In manufacturing, planning and production control can't be substituted. Managers need to maintain a careful check on the production line after it's up and running to make sure they're on track to achieve the production targets and deliver the items to stores on time. They can monitor production progress effectively through a process called "production control."
Let's find out more about the nature of production control and the role of a production controller. Through this article, we will also walk you through various production control systems and software.
What Is Production Control?
Production control refers to the process of tracking a manufacturer's operations and output under close observation to ensure the desired quality and quantity. It's an integral aspect of the supply chain management process and collaborates with other operational management tasks like stock checking and quality assurance.
The goal of production control is to stabilize the output of a production unit such that all of the manufactured goods conform to their specified quality levels. It achieves this by developing intelligent predictions, plans, and schedules through the application of predetermined measures and strategies.
Labor, material availability, and capacity and cost constraints are some of the operations that fall within the purview of production control.
Importance of Production Control
The success of a company's operations depends greatly on adherence to certain practices and standards. Quality control and assurance best practices including incorporating production control into a company's overall strategy may boost output and productivity. Here are some more considerations that support making production control an integral part of your organization:
Maintain high standards for your tools and output
Through process optimization, bottlenecks in the procedure, such as malfunctioning machinery, can be spotted ahead of time and addressed. A successful method of controlling production guarantees that all expected results are achieved on time and up to par.
Ensuring order in the stockroom
Businesses may better manage their stock with the use of a production control system. This aids in preventing over or understocking and helps managers make precise material purchases.
Boosting efficiency
The use of production control methods reduces wasted time in the workplace. Manufacturing goals may be met effectively when machinery is in excellent working order and production schedules are adhered to.
Reduced expenses of production
Companies can save a lot of money with well-designed production controls and processes, as well as the certainty of efficient equipment, the capacity to properly manage inventories, and greater staff productivity.
Ensuring customer satisfaction
All the benefits and advantages listed above not only aid companies internally but also result in better service for customers. When the finished goods often exceed consumer expectations, the company's reputation improves.
Objectives of Production Control
Following are the brief objectives of production control:
- Communicating the plan's implementation instructions to the right people in the right ways.
- The materials, machinery, tools, equipment, and personnel needed to complete orders on time and to the accurate specification must be readily available.
- To make sure that workers do what they're supposed to do so that enough numbers of high-quality items are produced on schedule.
Therefore, the idea of production control is to produce what is needed when it is needed in the most effective and economical manner.
Levels of Production Control
Different businesses and industries may prioritize different aspects of the production control system. However, the following steps in production control should be included, as they are integral to production planning and control as a whole:
Routing
The process of planning and controlling production begins with routing. During this stage, the procedure's flow from beginning to conclusion is specified. Everything from the raw materials to the resources (human and others), the desired output, and the location of production should be identified.
The primary objective of routing is to determine the most economical and time-saving order to produce a given item.
Scheduling
The scheduling phase, as its name indicates, is the component of production in which all time-related conditions are defined. The production schedule needs to be organized by importance, with clear beginning and ending times for each step. The manufacturing schedule is the end result of careful planning.
Dispatching
The third stage, dispatching, is the beginning of proper production, and it entails carrying out the steps outlined in the preceding stages of routing and scheduling.
Both centralized and decentralized models of dispatching exist, with the former including the provision of orders by a single authority and the latter involving the provision of guidelines by all relevant departments.
Follow-Up
The efficacy of the entire production control system is measured in the follow-up. Here, we look for and eliminate any potential sources of slowdown or inefficiency. Production managers also use the phase of follow-up to assess how actual output compares to initial estimates of time and quantity.
In order to increase manufacturing output, organizations might use follow-up to see if the process can be further optimized.
Inspection
Even though it isn't a required part of the production control procedure, inspections should be conducted on a regular basis or at random to make sure that all company policies and standards are being followed.
Functions of Production Control
The following are some of the key functions of production control:
Release Production Orders
This involves releasing production orders at predetermined times to ensure that the necessary actions are taken.
Management of Product Flow and Cost
Production cost is monitored by keeping a careful eye on the timing of material receipt from the supplier and issuance to the plant, as well as the timing of material transportation from one plant to another.
Material Availability Is Managed
Material requirement planning actions have to be executed effectively to guarantee the availability of all resources outlined in the production plan.
The Capacity to Limit Output
The proper amount of work of a certain quality is processed by monitoring work-in-progress (WIP) at certain phases of production.
Regulating Substitutes
The percentage of incoming materials and processed goods that do not meet quality standards at each checkpoint is recorded. Each work material has a built-in replacement order system.
Labour Effectiveness and Management
Each piece of WIP is time-stamped as it is worked on. Scheduled times are compared to actual times taken.
Factors Determining Production Control Operations
Each company has its own unique system of production control. Organizational production control strategies and their scope are influenced by the following elements.
