Production Planning and Production Control – Smart Factory Glossary

Production planning is the act of organizing, controlling, and monitoring production processes. It is an essential element of production management with the aim of ensuring efficient and smooth manufacturing and assembly of parts. A thorough planning is key for high-performance production. Not only the actual manufacturing processes need to be planned, but also material provision, capacity planning, and scheduling are important elements of production planning.

Production planning answers the following questions:

• What is manufactured?
• When is it manufactured?
• How is the product manufactured?
• What is used to manufacture the product?

Objectives of production planning

Production planning covers all steps from conception of the product to its manufacturing. The following features are indluced:

• Defining production targets
• Selecting production methods
• Planning production processes
• Planning capacities
• Planning material requirements
• Scheduling
• Monitoring production

Efficient production planning and control help to optimally use resources, reduce throughput times, minimize setup times and costs, enhance personnel deployment, and maximize productivity. Improving customer satisfaction is another overarching objective.

Types of production planning

Production is mainly planned by using Excel spreadsheets or a specific software.

• Excel is a popular choice for smaller companies or simple planning tasks as it can be used flexibly and is available to everyone. 
• Specific planning software includes extensive functions designed to precisely meet the needs of manufacturing companies. The software can offer features for automated planning of simple or complex workflows, efficient personnel deployment, and even simulation of planning scenarios. Analysis and integration of real-time data from production are other important aspects provided by production planning software, as well as the use of artificial intelligence (AI). By the way, AI is recently taking production planning to a whole new level.

 

Software-based production planning

According to Sheet 1 of VDI Guideline 5600, detailed planning and control is one of the many tasks of a Manufacturing Execution System (MES). However, this basic task of production planning can also be mapped by a stand-alone software such as the Advanced Planning and Scheduling System (APS) FEDRA by MPDV. MES or APS, both systems can carry out the planning tasks clearly outlined by the VDI Guideline 5600 as they include all relevant aspects of production.

Production planning integrates

• production targets
• order backlog
• availability of resources
• material management 

The aim of software-based production planning is an efficient machine utilization and perfect planning of staff according to qualification. A further task is to find automated solutions if unplanned events occur in production. This is the case if a machine is down for technical reasons or if material was not delivered in time to be further processed. The software must then generate an alternative plan to still meet the agreed delivery date, for example.

Generally speaking, software can be used to plan and control production processes in detail and helps reduce inefficiencies. It also increases transparency in production.

Production planning with AI

Artificial intelligence is increasingly used in production planning where it promises significant efficiency gains and cost savings. For example, AI technologies can help to detect complex data patterns, create predictions, and optimize decision-making processes. AI can thus be used to adapt production planning in real time to changed circumstances.

MPDV offers the manufacturing app AI Planning, a solution for production planning based on artificial intelligence. AI Planning employs the field-proven method of reinforcement learning to optimize the allocation of operations to machines and resources. The user can define the optimization objectives such as minimum setup costs or maximum compliance with deadlines.

Example: The Advanced Planning and Scheduling System FEDRA

APS FEDRA is a comprehensive production planning system that combines the advantages of planning software and at the same time guarantees planning reliability. The software has a modular structure, which enables companies to only use functions they need for their production processes. The standard functions include Detailed Scheduling. It allocates the orders from rough planning to the available resources. The software not only plans the machine to produce an order, but also the sequence of operations. The resulting planning is displayed on a graphic planning board. It is therefore easier for the planner to assess the utilization of capacities and to see available gaps that would allow a more efficient planning.

With a production planning software such as APS FEDRA, companies can plan several resources at the same time, which means that not only the primary resource is integrated, but also the availability of secondary resources is ensured. Typical primary resources are machines and workplaces. Secondary resources are tools and production resources required to produce the articles, for example. The mApp Secondary Resource Planning shows the planning of these resources in a Gantt chart and displays a conflict list including resources that are allocated multiple times. Other APS FEDRA functions are applications such as the Energy Demand Planning, which is used to avoid peak loads, or the mApps for the Advanced Process Modeling. The applications of this category can be used to model the relationships and conditions in detail that must be integrated into planning.

APS FEDRA can either be used as stand-alone solution or in combination with the multiple functions of the MES HYDRA X by MPDV.