Main Responsibilities and Required Skills for Production Planner
A Production Planner is responsible for planning and preparing production schedules for the manufacturing of products. They work closely with the sales, customer service, production, and purchasing staff. In this blog post we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Production Planners.
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Main Responsibilities of Production Planner
The following list describes the typical responsibilities of a Production Planner:
Address
Address and resolve all quality issues as they arise.
Adjust
Adjust the production schedule based on exceptions.
Analyze
Analyze of Inventory Management key metrics.
Analyze and maintain part order qualifier information in the MRP Part Master.
Analyze and propose process improvements.
Analyze demand shortfalls and changes in supply to prepare a weekly supply summary to management.
Analyze engineering changes (ECN's) and system data as related to manufacturing.
Arrange
Arrange RGA with suppliers as needed.
Assist in / Assist with
Assist in daily / weekly production meetings with Production Department Leadership Team.
Assist in implementing new tools and systems.
Assist in the annual physical inventory.
Assist in the development of new programs and processes.
Assist on the development production plans for Plan, Update, and monthly forecasting packages.
Assist the managers in setting up the material control system.
Assist with maintenance scheduling.
Assist with research and recommends current material control with necessary changes.
Attend
Attend daily cross functional huddles.
Audit
Audit / refresh of master data according to the predefined IBP-A Global Baseline process.
Audit inventory integrity and accuracy, including performing the production and scrap reporting.
Automate
Automate and streamline SAP processes for financial reporting and analysis.
Build
Build the week's production plan for customer needs, transfers, new products and launches.
Calculate
Calculate material requirements.
Check
Check stock levels and order materials for the department if applicable.
Collaborate with
Collaborate with manufacturing, quality control, warehouse and other staff.
Collaborate with US planner on scheduling of international SKUs within the domestic productions.
Collaborate with various functions in the organization to drive operation effectiveness.
Communicate
Communicate material requirement plans to suppliers and resolves conflicts.
Communicate openly, honestly and frequently.
Communicate urgent issues.
Compile
Compile status reporting regarding material inventory levels and production conformance to schedule.
Compile with Company policies and procedures and maintains regular work attendance.
Conduct
Conduct monthly work order accounting close.
Conduct "what if” analysis required for strategy development.
Confer
Confer with department Leaders to determine status of assigned projects.
Contribute to
Contribute to the continuous improvement of the company and be recognized for your impact.
Coordinate
Coordinate and execute scheduling activities for production using ERP systems.
Coordinate production planning meetings with demand and supply teams.
Coordinate RIDS process with site MRB.
Coordinate short- and long-term production planning to meet or exceed fill service rate goals.
Coordinate with Purchasing and Warehouse and manages finished goods inventory for the plant.
Create
Create and maintain capacity requirements plan that supports the master schedule.
Create and maintains master data, i.e. Bill of Materials (BOMs) and Routings in SAP.
Create and optimize the production schedule.
Create bills of materials (BOM) & Production material requests.
Create BOM's, requests new product codes and activate new product codes.
Create merchandising replenishment strategies (using MRP) for our different hubs and sites.
Create monthly reports on inventory.
Create production travelers for all ThermoSafe production operations.
Determine
Determine material requirements from engineering and production schedules.
Develop
Develop and reconcile rosters for hourly union employees.
Develop IBP-A models of capacity utilization and provide recommendations.
Develop overall inventory projections for specific products Enables meeting inventory targets.
Develop planning processes and reports to successfully manage 100+ new orders daily across.
Distribute
Distribute production schedules or work orders to departments.
Drive
Drive process improvements in Demand and Production planning processes.
Ensure
Ensure adherence to RIDS avoidance processes.
Ensure all customer orders in system have current job end dates and customer due dates.
Ensure continuing improvement of the position (develop tools, change procedures, etc.).
Ensure delivery of orders on time and on cost basis.
Ensure distribution inventory requirements are planned and shipped to correct shipping locations.
Ensure good service and relationship towards internal and external stakeholders & customers.
Ensure manufacturing maintains a smooth production plan with a steady flow of materials.
Ensure materials availability by tracking and expediting deliveries.
Ensure production staff has all information necessary to properly execute jobs as scheduled.
Ensure system requirements up to date.
Ensure that all materials are available in plant to complete work orders.
Ensure that deadlines are met (master plan).
Ensure that materials / parts are available on time for production.
Enter
Enter data into various Hardware Deployment databases.
Establish
Establish clear accountability and provide the authority to achieve goals.
Evaluate
Evaluate due dates to ensure they align with schedule need dates.
Evaluate & prioritize business demands.
Execute
Execute planning activities derived from products phase-in phase-out.
Execute production plans taking into account machine and labor constraints.
