Production planning is important, particularly in the manufacturing industry, because it ensures that the raw material usage is maximized, the stock inventories are sufficient for the production target, the equipment is fully utilized, and that the production deliveries are met. Likewise, reports are also important because it is through the data displayed in the reports wherein more informed decisions regarding the manufacturing flow are based. It is also through the reports that areas with rooms for improvement are identified and addressed promptly.
There are a number of ways on how proper production planning and reporting can be carried out. The experts behind MRPeasy believe that it is important to leverage tools such as a cloud-based MRP system, to come up with a seamless production plan and accurate reports. This will result in an optimized production capacity of the manufacturing floor and time-adherent deliveries. Using these tools, below are some of the steps that you can take to accurately create production plans and reduce the time it takes to create reports.
Production Planning
- Demand Forecast. The first step in making a production plan is determining your demand forecast. This means that you should know how many products you need to make over a certain duration of time. Include in your demand forecast not only your current orders but a rough estimate of your future orders too.
- Production Options. You will be able to come up with your production options by mapping out your production process. After this, determine the resources you need to complete each process such as the number of staff you need to operate the machines, the number, and kinds of equipment you need, as well as the raw materials you need to prepare. In each phase, assess which processes prove to be bottlenecks and try to come up with another option instead of this process.
- Monitoring. To ensure that the production option you have implemented is successful, you need proper tracking. It is in this phase wherein you need to compare the actual production implementation with your expected process. If there is a significant gap between the two, devise a plan on how you will be able to make the necessary adjustments.
- Adjustment. Your production plan needs to be flexible to cater to the needs of your customers and you can only achieve this if you have a backup plan. In doing so, take note of the risks that can arise such as cancellations on orders, as well as equipment breakdowns or raw material unavailability.
Reporting
- Simple Data Format. You will be able to generate more accurate reports if your input data or the collected data is in a simple format. Aside from the format of the data, make sure that you focus on the data entry task too because erroneous data input only leads to inaccurate data. This entails the need for you to cease multitasking and just concentrate on the task at hand.
- Dedicated Reporting Machine. In creating production reports, make sure that you have a dedicated computer only for this purpose. In this way, anyone who needs to input data, make the report, or access previous production reports will have access to a centralized machine. If not, you can also opt for a cloud storage solution for your reports such that anyone can make and retrieve reports using various computers.
- Template Usage. Leverage templates in making your reports because this will make it easier for you not only to generate a report but to detect abnormal data as well. Once you are used to how a certain report trend looks like, anything out of the ordinary in your data will become apparent.
- File Management. Implement folder management for the reports that you generate because this will make it easy for you to track where you have stored previous reports. Additionally, you will also be able to effortlessly recognize when a report is created with a filename that is aligned with the file management policy.
