Production planning and control (PPC) is a necessity for manufacturing facilities around the globe that are seeking to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. PPC is a term used to describe two essential components of manufacturing: production planning and production control.
The production planning portion handles the activities necessary before production actually begins, such as materials planning, capacity planning, and operations scheduling. The production control portion oversees the actual production process by ensuring that the production team is able to meet its production targets and is operating according to schedule.
Planning and control are interdependent components that are interrelated to each other. This means that one needs the other in order to work. Planning is a useless tool without having a production control process to take action and ensure that the plan is executed successfully. Production control provides feedback on the accuracy of the production plan, which helps in the modification of existing plans and the creation of future plans. On its end, control is dependent on planning as the standards of performance are laid out during the planning process.
Production planning and control allows manufacturers to effectively generate a production plan, execute it, and ultimately take control of their operations through continuous improvement initiatives.
As these processes are related, production planning and production control need to be integrated together in order to be executed effectively. In this blog, we are going to discuss the overall objectives of production planning and control and why the implementation of an advanced planning and scheduling (APS) software is essential.
The overall objectives of production planning and control include the following:
Production planning and control software is absolutely essential for manufacturing facilities that are seeking to improve overall efficiency within their operations.
PlanetTogether frees [our planner] from all the mechanics. We run more efficiently, with more money to the bottom line. From an executive point of view, that’s one result that gives me a chance to relax and enjoy another cup of coffee.
A software that is becoming extremely common to handle production planning and control strategies is PlanetTogether's advanced planning and scheduling (APS) software. This type of software provides insight into the current operations and allows the planning and scheduling to occur concurrently to increase the efficiency of the operations.
PlanetTogether APS comes packaged with features such as finite scheduling, resource planning, production scheduling, and performance tracking and analysis. This software is easily integrated with manufacturing facilities that utilize ERP, MRP, and MPS software to plan and schedule their production.
Advanced Planning and Scheduling Softwares have become a must for modern-day manufacturing operations as customer demand for increased product assortment, fast delivery, and downward cost pressures become prevalent. These systems help planners save time while providing greater agility in updating ever-changing priorities, production schedules, and inventory plans. APS Systems can be quickly integrated with an ERP/MRP software to fill the gaps where these systems lack planning and scheduling flexibility, accuracy, and efficiency.
With PlanetTogether APS you can:
The implementation of an Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) Software will take your manufacturing operations to the next level of production efficiency by taking advantage of the operational data you already possess in your ERP system. APS is a step in the right direction of efficiency and lean manufacturing production enhancement. Try out a free trial or demo!