Area of application

Produktionsplanung

Die Produktionsplanung ist ein kritischer Prozess für die erfolgreiche Umsetzung von Projekten in jedem Unternehmen. Durch die Verwendung von manuellen Prozessen, wie z.B. Papier- und Stiftmethode oder einfache Tabellenkalkulationen, können Projekte und ganze Unternehmen jedoch schnell an ihre Grenzen stoßen.

Fehler in der Datenerfassung, mangelnde Überwachung und Übersicht, lange Durchlaufzeiten und ineffiziente Arbeitsabläufe sind nur einige der Herausforderungen, die manuelle Produktionsplanung mit sich bringt.

Um diese Herausforderungen zu überwinden und eine effizientere Produktionsplanung zu erreichen, sollte man in Betracht ziehen, von der manuellen Produktionsplanung auf ein Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System zu wechseln.

Produktionsplanung mit AvERP

Our open source ERP system AvERP allows for effective mapping of production planning. Generating bills of materials from drawings and supplementing the bills of materials with operations to create work schedules is the first, often complex, step in preparing production documents. AvERP already provides support here through universal imports of bill of material data from the CAD system, in which multi-level bills of materials are automatically created. Based on article parameters, operations can also be automatically stored by the system, which are even supplemented with the correct times based on parameters.

The actual production planning begins with the creation of production orders. These are roughly scheduled automatically by AvERP, which affects material availability. The rough capacity utilization of the individual cost centers – both in terms of employees and machines – is calculated and a capacity utilization value for the next weeks and months is visualized. Daily, employee-related and machine-related or aggregated. Based on the requirements, employees are planned on shifts (AvERP also has its own time management with vacation planning and overtime management).

The graphical planning board not only visualizes the next hours, days and weeks of planning, but also takes over the detailed planning of the operations. Manual interventions are of course possible, but normally the system automatically schedules the necessary operations on machines. A priority value is calculated for each operation, based on which the scheduling takes place.

The feedback of times is carried out via the integrated machine data collection (MDE) by the posting of times by the employees or directly on the basis of the data from the machine via the machine data collection (MDE). Due to clean values, improved planning is achieved for repeating operations through correct set-up, piece and idle times.

The extensive tool and device management completes the planning.

Numerous customers from plant engineering appreciate the functionality of AvERP, because the topic of the project-specific bill of materials or growing bill of materials is extensively covered. Material availability and ensuring that an article was ordered in the correct revision for the correct delivery date is of central importance for the scheduled completion of the end products.

What is production planning?

As an important part of production management, production planning refers to the systematic consideration of how and when products should be manufactured in order to ensure efficient and effective production.

This includes setting production targets, checking raw materials, materials and capacities, determining workflows and processes, and monitoring and verifying production activities.

Furthermore, production planning also helps to identify problems in advance and develop solutions before they become bigger challenges, thus supporting efficient and smooth production.

The licence-free ERP system for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Production planning and production control

Production planning and production control are both important functions in the manufacturing industry. Production planning refers to the considerations and decisions made prior to the start of production. This involves questions such as “What should be produced?” and “When should it be produced?” and the definition of production goals and strategies.

Production control, on the other hand, refers to the monitoring and control of the actual production process. This involves implementing the decisions made during production planning, monitoring adherence to deadlines and budgets, and adjusting production processes in case of deviations from the originally planned values.

In short: Production planning deals with setting goals and strategies, while production control focuses on monitoring and adjusting these goals in the ongoing production process.

Why are ERP systems advantageous in production planning?

An ERP system can also be of great benefit for production planning by providing a wide range of functions that support the planning, monitoring and verification of production processes.

Cross-departmental data management
Flexible design
Reduced lead times
Optimized processes
Save costs
Satisfied customers

Cross-departmental master data management

An ERP system is crucial for master data management in production planning because it ensures the integrity, accuracy, and accessibility of critical data. The system integrates data from various areas of a company, guaranteeing that all relevant information is available for production planning. This provides centralized data management, improving data clarity and accessibility and preventing duplicate entries. Furthermore, this master data is continuously updated and kept current. All of this empowers your company to make informed and confident decisions.

You also don’t need to worry about your data, as ERP systems offer protection and security for your master data by establishing rules and procedures for managing and monitoring this data.

More flexible design with an ERP system in production planning

You can make production processes in your company more flexible by using an ERP system, as these systems offer real-time monitoring and reporting of production processes. This allows companies to react quickly to changes such as changes in customer orders or resource bottlenecks.

