Production Planning and Control Training Course

Participants can prepare a demand plan that combines historical patterns, customer intelligence and forecast error measures.

• Demand history cleaned for outliers, promotions, returns and one-off orders
• Moving average and exponential smoothing forecasts calculated from monthly demand
• Seasonal indices applied to forecast recurring peaks and troughs
• Mean absolute deviation and MAPE used to monitor forecast error
• Sales intelligence incorporated through documented forecast overrides and assumptions
• Demand plan segmented by product family, customer class and volatility

Participants can set inventory planning parameters appropriate to item value, variability and replenishment risk.

• ABC analysis prioritises control effort using annual consumption value
• XYZ classification distinguishes stable, variable and intermittent demand patterns
• Safety stock calculated from demand variability, lead time and service targets
• Reorder point set from expected demand during replenishment lead time
• Economic order quantity tested against storage, ordering and capacity constraints
• Cycle counting plans protect record accuracy for high-priority inventory items

Participants can develop an aggregate plan that balances forecast demand with workforce, inventory and capacity options.

• Product families formed using similar resources, demand patterns and planning needs
• Level, chase and mixed strategies compared against operating constraints
• Aggregate capacity calculated from staffing, shifts, utilisation and available hours
• Inventory build-ahead evaluated for seasonal demand and storage limitations
• Overtime, subcontracting and temporary labour assessed as capacity alternatives
• Rough cost comparison supports selection of an aggregate planning strategy

Participants can prepare an S&OP review that identifies demand-supply gaps and required management decisions.

• S&OP cycle aligns demand review, supply review and executive decisions
• Product-family demand compared with aggregate capacity and inventory projections
• Planning assumptions logged for prices, promotions, staffing and supplier availability
• Demand-supply gaps translated into choices requiring management approval
• Pre-S&OP meeting prepares scenarios, risks and recommended actions
• Executive S&OP decisions converted into accountable implementation actions

Participants can create a master production schedule that converts aggregate decisions into item-level supply commitments.

• Master scheduling selects end items driving material and capacity requirements
• Time-phased demand combines customer orders, forecasts and available inventory
• Projected available balance calculated across the master schedule horizon
• Available-to-promise quantities protect realistic customer commitment dates
• Demand time fences control changes close to scheduled production
• Planning time fences distinguish fixed, slushy and liquid schedule periods

Participants can assess product structure data and identify errors that distort material planning results.

• Single-level and multilevel bills represent parent-component relationships accurately
• Low-level coding determines correct sequence for MRP netting calculations
• Phantom bills simplify planning for non-stocked intermediate assemblies
• Planning bills support forecast-driven families and optional product features
• Engineering change control protects effective dates and revision accuracy
• Bill accuracy audits compare system structures with actual production requirements

Participants can calculate time-phased material requirements and interpret planned order recommendations.

• Gross requirements exploded from master schedules through multilevel bills
• Netting subtracts scheduled receipts and available inventory from gross demand
• Lot-for-lot, fixed-order and periodic-order quantities compared for material control
• Lead-time offsetting establishes planned order release dates for components
• Planned order receipts generate dependent demand at lower bill levels
• MRP exception messages prioritise expedite, defer, cancel and reschedule actions

Participants can align purchase planning with supplier capability, order policies and supply-risk controls.

• Purchase requisitions converted into supplier schedules and release instructions
• Supplier lead-time performance measured using promised and actual receipt dates
• Order coverage reports expose components at risk of production shortage
• Minimum order quantities reconciled with demand, storage and cash constraints
• Supplier capacity constraints escalated through documented shortage management routines
• Inbound delivery schedules synchronised with receiving capacity and production needs

Participants can test the master schedule against critical-resource capacity before releasing detailed plans.

• Critical resources identified from bottlenecks, long lead times and scarce skills
• Rough-cut capacity loads derived from master schedule quantities and standards
• Capacity profiles show weekly load against available critical-resource hours
• Overload resolution considers sequence changes, overtime, outsourcing and demand shifts
• Demonstrated capacity distinguishes theoretical equipment hours from achievable output
• Master schedule revisions documented after critical-capacity feasibility checks

Participants can calculate work-centre loads and evaluate capacity adjustments using routing and calendar data.

