Production Planning and Shop-Floor Control Training Course

Course Introduction

Production planning and shop-floor control are critical functions that enable manufacturing organizations to achieve high levels of productivity, operational efficiency, product quality, and customer satisfaction. Effective planning ensures that materials, labor, equipment, and production schedules are properly coordinated to meet customer demand while minimizing waste and production costs. Shop-floor control provides real-time monitoring of manufacturing activities, allowing organizations to identify deviations, optimize resource utilization, and maintain consistent production performance. This comprehensive training course equips participants with practical knowledge, modern planning techniques, and industry best practices for managing production operations successfully.

Today's manufacturing environment is characterized by increasing customer expectations, shorter product life cycles, global competition, supply chain disruptions, and the rapid adoption of digital technologies. Organizations must respond quickly to changing market conditions while maintaining efficient production schedules and optimal inventory levels. Production planners and operations professionals require advanced planning methodologies that integrate demand forecasting, capacity planning, scheduling optimization, and real-time production monitoring. This course provides participants with practical tools for balancing production efficiency, flexibility, and responsiveness in modern manufacturing environments.

Effective shop-floor control enables organizations to monitor production progress, measure operational performance, identify bottlenecks, reduce downtime, and improve product quality. Through structured work order management, production tracking, inventory control, labor monitoring, and performance reporting, manufacturers gain greater visibility into operational activities and make faster, data-driven decisions. Participants will learn how to implement robust shop-floor control systems that improve workflow coordination, increase equipment utilization, reduce production delays, and enhance overall manufacturing performance through proven operational management techniques.

Modern production planning has evolved beyond traditional scheduling methods to incorporate Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), artificial intelligence, machine learning, predictive analytics, and digital twin technologies. These innovations provide manufacturers with real-time production intelligence, automated scheduling capabilities, and predictive decision support. This training course introduces participants to these emerging technologies and demonstrates how they transform production planning, shop-floor visibility, and operational excellence in smart manufacturing environments.

Lean Manufacturing, Just-in-Time (JIT), Theory of Constraints (TOC), Six Sigma, Agile Manufacturing, and continuous improvement methodologies have become essential components of successful production planning and shop-floor management. Organizations that integrate these approaches reduce inventory, eliminate waste, improve production flow, and increase customer responsiveness. Participants will explore practical methods for optimizing production processes, balancing workloads, improving scheduling accuracy, and implementing continuous improvement initiatives that support long-term manufacturing competitiveness and sustainable operational excellence.

Designed for production planners, manufacturing engineers, operations managers, production supervisors, supply chain professionals, maintenance personnel, quality specialists, industrial engineers, and continuous improvement practitioners, this five-day training course combines theoretical knowledge with practical industrial applications. Through real-world case studies, simulation exercises, production planning workshops, and best-practice discussions, participants will gain the expertise required to optimize production planning, strengthen shop-floor control, improve operational performance, and successfully manage modern manufacturing operations.

Duration

5 days

Who Should Attend

• Production planners responsible for developing and managing manufacturing schedules and production plans.

• Operations managers seeking to improve production efficiency, workflow coordination, and manufacturing performance.

• Manufacturing engineers involved in process optimization, capacity planning, and production improvement initiatives.

• Production supervisors overseeing daily shop-floor activities and operational execution.

• Industrial engineers responsible for production optimization and continuous improvement projects.

• Supply chain and logistics professionals coordinating materials, inventory, and production requirements.

• Inventory control specialists managing stock levels and material availability for production operations.

• Maintenance engineers supporting equipment availability and production reliability improvement programs.

• Quality assurance and quality control professionals ensuring production consistency and product quality.

• Plant managers, project managers, ERP users, and technical professionals responsible for manufacturing excellence initiatives.

Course Objectives

• Develop comprehensive knowledge of production planning principles, scheduling methodologies, and shop-floor control techniques that improve manufacturing efficiency, product quality, and customer service while reducing operational costs.

• Learn to perform demand forecasting, master production scheduling, capacity planning, and material requirements planning that align production resources with changing customer requirements and business objectives.

• Gain practical expertise in designing and managing production schedules that maximize equipment utilization, optimize workforce allocation, reduce lead times, and improve manufacturing throughput.

• Apply effective shop-floor control techniques to monitor production performance, manage work orders, track operational progress, identify bottlenecks, and implement timely corrective actions that enhance productivity.

• Understand the integration of Enterprise Resource Planning, Manufacturing Execution Systems, Advanced Planning and Scheduling, and digital manufacturing technologies for synchronized production management.

• Strengthen competency in inventory planning, material flow management, procurement coordination, and warehouse synchronization to ensure uninterrupted production and optimized inventory investment.

• Learn Lean Manufacturing, Just-in-Time, Theory of Constraints, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies that eliminate waste, improve production flow, and increase operational flexibility.

