Manufacturing Operations Management Training Course

Participants can establish operational measures and daily management routines for production control.

• SQDCM boards connect safety, quality, delivery, cost and morale measures
• Operational definitions prevent inconsistent metric collection between shifts and departments
• Pareto charts identify the few loss categories driving total performance
• Baseline current-state performance using takt, cycle time, yield and OEE
• Daily management tiers escalate abnormalities through defined response intervals
• Visual controls show plan-versus-actual status at the point of work

Participants can structure an S&OP process that reconciles demand, supply and financial plans.

• S&OP balances demand, supply, inventory, capacity and financial objectives monthly
• Demand review separates statistical forecasts from commercial intelligence and assumptions
• Supply review tests capacity, materials, labour and supplier constraints
• Pre-S&OP decisions prepare unresolved trade-offs for executive review meetings
• Scenario planning compares overtime, subcontracting, inventory and demand-shaping responses
• Decision logs record assumptions, actions, owners, dates and escalation requirements

Participants can select, calculate and monitor demand forecasts for production planning.

• Moving averages smooth demand when stable historical patterns dominate
• Exponential smoothing weights recent demand observations for short-term forecasts
• Seasonal indices adjust forecasts for recurring monthly or quarterly variation
• Mean absolute deviation measures average forecast error in planning units
• Forecast bias exposes persistent overstatement or understatement of expected demand
• Segmentation separates make-to-stock, make-to-order and intermittent-demand products

Participants can set inventory policies that balance availability, working capital and production risk.

• ABC analysis prioritises control effort by annual consumption value
• XYZ classification distinguishes stable, variable and intermittent demand patterns
• Reorder points combine expected demand, lead time and safety stock
• Economic order quantity tests ordering and holding cost trade-offs
• Cycle counting improves stock-record accuracy without full physical shutdowns
• Kanban replenishment controls authorised work and material movement quantities

Participants can convert demand into master schedules and time-phased material requirements.

• Master production schedules translate demand plans into finished-goods production quantities
• Available-to-promise calculations protect customer commitments against scheduled supply
• Bills of materials define parent-component relationships and required quantities
• MRP explosion converts master schedules into time-phased component requirements
• Lead-time offsets determine planned order release dates for purchased materials
• Exception messages highlight shortages, rescheduling needs and overdue planned orders

Participants can assess capacity requirements and develop responses to production constraints.

• Rough-cut capacity planning tests master schedules against key resource limits
• Capacity requirements planning uses routings, run times and work-centre loads
• Finite loading prevents schedules exceeding available machine or labour capacity
• Theory of Constraints identifies the system constraint and protective buffers
• Drum-buffer-rope synchronises material release with constraint production pace
• Capacity alternatives compare overtime, extra shifts, outsourcing and capital investment

Participants can sequence production work and control deviations during execution.

• Dispatch lists prioritise released orders by due date and operational status
• First-come, first-served sequencing suits stable queues with similar job priorities
• Earliest due date sequencing reduces maximum lateness across competing orders
• Critical ratio prioritisation compares time remaining with work remaining
• Gantt charts display machine loading, job sequence and schedule conflicts
• Production control tracks order progress, shortages, holds and completion reporting

Participants can improve process flow through appropriate layout and work design choices.

• Process flowcharts expose rework loops, inspections, queues and handoff delays
• Spaghetti diagrams reveal excessive movement of people, materials and information
• Cellular layouts group equipment around product families and flow requirements
• Line balancing distributes work content across stations to meet takt
• Standard work combines sequence, timing, inventory and safety requirements
• Ergonomic assessment reduces strain, reaches, awkward postures and repetitive motion

Participants can apply lean methods to identify waste and improve production flow.

• The eight wastes identify non-value-adding activity in manufacturing processes
• 5S establishes workplace sorting, order, cleaning, standardisation and discipline
• Kaizen events focus teams on defined losses and rapid countermeasures
• SMED separates internal and external tasks to reduce changeover time
• Poka-yoke prevents errors through physical, procedural or information controls
• Heijunka levels production volume and mix to reduce instability

Participants can structure quality improvement using prevention, containment and corrective action methods.

• Cost of quality separates prevention, appraisal, internal failure and external failure
• Voice of customer requirements become measurable critical-to-quality characteristics
• Fishbone diagrams organise potential causes by method, machine, material and manpower
• Five Whys traces recurring problems from symptoms to underlying causes
• A3 reports document problem definition, analysis, countermeasures and follow-up
• CAPA systems control corrective action ownership, verification and closure

Participants can interpret process variation and select appropriate statistical control actions.

