Master Scheduling & Production Planning Case Study: Gaining Visibility for Results
Although production and materials planning can be overlooked in its importance in most companies if going smoothly, it is cornerstone to success.
Although production and materials planning can be overlooked in its importance in most companies if going smoothly, it is cornerstone to success.
Clients are struggling to keep up with customer's changing requests. Order backlogs remain relatively high (depending on the industry), but customers are pushing orders out at the last minute, pulling orders in without notice, adding future potential orders, and changing requirements on the fly. Production is scrambling to keep up.
Production planning software is a manufacturing solution that helps you plan for and supervise essential workflows in the production process. Lisa Anderson gives her tips on what you should look for.
CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA – November 20, 2023 – In a business landscape characterized by unprecedented business volatility, maintaining stellar customer service emerges as a critical differentiator for companies navigating the ebbs and flows of the current market. Manufacturing and Supply Chain Consultant Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP, CLTD and President of [...]
Lisa Anderson of LMA Consulting Group was quoted in a Harvard Business Review report about supply chain volatility and uncertainty that are part of the new normal.
Customer service has suffered in the last few years. Yet providing a superior customer experience is paramount to success especially during these turbulent times of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA).
Inventory accuracy is foundational to success. Most clients aren't concerned about inventory, and they shouldn't be if they can count on what their system says.
Manufacturing is on a downward trend after eight months of PMI (purchasing manager's index) below 50. It dropped to 46 in June. China's manufacturing also shrank for a third month in a row to a PMI of 49. Yet manufacturers backlogs remain relatively robust in many industries, leading executives perplexed on what to do about capacity shortfalls.
The best companies focus on production scheduling. Even though Production Schedulers aren't typically highly paid positions, the function will make or break your ability to serve customers, improve operational performance and accelerate cash flow. Thus, it should be a key priority if you want to achieve profitable growth.
If you want to serve your key customers successfully (with high on-time-in-full (OTIF), short lead times, and proactive service) so that you can take advantage of the opportunities coming down the pike while addressing the hard realities of the current business environment (potential recessions, high interest rates, and less access to capital), you MUST balance sales, operations and inventory.