This post discusses what type of companies should consider investing in a production scheduling solution and what benefits you can expect.
Production planning vs production scheduling – what’s the difference?
We sometimes hear people talk about production planning and production scheduling as if they’re the same thing. But, while closely linked, they are two separate entities with different purposes.
Production planning
A production plan shows what and how much you need to produce – when and where. The plan is typically prepared in weekly buckets, with a planning horizon from today to anywhere between 3 and 18 months in the future. The preferred horizon will depend on company-specific factors such as industry, procurement and production lead times, and seasonality.
Modern supply chain planning software optimizes sourcing, inventory, production, and distribution for maximum profitability. As a result, the weekly production plan is part of the overall supply chain plan.
Example of a weekly production plan (as part of an optimized supply chain plan)