• Explore emerging technologies including Industrial Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, digital twins, and smart manufacturing solutions for advanced production planning and shop-floor visibility.

• Develop analytical skills for measuring production performance using key performance indicators, Overall Equipment Effectiveness, throughput analysis, schedule adherence, and operational benchmarking techniques.

• Build practical capabilities through industrial case studies, scheduling simulations, production planning exercises, and problem-solving workshops that support effective manufacturing decision-making and operational excellence.

Comprehensive Course Outline

Module 1: Fundamentals of Production Planning

• Understanding production planning objectives and manufacturing operational strategies.

• Production planning hierarchy from forecasting to daily production execution activities.

• Roles, responsibilities, and coordination within production planning departments.

• Manufacturing environments including make-to-stock, make-to-order, and hybrid models.

Module 2: Demand Forecasting and Capacity Planning

• Forecasting techniques supporting accurate production planning and demand management.

• Capacity planning methodologies balancing workforce, equipment, and facility resources.

• Aggregate production planning for medium-term operational decision-making effectiveness.

• Sales and operations planning integration improving cross-functional business alignment.

Module 3: Production Scheduling Techniques

• Master production scheduling methods supporting efficient manufacturing operations consistently.

• Finite and infinite scheduling approaches for optimized production resource allocation.

• Sequencing and dispatching techniques reducing production delays and bottlenecks effectively.

• Schedule optimization methods improving customer delivery performance and plant utilization.

Module 4: Shop-Floor Control Systems

• Work order management and production order release best practices.

• Shop-floor data collection supporting real-time production visibility and decision-making.

• Production progress tracking techniques improving workflow control and operational efficiency.

• Managing production disruptions through effective corrective action and rescheduling methods.

Module 5: Inventory and Material Management

• Material Requirements Planning supporting efficient inventory and production coordination.

• Inventory optimization strategies minimizing stock while ensuring material availability.

• Warehouse coordination and material flow supporting uninterrupted production processes.

• Procurement planning aligned with manufacturing schedules and operational priorities.

Module 6: Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement

• Lean Manufacturing principles supporting waste elimination and process optimization initiatives.

• Just-in-Time production techniques reducing inventory and improving manufacturing responsiveness.

• Theory of Constraints applications improving production throughput and operational performance.

• Kaizen and Six Sigma tools supporting continuous manufacturing process improvements.

Module 7: Digital Manufacturing and Emerging Technologies

• Enterprise Resource Planning integration supporting comprehensive production management systems.

• Manufacturing Execution Systems enhancing real-time shop-floor monitoring capabilities.

• Artificial intelligence and predictive analytics improving production scheduling decisions.

• Digital twins, Industrial Internet of Things, and smart factory innovations transforming manufacturing.

Module 8: Production Performance Measurement

• Key performance indicators supporting production planning and shop-floor evaluation activities.

• Overall Equipment Effectiveness measurement improving manufacturing asset utilization performance.

• Throughput, cycle time, and schedule adherence analysis supporting continuous improvement.

• Performance dashboards and visualization tools enabling informed operational decision-making.

Module 9: Risk Management and Operational Resilience

• Managing production risks arising from supply chain and operational disruptions.

• Business continuity planning supporting resilient manufacturing and production operations.

• Contingency scheduling strategies minimizing the impact of unexpected production events.

• Sustainable manufacturing practices enhancing long-term operational resilience and competitiveness.

Module 10: Best Practices and Future Trends

• Global best practices in production planning and shop-floor control implementation.

• Smart manufacturing strategies integrating automation, robotics, and intelligent production systems.

• Sustainability, energy efficiency, and circular manufacturing within production planning frameworks.

• Future developments in autonomous scheduling, intelligent factories, and data-driven manufacturing.

Training Approach

This course will be delivered by our skilled trainers who have vast knowledge and experience as expert professionals in the fields. The course is taught in English and through a mix of theory, practical activities, group discussion and case studies. Course manuals and additional training materials will be provided to the participants upon completion of the training.

Tailor-Made Course

This course can also be tailor-made to meet organization requirement. For further inquiries, please contact us on: Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com Tel: +254 721 331 808

Training Venue 

The training will be held at our Upskill Training Centre. We also offer training for a group (at a discount of 10% to 50%) at requested location all over the world. The Onsite course fee covers the course tuition, training materials, two break refreshments, buffet lunch, airport transfers, Upskill gift package, and guided tour.

Visa application, travel expenses, dinners, accommodation, insurance, and other personal expenses are catered by the participant

Certification

Participants will be issued with Upskill certificate upon completion of this course.

Airport Pickup and Accommodation

Airport pickup and accommodation is arranged upon request. For booking contact our Training Coordinator through Email: training@upskilldevelopment.com, +254 721 331 808

Terms of Payment:

Unless otherwise agreed between the two parties’ payment of the course fee should be done 3 working days before commencement of the training so as to enable us to prepare better.