• Routings define operations, work centres, run times and setup times
• Capacity requirements calculated from planned orders and operation standards
• Infinite loading reveals total work demand before capacity constraint decisions
• Finite loading assigns work within available work-centre capacity limits
• Queue, move and wait times incorporated into manufacturing lead-time estimates
• Load reports identify overloaded work centres and timing of corrective action

Participants can sequence work orders using dispatching rules, due-date priorities and changeover constraints.

• Forward scheduling calculates completion dates from planned release dates
• Backward scheduling establishes latest feasible starts from customer due dates
• First-come, earliest-due-date and shortest-processing-time rules compared
• Critical ratio identifies orders requiring immediate scheduling attention
• Sequence-dependent setup matrix reduces lost capacity from product changeovers
• Gantt charts communicate machine loading, order sequence and schedule conflicts

Participants can protect constrained resources and improve flow using Theory of Constraints methods.

• Constraint identification uses throughput, queue length and utilisation evidence
• Drum-buffer-rope synchronises release rates with constrained-resource output
• Protective capacity placed before constraints and customer-facing operations
• Buffer management signals distinguish normal variation from urgent intervention
• Throughput accounting compares decisions using throughput, inventory and operating expense
• Constraint elevation options assessed after fully exploiting existing capacity

Participants can control released orders through accurate status reporting, dispatch lists and escalation routines.

• Order release authorises work only when materials, capacity and documents exist
• Dispatch lists rank work by due date, priority and resource availability
• Operation reporting captures starts, completions, quantities, scrap and downtime
• Work-in-progress visibility compares actual order status with planned progress
• Andon escalation triggers rapid response to quality, equipment and material issues
• Daily control meetings assign owners for delayed orders and recovery actions

Participants can incorporate quality losses, maintenance needs and operational reliability into production plans.

• Overall equipment effectiveness separates availability, performance and quality losses
• Preventive maintenance windows incorporated into work-centre capacity calendars
• Quality hold status prevents unavailable stock from appearing as usable supply
• First-pass yield adjusts material requirements for expected process losses
• Failure mode and effects analysis identifies planning-critical equipment risks
• Reliability data informs contingency capacity and recovery lead-time assumptions

Participants can build a balanced performance scorecard for planning accuracy, flow, delivery and inventory control.

• On-time-in-full measured against confirmed quantity and delivery-date commitments
• Schedule adherence compares completed production with frozen schedule requirements
• Plan attainment measures actual output against authorised production targets
• Inventory turns connect stock investment with annual material consumption
• Manufacturing cycle time tracks elapsed time from release through completion
• Daily visual boards display targets, actuals, losses and corrective actions

Participants can define data ownership, planning controls and exception workflows for ERP-supported operations.

• Item master governance assigns ownership for lead times and planning parameters
• Transaction discipline preserves inventory, order status and capacity-data accuracy
• ERP planning runs scheduled around cut-off times and data validation
• Exception dashboards separate urgent shortages from routine planning messages
• Change control records approved revisions to schedules, bills and routings
• Planning calendar defines review meetings, freeze points and escalation deadlines

Participants can assess production disruptions and develop structured recovery plans that protect customer commitments.

• Shortage triage ranks affected orders by customer, margin and delivery impact
• Recovery scenarios test overtime, resequencing, substitutes and alternate suppliers
• Material substitution requires approved specifications, quality checks and traceability
• Capacity loss quantified using downtime duration, backlog and recovery-rate assumptions
• Customer communication plans state revised dates, allocations and escalation contacts
• Post-incident reviews identify parameter changes and preventive control actions

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

• Demand forecast and assumptions assembled into an approved planning baseline
• Aggregate plan balances service, inventory, workforce and cost targets
• Master schedule demonstrates available-to-promise and time-fence control
• MRP and capacity analyses identify material shortages and overloaded resources
• Shop-floor dispatching plan specifies priorities, status controls and escalation rules
• Performance scorecard and recovery actions support management review presentation