Expedite
Expedite or defer orders as required based on schedule / inventory changes.
Explain
Explain all variances to standard costs for production orders and bring improvements.
Facilitate
Facilitate communication with key stakeholders regarding finished goods supply issues.
Focus
Focus on results and client satisfaction.
Foster
Foster a culture of mutual respect, innovation, and pride.
Generate
Generate consistent profitable growth by providing innovative solutions and outstanding service.
Handle
Handle daily correspondences from suppliers and headquarters.
Handle daily production reports.
Help
Help Accounts Payable to set-up new vendor accounts.
Help and coach the vendors to improve their reliabilities and promote the cooperation.
Highlight
Highlight and report fluctuations that could cause issues in procuring product components.
Highlight and report service issues.
Identify
Identify and suggest solutions to address operational issues.
Identify and lead projects within the department or cross functional teams.
Identify and work to resolve potential product shortfalls.
Identify bottlenecks or shortages that would prevent jobs from proceeding through production.
Identify bulk / API supply issues and proposed plan changes.
Implement
Implement initiatives based on analyses for target stock adjustments and stock re-balance.
Incorporate
Incorporate demand for new products changes into the plan.
Initiate
Initiate problem resolution.
Interface
Interface daily with finance, logistics, customer service and sales.
Interface with international raw material suppliers.
Interpret
Interpret and modifies ERP system to generate proper demand for manufactured and purchased parts.
Investigate
Investigate customer complaints and respond accordingly and / or coordinate response accordingly.
Issue
Issue / publish weekly production schedules.
Lead
Lead plant scheduling meetings and participate in regular relevant Site (Supply Chain) meetings.
Lead the weekly status meetings of products with all manufacturing, packaging.
Leverage
Leverage enterprise-wide tools and technologies.
Liaise with
Liaise with GES to share latest requirements and ensure sufficient supply of 3rd party bulk / API.
Maintain
Maintain accurate schedules, kanban quantities and material availability per ERP system.
Maintain and provide accurate information for department KPI's in a timely fashion.
Maintain GMP / GCP compliance by following procedures applicable to CT execution.
Maintain inventory of materials and parts needed to complete production.
Maintain inventory record accuracy by requesting cycle counts and reconciliation.
Maintain Item master data / SKUs in the ERP (Netsuite).
Maintain item ordering and planning data.
Maintain Kanban of finished goods inventory levels to meet on-time delivery.
Maintain long-range strategy keeping customer service and purchasing in mind.
Maintain Master Schedule and Forecast.
Maintain operational reports that successfully reflect and aid key project and operational goals.
Maintain raw material liabilities and utilization.
Make
Make recommendations leveraging data analytics impacting strategic and operational decisions.
Manage
Manage and schedule inter-site supply and demand.
Manage cycle counts and inventory management.
Manage relationships with the vendors to ensure that they are able to meet delivery requirements.
Modify
Modify schedules to align with changing business needs as required.
Monitor
Monitor all the inputs of the production cycle to meet the deliverables.
Monitor all Work in Progress (WIP) activities from order placement to shipment.
Monitor forecasts and inventory levels of all products and proactively adjust production plans.
Monitor jobs to ensure they will finish on time.
Monitor part shortages and expedite with procurement and manufacturing.
Monitor product inventories, including warehouse and break station inventories.
Monitor requirements and expedite or de-expedite orders based on changes to customer demand.
Monitor finished goods inventory to achieve assigned levels.
Monitor master schedules by working with materials planning.
Monitor open order report daily.
Monitor status of open purchase orders to ensure on-time delivery of all materials.
Monitor supplier production capacity and production status and material control.
Monitor the execution of the production plan and resolve any potential issues in a timely fashion.
Monitor Toller performance on meeting production time lines and material usages.
Order
Order quantities, safety stocks and reorder points.
Order necessary tools and parts needed by the hardware deployment group.
Organize
Organize project paperwork, including purchase orders, and maintains records.
Participate in
Participate in audits and mock recalls as required.
Participate in cost reduction and inventory optimization initiatives.
Participate in gathering sports and social activities organized by the staff for the staff.
Participate in Material Review Board (MRB) meetings as required.
Participate in S&OP forums as applicable.
Perform
Perform other duties as necessary and as assigned.
Perform other related duties as assigned.
Perform some administrative duties for the department.
Perform special projects and other related duties as assigned.
Perform system maintenance and updates to insure database integrity for planning fields and files.
Plan
Plan and establish production schedules to meet customer demands.
Plan and prepare production schedules for manufacturing of products.
Plan and release jobs to production, providing all necessary documentation.
Plan manufacturing schedules to efficiently utilize facilities.
Plan production capacity to ensure all urgent builds can proceed.
