Production Planner
On this page
- What's it like to be a Production Planner?
- How to become a Production Planner
- Latest Production Planner jobs
- Top skills and experience for Production Planners
What's it like to be a Production Planner?
A Production Planner's primary responsibility is coordinating and optimizing production processes in order to ensure timely and cost-efficient deliveries of goods. They collaborate with various departments – typically production, inventory, and logistics – in developing production plans, scheduling resources, and tracking progress in order to maximize productivity while simultaneously decreasing costs and upholding high-quality standards. Production Planners are typically needed in manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain companies. They use their analytical and problem-solving abilities to forecast demand, manage inventory levels, and produce production schedules.
Tasks and duties
- Analyzing demand forecasts, sales orders, production capacity utilization rates and production plans.
- Creating detailed production schedules taking into account resource availability, lead times and order requirements.
- Coordinating with procurement and logistics teams to ensure timely availability of raw materials and components.
- Monitoring production schedules in response to shifting demands, eliminating bottlenecks, and optimizing resource usage.
- Identifying and resolving production issues and delays.
- Maintaining accurate records such as work orders, production reports, and inventory information.
- Collaborating among cross-functional teams such as sales, operations, and quality assurance to align production plans with business objectives.
How to become a Production Planner
To become a Production Planner, you typically need a degree in a related field as well as relevant experience working within production planning roles or related functions.
Complete a bachelor degree in a relevant field such as industrial engineering, operations management, supply chain management or business administration.
Gain practical experience. To build up your portfolio, seek entry-level or internship roles in production planning, inventory control or related positions such as Production Planning Assistant, Inventory Coordinator, or Scheduler roles.
Gain experience using production planning software, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and data analysis tools commonly employed by your specific industry.
Consider career advancement opportunities. Production Planners have many opportunities for advancement into more complex production environments or specializing in specific industries. You can aim to pursue positions such as Senior Production Planner, Production Planning Manager, or Supply Chain Manager.
