Materials and Production Planning Training Course

Participants can assess the data fields and controls required for dependable planning calculations.

• Item master fields defined for planning, purchasing and production control
• Lead times separated into queue, setup, run, transport and inspection
• Inventory records reconciled through cycle counts, adjustments and transaction controls
• Bills of materials structured with quantities, revisions and effectivity dates
• Routing data linked to work centres, standard times and capacity
• Data accuracy measured through record accuracy, BOM accuracy and schedule adherence

Participants can select and evaluate demand forecasting methods for planning purposes.

• Demand patterns classified as level, trend, seasonal, intermittent or lumpy
• Moving averages calculated for stable demand with limited historical variation
• Exponential smoothing applied using alpha values and forecast-error review
• Seasonal indices developed from historical demand and period averages
• Forecast bias identified through cumulative error and tracking signal
• Mean absolute percentage error compared with mean absolute deviation
• Commercial intelligence incorporated through sales inputs, promotions and customer commitments

Participants can structure an S&OP cycle that aligns demand, supply, inventory and financial choices.

• S&OP objectives defined around demand, supply, inventory and financial alignment
• Product families created for aggregate planning and executive decision-making
• Demand review inputs prepared from forecasts, orders and market changes
• Supply review evaluates workforce, equipment, suppliers and inventory options
• Pre-S&OP scenarios compare capacity, inventory, backlog and outsourcing choices
• Executive S&OP decisions documented with owners, dates and financial impacts

Participants can segment stock and assign inventory policies based on value, variability and criticality.

• ABC analysis ranks stock by annual usage value and control intensity
• XYZ classification groups items by demand variability and forecastability
• Criticality analysis identifies service, safety and regulatory stock requirements
• Inventory policies differentiated for make-to-stock, make-to-order and spare parts
• Cycle stock, safety stock and pipeline stock separated analytically
• Obsolete and slow-moving stock identified through ageing and consumption review

Participants can calculate replenishment parameters that balance service targets and inventory cost.

• Service-level targets translated into safety factors and stock requirements
• Safety stock calculated from demand variability and lead-time uncertainty
• Reorder points established using average demand, lead time and safety stock
• Economic order quantity calculated from ordering, holding and demand costs
• Min-max parameters set for recurring replenishment of independent-demand items
• Periodic review systems compared with continuous review replenishment systems
• Parameter changes governed through approval, testing and periodic review

Participants can create a master production schedule that balances demand, inventory and production commitments.

• Master scheduling distinguishes end items, options and planning bills
• Time fences protect near-term schedules from disruptive demand changes
• Projected available balance calculated from inventory, receipts and demand
• Available-to-promise quantities allocated against customer orders and commitments
• Lot-sizing rules compared using fixed, periodic and lot-for-lot methods
• Master schedule exceptions reviewed for shortages, overloads and demand changes

Participants can interpret and maintain product structures for accurate material planning.

• Single-level and multi-level bills of materials interpreted for planning
• Parent-child relationships checked against engineering drawings and specifications
• Low-level codes assigned to sequence material requirements calculations
• Phantom assemblies used to simplify planning for non-stocked subassemblies
• Engineering changes controlled through revision dates and approved effectivity
• Common components identified for aggregation across multiple finished products

Participants can perform MRP calculations and interpret planning messages for dependent-demand items.

• Gross requirements exploded through multi-level product structures and schedules
• Scheduled receipts offset against requirements using confirmed delivery dates
• Net requirements calculated after available inventory and safety-stock allowances
• Planned order receipts generated using selected lot-sizing rules
• Planned order releases offset using purchasing and manufacturing lead times
• MRP exception messages prioritised by shortage date, value and customer impact
• Nervousness reduced through time fences, frozen zones and parameter discipline

Participants can assess whether resource capacity can support planned production volumes.

• Capacity units selected using hours, units, tonnes or machine time
• Rated capacity calculated from available time, utilisation and efficiency
• Rough-cut capacity planning tests master schedule feasibility at key resources
• Capacity requirements planning converts planned orders into work-centre loads
• Load profiles identify overload periods, idle capacity and bottleneck risks
• Finite and infinite loading compared for different scheduling conditions

Participants can identify bottlenecks and apply planning actions to protect constrained resources.