Plan key accounts and food service business lines based on a 12-week planning cycle.
Prepare
Prepare estimates for selecting vendors or subcontractors and determining cost effectiveness.
Prepare Inventory reports.
Prepare performance reports for management use.
Prepare planning job orders in timely manner and check them for accuracy.
Prepare production reports.
Prepare progress, production and inventory reports.
Prepare the production schedule.
Prepare various reports as needed which are moderately to highly complex.
Propose
Propose recommendations to improve the efficiency of production.
Provide
Provide a daily Secondary priority list and lead a daily schedule review meeting in Inspection.
Provide clean, safe and ethical work environment.
Provide forecasts to vendors as needed.
Provide guidance to Jr. Production Planner.
Provide system training and guidance to junior members of the team.
Provide tactical volume, raw material requirements, and capacity analysis as needed.
Pursue
Pursue operational excellence and quality in everything we do.
Reach
Reach with hands and arms.
Read
Read or write and interpret data.
Receipt
Receipt entry of raw material, services and supplies.
Recommend
Recommend improvement plans in response to schedule delays.
Reconcile
Reconcile purchase price variance or receiving variances.
Report
Report updated schedule information to multiple departments.
Research
Research and adjust purchase orders to meet business needs.
Research root causes and solutions.
Review
Review and act upon order release and exception messages generated in an MRP environment.
Review and maintain Standard Operation Procedures linked to Planning.
Review bulk and semi-finished materials before accepting and planning new orders.
Review documents, such as production schedules, work orders.
Review high-level supply requirements across full constrained horizon.
Review sales and inventory reports.
Run
Run / create reports to identify any possible waste streams and work to reduce with operations teams.
Run reports from ERP system.
Schedule
Schedule and participate in vendor meeting.
Schedule integrity / feasibility analysis.
Schedule requirements and work orders using SAP.
Schedule production parts.
Set-up
Set-up backlog reports to define priorities and effectively reduce any overdue amounts.
Set-up the necessary processes to meet the needs of Danone teams in both Boucherville and Toronto.
Set
Set weekly and daily production schedules for the operating units.
Share
Share urgent issues with Site Planner.
Supervise
Supervise the plant' s logistics team and ensure its effectiveness and efficiency.
Support
Support daily shortage and other manufacturing coordination meetings.
Support initiatives in Press and AMP.
Support Master Scheduler in developing tools to drive efficiencies in the planning processes.
Support the sales and marketing team in the elaboration of product life cycle.
Support Warehouse 41 inventory accuracy counts, including reconciliation.
Take part in
Take part in special optimization and continuous improvement projects.
Track
Track all in-transit inventory and provide priorities as necessary to warehouse receiving team.
Track final garments for on-time delivery, manage exceptions and issue resolution.
Track root causes and prioritize remediation and prevention actions.
Track the progress of jobs through production paying special attention to urgent builds.
Understand
Understand the need to learn.
Update
Update and maintain master production schedule.
Update jobs with alternate materials and schedules.
Update procurement of all changes to schedule on a daily basis.
Use
Use computer system to track and locate production units.
Utilize
Utilize Oracle to view material movement.
Validate
Validate receipts of materials from outside platers / vendors.
Work with
Work autonomously under general direction to meet project and team objectives.
Work continuously to improve planning processes and tools.
Work in close collaboration with the sales, customer service, production, and purchasing staff.
Work independently and set own priorities based on objectives set by management.
Work to resolve labor and material shortages, backlogs and other potential schedule interruptions.
Work with Freight Forwarder to maximize cost savings during delivery of imported goods.
Work with network stakeholders to resolve demand signal issues.
Work with new planners, provide supervision and training (3 people).
Work with Plant Manager to determine production orders.
Work with suppliers with PO and invoice discrepancies.
Work with the change management team to ensure part numbers are handed off correctly.
Write
Write system notes to prioritize orders within the site planning horizon.
Most In-demand Hard Skills
The following list describes the most required technical skills of a Production Planner:
MRP
Logistics
Manufacturing Environment
Operations Management
Supply Chain Management
Planning
Inventory Management
Manufacturing
Apics
MS Outlook
MS Office
Operations
Industrial Engineering
Project Management
Scheduling
Oracle
Most In-demand Soft Skills
The following list describes the most required soft skills of a Production Planner:
Written and oral communication skills
Organizational capacity
Problem-solving attitude
Analytical ability
Interpersonal skills
Time-management
Attention to detail
Planning
Bilingualism
Detail-oriented
Initiative
Self-starter
Team player
Autonomous
Organized
Flexible
Leadership
Multi-task
Results-oriented
Work under pressure
Can-do attitude
Entrepreneurial mindset
