on holiday, you have the additional capacity to make up for
the temporary loss.   

Effective production planning allows you to get the most out of your people and
machines. Every team member knows the tasks assigned to them, and what their
expected output is.   

Keeping tabs on how this process lets you to compensate for shortfalls and keep up
with high demand.   

Running at Capacity  

Is your workshop constantly running at 100% of its output? It only takes a minor bump
to bring things to a grinding halt.   

A good rule of thumb is to always make sure your maximum output is a little higher than
what you are doing now. If you do receive an unusually large order or two, you will be
glad you prepared. The same goes for your team as they have enough resources to do
their job on time.  
Raw Materials  

Frequent stalls in production planning mean paying team members and machines to
stand-by waiting.   

Manufacturing process planning software can integrate MRP. This means you can have
the required raw materials available at all times. You never have to push back
production because of supply order delays. Priority deadlines do not have to be set
back due to under supply. 

There's no need to be always stepping over excess raw materials on your shop floor.    

If done right, warehousing and transport costs won't skyrocket due to oversupply. As a
bonus, every team member always has something to do as they work with the materials
that you do have available.  

Workshop Logistics  

The logistical flow of each part in your manufacturing process also requires
consideration.   

This may not seem so important, but you would be surprised.  

Many a production line has come grinding to a halt as one weak link has been placed
on the wrong stage.  

Pushing machines and people to unsuitable locations can harm efficiency. Sometimes,
what seems like common sense could be deleterious to your flow. It takes careful
analysis to figure out how materials, resources, people, and supplies travel around your
shop floor.  

It may be that a more efficient layout or order exists for your business. Sometimes
making a small change can make a world of difference to your production schedule.  

Problem Solving  

Trial-and-error problem solving costs your business money through each failed attempt.
Over ordering or over producing is a band-aid solution, as this leads to extra costs or
staff burnout. 

In order to get to the root of a problem, you need effective software to track your flow
and find production scheduling issues.
Know Your Manufacturing Processes  

Understanding production scheduling principles allows you to methodically oversee your

manufacturing. Track and manage everything effectively and everything should work
like clockwork. Effective production scheduling makes it easier to do everything by the
book – it is set out clearly for your whole team and is available 24/7. 

Production Planning and Scheduling Using Excel Causes More

Inefficiencies    
A lack of production planning software for small enterprises has led many
manufacturers to get by with spreadsheets. There are three main problems with this
approach:   

 Spreadsheets are slow – it may be better than doing it with a pen and paper, but
Excel is still too labor-intensive;   
 Spreadsheets are error-prone – they are vulnerable to mistakes which cause
confusion and slow production; and   
 Spreadsheets are static – they do not update automatically. This can lead to
delays as changes are not communicated.  

Many small manufacturers are stuck with Excel because they can’t see any better
options. This is understandable. Most small makers do not need the gargantuan flow
diagrams and Gantt charts seen in large enterprise software.   

Shop-bought software like Excel seems like a quick and easy option. But it is not
powerful enough for effective production management.   

Fortunately, there is software designed for manufacturing process optimization.   

How to Do Production Planning and Scheduling the Right Way  

Katana - is a Smart Workshop system that simplifies the production planning process.   

The interface is a user-friendly drag-and-drop system. If you want to re-prioritize an

order, just drag it to your preferred spot in the list. Katana will automatically allocate the
raw materials and other resources to this order.   

This high usability means you don’t have to spend an afternoon training yourself or your
staff to use it.

The “Operations” screen lets you do production planning as it automatically assigns

team members and workstations to each process your manufacturing orders require.
There is no need to refer to complicated planning sheets, you just have to check it and
go.

The “Manufacturing Schedule” screen lets you review all outstanding manufacturing
tasks. If something comes up, or you want to change tack, simply reorganize your
manufacturing queue with our intuitive drag-and-drop system.

Advantages of Katana’s Production Planning and Scheduling Software  

 Keep up with demand, and prepare for change;  

 Prevent idle time in your workshop;  
 Significantly reduce scheduling errors;  
 Generate accurate, realistic deadlines;  
 Minimize inventory transport and storage costs;  
 Identify inefficiencies that could lead to production bottlenecks; and   
 Gets products out the door and to customers on time