Nature of production
Job-oriented production creates goods and processes for a specific sequence that may or may not be repeated. As a result, production takes longer than it would in a continuous manufacturing system, where inventory issues are more complicated but control operations are relatively straightforward because of a constant process. The control challenge is further compounded by the need to schedule many processes simultaneously in a mixed stock and complex production system.
Nature of operations and activities
The processes in an intermittent production system are highly variable in kind, order, and length. As a result, the control method needs constant tweaking to ensure it meets the specifications of each order.
Dimensions of the task at hand
While centralized management ensures the most efficient coordination, larger organizations often find that delegating some aspects of production control is required. The scale and accessibility of operations dictate the extent to which their execution should be decentralized.
Advantages of Production Control
More output for the same investment, without forcing staff to work too quickly, is the result of an effective production control system. Let's look at some important benefits of production planning and control:
Enhancing Customer Service
With efficient production control, dates of promised delivery are met, and manufacturing continues as planned. The company's representatives can now confidently commit to sales delivery dates thanks to this. Relationships with clients, and sales revenue both benefit from on-time deliveries and clients' trust in the business.
Reduced Need for Overtime
There won't be many last-minute delays since production will continue without interruptions. As a result, there will be less need for employees to put in extra hours than required.
Reduced stock of both raw materials and completed products is essential.
By implementing production control measures, businesses can minimize their stock levels of raw materials and finished products. This results in cost savings as less money is tied up in inventory. The freed-up capital can then be invested or used in other ways to generate revenue.
Better Buying Efficiency
Improved inventory control is the result of improved materials management, which in turn makes purchasing more methodical, cost-effective, and timely.
Improved Machinery Efficiency
Management is always updated on the status of all ongoing projects and anticipated needs for resources (both human and equipment) for the coming weeks. This allows employees to prepare for potential hold-ups and transfers. In addition, wasted time spent sitting around waiting for people or machines may also be avoided.
Cost Reductions
End-to-end savings can be substantial with a well-thought-out and implemented system of production planning and control.
Fewer Disruptions to Production
Time lost due to interruptions in production is either eliminated or kept to a minimum. This means that shipping delays are quite uncommon.
Requirements of Production Control System
To be successful, a production-control system needs a well-established framework, accurate data, a high level of standardization, and knowledgeable workers. The following is a summary of the factors necessary for effective production control:
Data on Needs and Capabilities for Output
It is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the expected end results, and detailed information on machines' power, speed, feeds, processing units, and workforce productivity. Businesses must also be aware of historical efficiency, and optimized tool configurations. Having accurate and current data on stock and orders is also necessary, along with knowledge of the specialized equipment required for each component.
Meeting Relevant Criteria
All components, tools, and equipment must meet the relevant criteria. All processes must be carried out precisely as planned, quality control checks must be in place, and data on output compared to projections must be provided.
Team Involvement
Upper management must recognize the need for production planning, and the supervisory team must be convinced that central planning is an extension of principles, not an attack on their authority.
Availability of Qualified Individuals
Workers need to be informed about production plans and adequately trained and compensated to ensure cooperation.
Production Control Example
Let's assume the example of Company ABC to understand production control. The main mobile product from San Francisco-based electronic device manufacturer Company ABC has witnessed a surge in customer demand as of late. The inventory data shows that if the problem isn't fixed, there will be a scarcity of the product by the end of the year due to high demand and interruptions in the worldwide supply chain.
Company ABC's product and manufacturing management responded by rapidly refining their methods of production control. When they realized that they were going to need more workers to meet production deadlines, they consulted their list of secondary and tertiary material suppliers. They started looking for new employees right once.
In the months that follow, random inspections were performed to confirm the stated quality and quantity.
Ensure Seamless Production Control With TranZact
When it comes to making sure that everything is in the right place at the right time, production planning and control is the overarching approach. The goal is to improve resource utilization across the entire organization, not just the manufacturing floor. This includes functions like sales, marketing, and procurement.
TranZact supports your business with the management of sales, purchases, inventory, material planning, master production scheduling, long-term planning, and order management. This helps you to gain increased control over your business and scale consistently!
FAQs on Production Control
1. What is a production control system?
Production control is the managerial process of coordinating the acquisition, storage, distribution, and utilization of raw materials and intermediate products in accordance with an established sales schedule. It guarantees that actions are taken in a way that makes the most efficient use of resources like time and capital.
2. What is an important element of production control?
An important element of production control is having an in-depth understanding of the objectives, including complete data on machines, processing units, workforce productivity, and historical efficiency.
3. What is the difference between production planning and production control?
Production planning is the long-term process of setting production targets, determining the resources required to meet those targets, and creating a timeline for completing the work. On the other hand, production control involves monitoring and managing the production process in the short term to ensure that it remains on track and meets the production targets set in the production plan.