• Bottlenecks identified through load analysis, queues and throughput losses
• Theory of Constraints applied to exploit and protect constrained resources
• Drum-buffer-rope synchronises release rates with bottleneck production capacity
• Protective capacity positioned at non-bottleneck resources supporting flow
• Buffer status monitored to trigger escalation and recovery actions
• Constraint decisions evaluated against throughput, inventory and operating expense

Participants can sequence production orders using practical priority rules and setup considerations.

• Dispatching rules compare earliest due date, critical ratio and shortest processing
• Gantt charts display order sequences, capacity loads and schedule conflicts
• Finite scheduling assigns jobs within actual machine and labour availability
• Setup reduction priorities considered when sequencing product families and campaigns
• Changeover matrices identify costly transitions between products and materials
• Schedule adherence measured against released plans and completed operations

Participants can control work order release, progress reporting and corrective action on the shop floor.

• Work orders released only when materials, capacity and specifications are ready
• Queue time monitored between operations to detect flow interruptions
• Operation reporting captures completions, scrap, rework and remaining quantities
• WIP limits used to control congestion and expose process constraints
• Expediting criteria distinguish genuine customer risk from planning noise
• Daily production meetings use visual controls, exceptions and recovery actions

Participants can align supplier orders, delivery schedules and risk controls with material requirements.

• Purchase requisitions converted into supplier schedules and release authorisations
• Supplier lead times analysed for variability, reliability and planning buffers
• Blanket orders and scheduling agreements compared for recurring material demand
• Supplier capacity constraints escalated through confirmed commits and recovery plans
• Inbound delivery performance measured using on-time, in-full and quality metrics
• Dual sourcing decisions assessed against cost, risk and qualification requirements

Participants can determine where pull replenishment methods can improve flow and reduce stock.

• Kanban cards sized using demand rate, lead time and container quantity
• Supermarkets positioned between processes with stable, repeatable consumption patterns
• Heijunka principles level product mix and production volume over time
• Takt time calculated from available production time and customer demand
• Pull systems distinguished from MRP-controlled replenishment in mixed environments
• Visual replenishment signals controlled through standard quantities and replenishment loops

Participants can incorporate quality losses and yield assumptions into material and capacity plans.

• Yield factors incorporated into material requirements and planned order quantities
• Scrap allowances separated from rework, rejects and recoverable by-products
• First-pass yield measured to expose process losses affecting available capacity
• Quality hold inventory controlled through status codes and release procedures
• Root cause analysis uses five whys and fishbone diagrams for recurring losses
• Corrective actions linked to planning parameters, routings and standard quantities

Participants can assess material and production planning risks and define proportionate response actions.

• Supply risk assessed by supplier dependency, geography and substitution options
• Demand volatility scenarios tested against inventory, capacity and service commitments
• Business continuity stock differentiated from routine safety stock requirements
• Risk registers assign owners, triggers, mitigations and contingency actions
• What-if analysis evaluates late deliveries, equipment failure and demand surges
• Escalation thresholds defined for shortages threatening customers or critical services

Participants can select planning KPIs and use them to identify corrective actions.

• Inventory turnover calculated alongside days of supply and ageing profiles
• Stockout rates tracked by item, customer, location and root cause
• Forecast accuracy segmented by product family, horizon and demand pattern
• Schedule adherence measured for production, purchasing and customer commitments
• Overall equipment effectiveness links availability, performance and quality losses
• Planning dashboards distinguish leading indicators from lagging service measures

Participants can interpret ERP planning outputs and prioritise actions using exception-based management.

• ERP planning runs reviewed for shortages, reschedules and order recommendations
• Exception messages filtered by urgency, value, customer impact and constraint
• Planning parameters audited for lead times, lot sizes and safety stock
• Reschedule-in and reschedule-out signals validated against current demand evidence
• Planner worklists organised using exception queues and daily review cadence
• Change controls prevent unauthorised adjustments to critical planning master data

Participants can build, review and present a complete materials and production planning pack for a realistic operating scenario.

• Demand forecast consolidated into an agreed planning baseline and assumptions
• Inventory segmentation translated into replenishment policies and control parameters
• Master production schedule built from demand, inventory and delivery commitments
• MRP outputs converted into purchase releases and production order requirements
• Capacity loads checked against bottlenecks, labour availability and recovery options
• Planning risks documented with mitigations, escalation triggers and accountable owners
• Performance dashboard presented with service, inventory, capacity and schedule measures