If you are unsure whether you are using the right scenarios for your production planning, an ERP system allows you to model and test alternative production planning scenarios to find the best possible solution. Furthermore, ERP systems offer the creation of comprehensive analyses and reports that help companies optimize and automate their production processes. The ability for different departments to communicate and collaborate via ERP systems also increases flexibility in planning and monitoring production processes.

Finally, the flexibility of your company is also increased by the fact that ERP systems are usually modular in design, allowing them to easily adapt to changing business requirements.

Rough and detailed planning

Digitalization also plays a key role in the implementation of rough and detailed planning. Modern ERP systems support rough planning by providing tools for reviewing and adjusting long-term plans, while specialized production planning software takes over the complex task of detailed planning by simplifying the control and monitoring of manufacturing processes.

ERP systems thus represent the link between rough and detailed planning. They not only offer the necessary data integration and transparency, but also enable the dynamic adaptation of production plans to changing conditions. Through the centralized collection and processing of data from various business areas, ERP systems help to make decisions based on a solid information foundation.

They support both the strategic direction of production within the framework of rough planning and the operational implementation in detailed planning.

Reduced lead times

Shorter lead times can be achieved with an ERP system by providing integrated visibility into all relevant processes and data. One of the biggest advantages of an ERP system is the ability to automate manual processes, which saves time and reduces errors.

This allows processes such as material procurement, manufacturing, warehousing, and delivery to be integrated into the ERP system. Furthermore, available capacity and utilization of production facilities can be monitored in real time, and adjustments can be made to avoid bottlenecks and optimize processes. The demand for materials and resources can also be predicted based on sales forecasts and orders to prevent overstocking and shortages in advance.

Optimized processes

In the modern manufacturing industry, efficient and seamless production processes are more important than ever. An ERP system can provide valuable support in this regard. By monitoring and optimizing production processes in real time, an ERP system can help ensure that processes run smoothly and that problems are quickly identified and resolved.

ERP systems can react to changes in real time and adjust the production plan to avoid over- or underproduction. For example, if there is a sudden change in demand, the ERP system can adjust the production plan to meet the demand without overproduction.

Another important aspect is the monitoring of machines and materials. The system can identify problems with machines or materials and ensure they are resolved quickly. This helps to avoid production delays and increase process efficiency. Material flow can also be optimized by integrating warehousing and production, ensuring that the right materials are in the right place at the right time.

In particular, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has expanded the capabilities of these systems to analyze complex datasets and make more precise predictions for production planning. AI algorithms can identify patterns and trends in historical production data, enabling proactive adjustments to production plans and thus increasing the efficiency and flexibility of manufacturing processes.

The Internet of Things (IoT) also plays a crucial role by enabling the collection of real-time data from the production environment. Sensors and connected devices provide continuous data streams on the condition of machines and equipment, material flow, and energy consumption. This data integration enables seamless monitoring and control of production processes, promotes predictive maintenance, and minimizes downtime.
Finally, cloud technologies also contribute to increasing the scalability and accessibility of ERP systems. They allow companies to manage their systems and data securely and efficiently, grant access from anywhere, and simultaneously reduce IT costs.

Save costs with production planning software

Material planning

The demand for materials and resources can be predicted, and ordering can be optimized. This helps prevent the accumulation of excess inventory and ensures that the required materials are always available.

Capacity planning

Monitoring the capacity and utilization of machines and systems is also made easier, which helps to ensure that resources are used more efficiently.

Cost control

Costs can be reduced through more efficient use of resources and better planning.

Monitoring of suppliers

Monitoring suppliers can also be made easier and help to optimize supplier contracts.

Monitoring of projects

Project progress can be monitored and tracked in real time. Such monitoring helps ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget.

Satisfied customers

Ensure customer satisfaction by supporting specific functions and processes using your ERP system.

You should ensure that the supply chain functions smoothly and reliably, and that delivery dates are met. You can monitor both of these functions using an ERP system and optimize them if necessary. Timely and reliable deliveries are often a major factor in customer evaluation and can be decisive in whether a customer will order from you again or not.

The quality of your products naturally plays a major role in customer satisfaction. ERP systems can facilitate the monitoring of quality controls and requirements. This ensures that products are of high quality and manufactured according to customer specifications.

An ERP system can also facilitate the management of customer orders and inquiries and inform customers in real time about the status of their orders and deliveries, leading to increased transparency and customer satisfaction.

Overall, an ERP system in production planning can help ensure that deliveries are made on time and reliably, products are of high quality, and customer orders are processed efficiently and satisfactorily, leading to high customer satisfaction.