Production Planning and Control
Introduction
Production Planning and Control: It is the function within a company that plans, manages and controls the entire production process.
It deals with what, how much, when and with what to produce.
Scheduling (Production Scheduling):
It is one of the most important activities of Production Planning. It involves defining the sequence and detailed schedule of production orders on a machine, production line or factory.
It answers the question:
"Which task should be processed on which machine, and in what order, to achieve a specific objective?"
Practical Example of a Scheduling Problem
Imagine a mechanical workshop with 5 lathes (machines) and 20 production orders (tasks) for different shafts.
Each shaft has:
- A different machining time on each lathe
- A delivery deadline
- A priority
The scheduler needs to decide the production sequence on each lathe so that deadlines are met, machines are well utilized and total production time is minimized.
The Role of Operations Research in Scheduling
Operations Research comes in exactly here. Making a schedule manually for complex problems is:
- Practically impossible
- Leads to inefficient solutions
How OR Transforms the Process
Model the Problem
Transform the complex reality of the shop floor into an abstract mathematical model that captures essential constraints and objectives.
Analyze the Problem
Understand the nature of the problem (for example, whether it is a single machine sequencing problem, flow or job shop).
Find Optimal Solutions
Use algorithms to calculate the production sequence that best meets the company's objectives.
Advantages of Using OR in Production Planning Scheduling
The application of OR brings tangible benefits.
- Less machine idle time
- Less work in process (WIP) inventory
- Reliable deadline compliance
- Significant reduction in delays
- Produce more with the same resources
- More efficient scheduling
- Replaces intuition and "workarounds"
- Robust quantitative analysis
- Quickly simulate impacts of:
- New urgent orders
- Machine breakdowns
- Priority changes
Filling Manual - Production Planning Spreadsheet
Overview
Complete guide for correct filling of the Production Planning and Control spreadsheet.
TAB: demand
Production Orders Registration
| Field | Type | Description | Example | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| job_id | Text | Unique order identifier | OP-001, OP-002 | Unique for each order |
| product_type | Text | Product type | Shaft A, Shaft B | Use standardized names |
| processing_time | Number | Production time (minutes) | 45.5, 30.0 | In minutes, use decimals |
| quantity_products | Integer | Total quantity | 100, 50 | Whole numbers |
| not_before_date | Date/Time | Earliest start date | 2025-01-10 | Format: YYYY-MM-DD |
| deadline | Date | Delivery deadline | 2025-01-15 | Format: YYYY-MM-DD |
TAB: setup
Changeover and Setup Times
| From | To | Setup | Product type |
|---|---|---|---|
Shaft A | Shaft A | 15 | Change between shafts of same type |
Shaft A | Shaft B | 45 | Change to different shaft type |
Shaft B | Shaft A | 30 | Return to original shaft |
Shaft B | Shaft C | 50 | Change between different types |
Shaft C | Shaft A | 40 | Complex preparation |
Relationship with Product Type:
- "From" and "To" refer to registered
product_type - Setup must be defined for all possible combinations, use minutes for time
- Consistency: Use same names as
demandtab
TAB: machine_job
| Field | Type | Description | Example | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| job_id | Text | Order identifier | =demand!A2 | Copy exactly from Demand tab |
| machine_id | Text | Assigned machine | Lathe 1, Lathe 2 | Use standardized names |
TAB: resource
Required Resources
| Field | Type | Description | Example | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| job_id | Text | Order identifier | OP-001 | Same as previous tabs |
| resource_id | Text | Resource code | 501, 502 | Unique codes |
| resource_type | Text | Resource type | Tool A, Mold B | Maintain standardization |
TAB: machines
Technical Machine Registration
| Field | Type | Description | Example | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| machine | Text | Machine name | Lathe 1, CNC Mill | Official names |
| machine_type | Text | Machine type | CNC Lathe, Mill | Machine category |
| quantity_submachines | Integer | Qty identical machines | 2, 1 | 1 for unique machines |
| minimum_capacity | Number | Minimum capacity | 8.0 | In units/minutes |
| maximum_capacity | Number | Maximum capacity | 16.0 | In units/minutes |
| work_shift | Text | Operation shifts | 1,2, 1,2,3 | Separate by comma |
TAB: work_shift
Shifts Configuration
| Field | Type | Description | Example | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| work_shift | Text | Shift identification | 1, 2 | Use numeric pattern |
| day | Text | Week day | monday, tuesday | Full names |
| start | Time | Start time | 06:00:00 | Format: HH:MM:SS |
| end | Time | End time | 14:00:00 | Format: HH:MM:SS |
If there are interruptions or breaks during a work shift, divide the shift into continuous work blocks.
Example:
Instead of a single 9 AM to 6 PM shift with a lunch break, represent it as two separate work blocks:
- 9 AM to 12 PM
- 2 PM to 6 PM
Upload Process
Step by Step:
- Fill all tabs following the rules above
- On the platform, access the Data Sources tab
- Upload complete spreadsheets in Add new data source
- Verify if all data was imported correctly
Special Cases:
- Data in ERP: Contact our support for integration
- Questions: Consult documentation or our technical team
Important: Inconsistent data may compromise automatic scheduling!
Click to download the complete template