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Production Control Plan

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2025 6:04 am
by ishanijerin1
The Production Control Plan, or simply PCP, is a business management system aimed at all production processes of a company .

The PCP allows you to plan when, how much, where and in what order to produce, as well as guaranteeing the continuous verification of the operation, so that everything happens according to plan. Therefore, a factory will produce better and with all its potential.

The directives that use the Production Control Plan number data method optimize industrial production and obtain greater competitive sales . That's what we'll talk about in this article.

Benefits of PCP
Among the various functions of the PCP is the general organization of the industrial plant , with the optimization of the production stages and the improvement of products at the end of the production chain, which reach the final consumer. The PCP system also guarantees benefits such as:

Intelligent flow of raw materials and other materials in the production line
More rationality in cost reduction
Greater integration between different areas of the company
Data-based decision making
Increased results
Reduction of losses and damages in production
More assertive reservation management
Pillars of the PCP
The Production Control Plan is based on three important pillars, which are the main objectives of this management system.

Planning : it is defined when and which products must be produced. All requirements must be written, including a complete analysis of business processes. By understanding the bottlenecks and possibilities, leaders can clearly define objectives and plan actions.
Programming : here the resources necessary to carry out each phase of the production process will be identified. This includes machines, raw materials, people and even technology.
Control : the objective is to control if planning and programming are carried out based on defined parameters and if deviations are identified in the production process.
Based on these pillars, the PCP provides advice on the number of products that are relevant to the business and establishes the best design of the industrial plant, with the aim of increasing productivity and optimizing the use of resources, as well as reviewing processes permanently.

Main objectives
The pillars of the Production Control Plan will be deployed in four main purposes, which must answer the following questions:

When to produce?
Where and how much?
What is the order to follow?
Has production been carried out as planned?
Objective No. 1
The first purpose is to answer the question of when to produce? The company can do this in two ways:

Empowered or conventional programming : in this case, there is a forecast of demand and programming begins when resources are available.
Production driven or by drag : in this model, there is practically no stock (except for a certain amount of material in stock at each stage of production) and the company works under demand, scheduling tasks and the use of resources according to closing of delivery.
Objective No. 2
For the second purpose, it is necessary to respond to the quantity that has to be produced and where it will be produced. For this, work positions and necessary machines are defined. The load can be done in two ways:

Infinite : tasks are assigned without taking into account the capacity of the workhorse, but with an approximate vision.
Finite : capabilities are measured and held in account, for more precise programming.
Objective No. 3
For the third purpose, production sequencing is carried out, to define the execution order.

FiFo ( First in, First out ): the first to enter is the first to leave.
LiFo ( Last in, First out ): the last one to enter is the first to leave.
Objective No. 4
Finally, there is the purpose of controlling production, which can be of strength, and therefore, a work station passes the product to the next stage, immediately after finishing the task. However, another work station is requested, ensuring that the flow is carried out in a controlled manner.

PCP Stages
Production control by PCP follows six essential steps:

PCP Steps

1st stage – Forecasting production demand
It consists of understanding the market to predict the volume of sales and, consequently, the demand for products. Therefore, the company does not run the risk of having "various" items or of not satisfying consumer requests.

2nd stage – Planning of production capacity
In the second stage, it is time to analyze the production capacity of the company, which will fluctuate according to demand. In this way, it is possible to understand whether current production is sufficient to satisfy the market or whether it is necessary to make some type of adaptation in the equipment or acquire new resources.

3rd stage – Aggregate production planning (PAP)
The PAP is a strategic stage of production that encompasses, among other things, the volume of stocks, rotation of employees, relationships with suppliers and logistical design. It must be reviewed periodically.

4th stage – Master production program (PMP)
The PMP focuses on short-term operational processes. It is detailed planning, with a broad view of each production period.

5th stage – Detailed production program (PDP)
In the PDP, it undertakes to put into practice the management of production in itself. Management must guarantee production standards, organize stocks and define the sequence of activities.

6th stage – Production control
Finally, we must supervise production to identify deficiencies and promote continuous improvement management.

Support tools
To have a production control plan and apply the PCP system in the factory, you can choose from some support tools:

Kanban : it is a visual system based on tables, which allows you to see the production flow globally, through three columns: «to be done», «in progress» and «completed».
Six Sigma : set of processes focused on eliminating defects. The idea is to reduce the volume of variations, with a more rigorous parameterization of the processes.
Kaizen : focuses on collective work, with attention to the work environment and waste disposal.
Gantt chart : this is a diagram that illustrates the production stages and their evolution, in different processes.
How to become an integrated management platform for the PCP?
In the previous topic, we look at some tools that can help implement the Production Control Plan. However, using calculation tables and other manual methodologies is laborious and can generate a large volume of errors.

Therefore, relying on an integrated management platform is fundamental for the plant's PCP.

The system integrates different areas of the company, creates personalized standards for the business, automates tasks , mitigates errors and guarantees better quality throughout the production chain.

An integrated management platform will transform the company, with modern technologies that concentrate everything the industry needs, in one place!