• Common-cause variation requires system improvement rather than local adjustment
• Special-cause variation triggers investigation before production settings are changed
• Control charts distinguish stable process behaviour from assignable causes
• X-bar and R charts monitor variable data from rational subgroups
• p-charts track proportions of defective units across changing sample sizes
• Cp and Cpk compare process spread and centring against specification limits

Participants can develop maintenance controls that improve equipment availability and production reliability.

• Overall equipment effectiveness combines availability, performance and quality loss measures
• Failure mode and effects analysis prioritises risks before equipment failures occur
• Preventive maintenance schedules tasks by time, usage and condition triggers
• Predictive maintenance uses vibration, temperature and oil-condition monitoring data
• MTBF and MTTR measure equipment reliability and repair responsiveness
• Autonomous maintenance assigns routine inspection, cleaning and lubrication to operators

Participants can manage supplier and inbound material performance to protect production plans.

• Supplier scorecards track quality, delivery, responsiveness, cost and improvement actions
• Incoming inspection plans match inspection effort to supplier and material risk
• Supplier lead-time variability informs safety stock and reorder point settings
• Expediting protocols distinguish genuine shortages from planning and data errors
• Vendor-managed inventory defines replenishment responsibilities, visibility and inventory ownership
• Supplier corrective actions address recurring defects, delays and specification failures

Participants can plan workforce capacity and manage shop-floor performance through structured routines.

• Labour standards define expected work content, staffing needs and performance baselines
• Skills matrices identify qualification gaps, cross-training priorities and deployment options
• Manpower planning converts production volumes into shift-level staffing requirements
• Tiered huddles review safety, quality, delivery and unresolved operational issues
• Leader standard work defines recurring checks, coaching and escalation activities
• Training within industry methods standardise job instruction and supervisor development

Participants can identify production cost drivers and evaluate productivity improvement opportunities.

• Cost-driver analysis links manufacturing expenses to volume, complexity and resource use
• Standard costing separates material, labour and overhead cost expectations
• Material price and usage variances identify purchasing and consumption losses
• Labour rate and efficiency variances identify pay and productivity gaps
• Throughput accounting prioritises decisions using contribution through constrained resources
• Productivity ratios compare output against labour, materials, energy and machine hours

Participants can define reliable data controls for planning, execution and performance reporting.

• ERP master data includes item codes, BOMs, routings, lead times and calendars
• MES records production quantities, labour, machine status and quality events
• Data governance assigns ownership for accuracy, changes, approvals and audit trails
• Master-data errors create false shortages, incorrect costs and infeasible schedules
• Andon systems signal abnormalities requiring immediate supervisor or support response
• Digital dashboards connect operational measures with daily management decisions

Participants can integrate safety, environmental and operational risk controls into manufacturing management.

• Job safety analysis identifies hazards, controls and required protective measures
• Near-miss reporting captures weak signals before injuries or major incidents
• Permit-to-work systems control hazardous maintenance and contractor activities
• ISO 14001 principles connect environmental aspects with operational controls
• Energy intensity measures consumption per unit produced or processed
• Business continuity plans define responses to utilities, supplier and equipment disruptions

Participants can prioritise operational improvements and establish governance for sustained results.

• Gap analysis compares current performance against target operating conditions
• Impact-effort matrices rank improvement opportunities using transparent decision criteria
• A3 portfolios connect improvement projects with strategic operational priorities
• Implementation roadmaps sequence quick wins, capability building and capital actions
• RACI matrices clarify accountability for actions, approvals and escalation decisions
• Control plans sustain gains through measures, audits, standard work and reviews

Participants can build, review and present a complete manufacturing operations improvement plan using integrated planning, performance and control methods.

• Current-state diagnosis summarises demand, capacity, inventory, quality and maintenance performance
• Value-stream evidence identifies priority constraints, losses, delays and customer risks
• S&OP, MPS and capacity assumptions create an integrated production plan
• Improvement proposals specify methods, owners, measures, resources and expected benefits
• Risk registers identify implementation barriers, contingencies and escalation routes
• Peer review tests feasibility, data quality, controls and management presentation
• Final presentation communicates priorities, decisions, implementation milestones and review cadence