Production planning and Production control - the clever measure for efficient planning
The Production planning and Production control are essential components of production management. The aim is to control and coordinate production in such a way that processes run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Strategic and operational planning and control of processes and workflows are the core tasks of a Production plan. A production plan therefore serves to optimize and control production processes and is therefore an important task in any production.
Production planning and control comprise all measures that are necessary for the Planning and implementation are required for production.
Contents of this page
- 1 What is production planning?
- 2 Why is a production plan created?
- 3 Production control as a component of production planning
- 4 Take your production planning to the next level with MK|MES and MK|Performance
- 5 FAQ - frequently asked questions about production planning
- 5.1 What is production planning?
- 5.2 How does production planning work?
- 5.3 How is a production plan created?
- 5.4 What are the tasks of a production planner?
- 5.5 Why is production planning important?
- 5.6 What is the aim of production planning?
- 5.7 What is the difference between production planning and production control?
- 5.8 What stages does production planning go through?
- 5.9 What types of production planning are there?
- 5.10 What is production control?
What is production planning?
Production planning comprises the Forward-looking organization and control of all production processes - from the procurement of materials to the timely completion of the end products. The aim is to optimize the production process so that resources (such as machines, manpower and materials) are used optimally and the production flow remains uninterrupted. Production planning is made up of various areas, all of which must be seamlessly interlinked:
- Demand planning: Determination of material requirements based on production orders to avoid bottlenecks and ensure continuous production.
- Material planning: Ensuring the availability of required raw materials and components at the right time and in sufficient quantities. This includes order and warehouse planning as well as monitoring stock levels.
- Capacity planning: Evaluation and allocation of available production capacity, including machinery and labor, to achieve optimal utilization and avoid production bottlenecks.
- Scheduling: Determining the production periods for each work step in order to complete production on time. Dependencies and sequences in production are taken into account.
- Production control (PPS): Adjust and monitor the production process in real time to correct deviations and ensure that plans are implemented on time.
Through these steps, production planning ensures efficient and cost-effective production that meets customer requirements and strengthens the company's competitiveness.
Why is a production plan created?
Production planning begins with the Creation of a production plan. This plan defines exactly which products are to be produced when and in what order. All relevant factors must be taken into account in order to achieve a the most efficient production process possible to guarantee the quality of production. The factors that need to be taken into account in a production plan include the following Availability of the means of production, the Production capacity and the Delivery times of the raw materials.
The production plan must regularly reviewed and adjusted as production conditions change frequently. For example, production downtimes or disruptions can occur, production capacity can change or the delivery times for raw materials can change. Especially when production conditions change, a production plan must be adjusted in order to ensure Smooth production to ensure that
These important measures are organized with a production plan:
- Setting the production targets
- Determining the production capacity
- Determining the production processes
- Coordination of the individual production steps
- Monitoring production
Production planning is therefore a complex task that carefully organized and planned with foresight has to be.
Production control as a component of production planning
There is a close link between production planning and production control (PPC). While production planning creates the framework and conditions for the production process, the PPC ensures the Concrete implementation of the planned measures. Production control, often referred to as a PPS system, monitors the production process in real time, adjusts plans in the event of disruptions or deviations and ensures that all production steps are carried out in the specified sequence and on schedule. The combination of production planning and production control enables an efficient and smooth production process.
Why production planning is important for a company
Production planning has Many advantages for companies. This allows production processes to be planned and coordinated in order to avoid disruptions and downtime. Productivity can also be increased through an efficient and well thought-out production plan. A production plan can also save costs, for example by reducing or even avoiding machine or personnel downtime.
Production planning is important because it The basis for a smooth production process is. In order to increase productivity and save costs, a well-organized production plan is important for every company in the industry.
Production planning is optimized through the use of digital store floor management optimized, which enables efficient and transparent control of the production processes.

The role of ERP systems in production planning and control
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems have become an integral part of modern production planning and control processes. ERP software integrates and centralizes important company areas such as purchasing, inventory management and production. By linking production planning with a ERP system companies can coordinate and optimize the entire production process - from the procurement of materials to the delivery of end products - in a single system. This leads to increased transparency, accelerated production cycles and optimized stock levels, giving companies a competitive edge.
What are the goals of production planning?
The main aim of production planning is to organize production in such a way that it runs as efficiently and smoothly as possible. The aim is also to avoid production downtime and unnecessarily high costs.
Production costs can also be reduced through production planning. By planning the production processes Better use of resources and therefore machines can be better utilized - ultimately reducing the need for manpower. Inventory costs can also be reduced with a production plan. Through the Targeted production planning can ensure that only as many goods are produced as are actually needed. This allows companies to save on storage costs. Production planning is therefore the clever measure for efficient planning and processes in production.
These are the goals of production planning:
- Planning and organization of production
- Minimization of risks, production downtimes and costs
- Avoidance of production downtimes and disruptions
- Designing efficient and smooth production
- Quality assurance
- Production control
The tasks of production planning at a glance
- Analysis of production processes
- Determination of production targets
- Creation of a production plan
- Optimization of production processes
- Monitoring and control of production
- Quality management
A production plan is a an essential part of production in industry and contributes significantly to the success of a company. Production planning should therefore be carried out carefully in order to achieve optimum production results.
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FAQ - frequently asked questions about production planning
Production planning comprises the organization of all steps that are necessary for smooth production. This includes the planning of capacities, materials, personnel and deadlines in order to implement orders efficiently and on time.
Planning begins with rough planning, which provides an overview of orders and resources. This is followed by detailed planning, in which machines, personnel and time slots are planned in detail and continuously adapted to current conditions.
A production plan is based on data on stocks, capacities, set-up times and delivery dates. Software solutions visualize processes, automatically detect bottlenecks and enable quick adjustments to be made in real time.
Production planners ensure that production is carried out efficiently and on time. This includes coordinating resources, monitoring orders and coordinating with related areas such as purchasing or sales.
It ensures transparency, shortens throughput times, improves on-time delivery, reduces inventories and increases the utilization of machines and personnel - a decisive contribution to competitiveness.
The aim is to control production processes in such a way that orders are processed cost-effectively, on time and in high quality.
Production planning determines what is produced, when and with which resources. Production control implements these specifications on the store floor and reacts to short-term changes such as machine breakdowns or rush orders.
Typical stages are requirements planning, rough-cut planning, detailed planning and finally the transfer to production control.
There are various approaches such as demand-oriented, capacity-oriented or resource-oriented planning. Modern systems combine these methods flexibly and adapt them to the respective industry and company structure.
Production control refers to the operational implementation of planned orders. It monitors production progress, intervenes in the event of deviations and ensures that planning targets are met.
