The 5 Stages of Manufacturing Planning and Control | PlanetTogether

As manufacturing planning and control systems are becoming a necessity for today’s manufacturing industry, many are unaware of the stages that take place within the system. These stages are what allow manufacturing facilities to quickly increase their efficiency and take their operation to the next level. Before implementing a manufacturing planning and control system, it is important to understand the stages that are being conducted within the system. Therefore, here are the stages within manufacturing planning and control.

Stages within Manufacturing Planning and Control 

The following stages of manufacturing planning and control include the following:

• Business Planning - This portion of the software enables strategic business planning and pursuing of future goals. These overall goals focus on various areas such as profitability, lead time, productivity, and other areas of the business. These goals are incredibly important in terms of driving the company and focusing efforts within the right areas.
• Sales Planning - Sales planning pertains to the coordination of the entire sales process. This includes sales, marketing, product development, and various other areas. With coordination between sales and demand forecasting, the sales department is able to effectively fill orders according to real-time demand, ultimately fulfilling orders on time.
• Master Production Scheduling (MPS) - Master production scheduling (MPS)  is one of the main components of manufacturing planning and control software. This component controls purchasing and planning and ensures that it is efficient and on time. Overall, master production scheduling oversees and delivers a master schedule that allows production to follow with ease.
• Materials Requirements Planning (MRP) - Materials requirements planning (MRP) pertains to what, when, and how many components are needed within a certain time frame. This is conducted through analyzing real-time demand forecasting and developing a plan for what materials are needed to ensure for a steady flow of production.
• Purchasing Planning - The last stage within the process includes purchasing planning, which is responsible for controlling the purchasing flow of materials within the factory. This purchasing component takes care of the purchasing of raw materials in the most cost-effective and efficient manner.

One of the most popular forms of manufacturing planning and control software is advanced planning and scheduling software (APS).

Advanced Planning and Scheduling Software (APS)

Advanced planning and scheduling software (APS) can easily improve operations through utilization of the various benefits and capabilities available. Some of these features include the following:

• What-if Scenarios
• Finite Capacity Scheduling
• Gantt Drag and Drop
• Inventory Planning

Quickly turn your manufacturing operation into a gold mine by implementing PlanetTogether’s advanced planning and scheduling software. 

Video: Using APS What-If Scenarios in Manufacturing Planning & Control

In this video, you’ll see how PlanetTogether Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS) uses what-if scenarios to strengthen every stage of manufacturing planning and control—from business and sales planning to Master Production Scheduling (MPS), Material Requirements Planning (MRP), and purchasing. Instead of relying on static plans, you can simulate different demand, capacity, and material situations and compare options before changing the live schedule.

You’ll learn how APS what-if analysis helps you:

– Test alternative MPS and MRP plans when demand, lead times, or priorities change
– See the impact of schedule changes on capacity, inventory, and customer deliveries across the entire manufacturing process
– Evaluate multiple planning scenarios side by side so planners and managers can choose the best trade-off between efficiency, cost, and service
– Support continuous improvement by using scenario results to refine your planning parameters and business rules over time

This video is ideal for production planners, schedulers, and operations managers who use manufacturing planning and control systems and want APS what-if scenarios to make smarter, data-driven decisions.

Turn the Five Stages of Planning & Control into Better Schedules

Business planning, sales planning, MPS, MRP, and purchasing planning give you a strong framework for manufacturing planning and control—but the results still depend on how you plan and schedule day to day. Without the right planning engine, it is hard to turn those stages into higher throughput, lower inventory, and fewer scheduling fire drills.

Download our one-page “The Money Is in the Planning” infographic to see how advanced planning and scheduling can help you:

• Connect business and sales plans directly to executable production schedules
• Use MPS and MRP outputs to drive realistic, finite-capacity plans instead of infinite-capacity assumptions
• Identify and manage bottlenecks before they stall the entire manufacturing process
• Align purchasing plans with true material requirements so inventory stays lean but reliable
• Turn APS features like what-if scenarios and Gantt drag-and-drop into everyday tools for better decisions

Share it with your planning, purchasing, and operations teams as a fast visual guide to where better planning and scheduling unlock the full value of your manufacturing planning and control stages.