Process Flow of Production Planning
Production managers are often expected to control every aspect of a production planning process, from the initial research stages to the final deadline. Depending on factors such as the project, the planning process, resources and limitations, all steps may not need to be addressed to plan a successful project. If you start from the beginning, complete some research and plan ahead to avoid issues and problems.
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Market Research
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Complete some market research to determine what is in demand before starting the production planning. Finding what is in demand will help you create a product or service that best suits customers' immediate needs. The company for which you do the project may have done this research for you. So check before embarking on the market research, which is a large and detailed task.
Available Resources
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Determining the necessary resources, supplies and tools is important before starting the project. Again, the client may have provided a list of resources that you can use as you see fit. Resources may include previous projects, results and statistics completed by the company or a meeting room in which you can plan project details.
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Proposed Plan
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Create a plan based on the project's goal and the available resources or supplies. Setting the start and desired end date will establish a time frame. Develop weekly or daily goals that must be completed so the project can finish by the desired deadline. Depending on the project's length or the list of daily tasks, include at least one or two days for general catch-up work.
Budget Creation
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Creating a budget is another important part of the process. The budget is based on the plan you created for the production of the project or products you were hired to complete. The budget should address employees, additional supplies or equipment, rental fees and permits if the production involves revision of property or public places.
Employees
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Write a list of employees you need for the project. While the company may be able to contribute some of them from staff, you may need to outsource the rest. If so, adjust the budget so it covers all outsourcing fees.
Plan Updates
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Planning must continue after the project begins. Unforeseen circumstances, such as bad weather, sick employees or broken machines, may tamper with the daily or weekly goals set in the original plan. Update the plan to address tasks that weren't completed and that need extra attention the following day or week.
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References
- Photo Credit planning ahead for 2008 image by jc from Fotolia.com
