We know that building an industrial plan can be a challenging task for many companies. External impacts, unforeseen events, a lack of qualified staff, and equipment failures are some of the obstacles that can certainly directly affect production. And issues like these can happen in the reality of any factory.
Therefore, the objective of this article is to take you further by providing a roadmap and qualifying your steps for a solid industrial planning process. At the end, we will also present an example of a fictional company that wants to move from ‘point zero’ to ‘point 100’.
Technology as an ally
Today, thanks to technological advancements, it is possible to have a global view of industrial processes. Regardless of where factories and their branches are located, they can remain connected, review their models, and communicate efficiently.
Collaborative platforms allow for the consistent definition of data, providing greater control over the planning process. This enables the visualization of the production chain in the medium and long term, which is essential for forecasting, monitoring, and optimizing the allocation of resources that impact production performance. With this approach, it is possible to shorten workflows, improve results, and gain tighter control over the supply chain.
Market Solutions:
- Siemens Teamcenter, which is a comprehensive product lifecycle management (PLM) platform that facilitates collaboration and data integration across the entire enterprise.
- SAP Integrated Business Planning (IBP), a collaborative planning platform that integrates sales, operations, finance, and the supply chain.
- The solution offered by Oracle Cloud SCM (Supply Chain Management), which in turn is a cloud-based platform that provides a suite of integrated applications for supply chain management.
- Infor CloudSuite Industrial (SyteLine), which offers a cloud ERP solution designed for manufacturing industries.
- PTC Windchill can also be evaluated as a PLM solution that provides product data management and collaboration throughout the product lifecycle.
- With PC-Factory MES 4.0 from WEG – PPI Multitask, it is possible to have an integrated tool that combines OEE, MES, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence to support the journey toward Industry 4.0, offering functionalities such as real-time data collection, material control, production and quality management, maintenance, industrial logistics, shop floor digitization, and artificial intelligence.
- And finally, we can also share our experiences with Dassault Systèmes DELMIA, which is a platform that connects planning, simulation, and operations for digital manufacturing.
These are some of the collaborative platforms known to Teclógica that enable the integration of data and processes, providing a unified, real-time view of the production chain, which is essential for data-driven decision-making and resource optimization. With this knowledge, we can move forward to evaluate the benefits of this planning.
Benefits of Industrial Planning
Industrial planning offers numerous advantages to companies, some of which are listed below:
- Savings on resources and inputs: a global view of the industrial ecosystem allows for the efficient use of materials, preventing waste. Additionally, there is an improvement in space and inventory utilization thanks to enhanced purchasing process organization.
- Process agility: when machinery downtime and maintenance are accounted for in the plan, production becomes more efficient and scheduled. For example, if a piece of equipment requires maintenance, it is possible to anticipate it and reallocate the team to other activities, avoiding idle time.
- Meeting deadlines: with proper planning, it is possible to better visualize delivery deadlines, factoring in realistic variables. This optimizes production capacity and ensures promised dates are met.
- Fast and informed decision-making: industrial planning facilitates access to more organized and accurate data, speeding up decision-making.
What are the levels of planning?
Industrial planning is generally addressed at three levels:
- Strategic planning: operates on the operations plan and demand plan within the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process.
- Tactical planning: defines what, when, and how to produce to meet customer requirements. It includes leveling the capacity of operational resources, considering demands based on multilevel product structures (MPS/MRP). It covers a long-term perspective specific to certain assets.
- Operational planning: involves detailed scheduling and fine sequencing of production, considering optimizations, constraints, alternatives, setups, and limited resources in a multilevel manner (APS).
Organizing an action plan
Data monitoring:
It is crucial to have control over all sectors of the shop floor to ensure efficient production. Collecting and gathering quality data allows for concrete analyses and serves as the basis for assertive and rapid decision-making.
Performance comparison
Use the collected data to analyze and compare the performance of different stages, machinery, and teams. Identify bottlenecks, understand the reasons behind them, and optimize the entire production process.
Team specialization
Encourage the team to strive for efficiency in their activities. Employees who feel valued tend to be more engaged and productive.
Investment in Technology
Many companies still use Excel spreadsheets to control information, which does not allow for factory optimization. Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) tools are essential to digitize and optimize production. APS systems consider finite capacity and factory constraints, enabling holistic planning that accounts for unforeseen events and stoppages.
Now, with this information consolidated, you already have a step-by-step guide to implementing sound industrial planning in your company. However, we still want to present a hypothetical example involving a toy factory.
Practical example: industrial planning in a toy factory
Let’s consider the fictional toy factory called Kinderzeug, which is starting from ‘point zero’ and wants to reach ‘point 100’ in terms of efficiency and productivity through an industrial planning action plan.
First, it is important to understand that this Kinderzeug toy factory is facing common challenges: lack of a global view of processes, frequent equipment failures, and a workforce not fully qualified for the process. The objective is to optimize production, reduce waste, and improve product delivery. Therefore, what could this company do to initiate change?
Data monitoring
In this initial phase, the goal is to have complete control over all sectors of the factory through actions such as:
- Sensor installation and IoT: equipping machines with sensors that collect real-time data on equipment performance and status.
- Data collection platform: implementing a data collection system that centralizes information from all sectors, such as production, inventory, and logistics.
- Data analysis: using data analytics software to turn raw information into actionable insights.
In this first step, the company gains a holistic, real-time view of production, making it easier to identify problems and opportunities for improvement.
Performance comparison
In this phase, we want to identify and correct bottlenecks in the production process. To do this, certain actions are required:
- Internal benchmarking: comparing the performance of different production lines and shifts.
- Effectiveness analysis: evaluating the efficiency of each step of the process, identifying machines and processes that are performing below expectations.
- KPI implementation: establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor productivity and efficiency in each sector.
By the end of this stage, clear identification of weaknesses and strengths is ensured, enabling precise corrective actions.
Team specialization
Simultaneously, it is necessary to specialize the workforce; through this action, it is possible to increase employee efficiency and engagement. Some practical actions in this step are:
- Training programs: offering capacity-building courses for employees, focusing on production techniques and the use of new technologies.
- Career pathing: developing clear career plans showing growth opportunities within the company.
- Incentives and recognition: implementing recognition and reward programs for employees who meet or exceed their goals.
Investment in technology
Finally, to support the journey, it is necessary to optimize production and reduce waste. The use of technology is a great ally in achieving this goal, providing greater efficiency and capacity to meet demands.
- Implementation of an APS system: adopting an Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) system to manage production digitally and optimally.
- Process automation: investing in automated machines that increase production precision and speed.
- Predictive maintenance: using data analysis to predict and prevent equipment failures before they occur.
How to implement industrial planning?
It is important to divide the stages so that actions can be tracked. Below is an example of how to schedule them:
First quarter
- Data monitoring: sensor installation on 50% of the machines and initiation of data collection.
- Initial training: basic training for the entire team on using the new systems.
Second quarter
- Performance comparison: First complete performance analysis and identification of main bottlenecks.
- Monitoring expansion: Sensors installed on 100% of the machines and initiation of integrated data collection.
Third quarter
- Team specialization: Advanced operation and maintenance courses for employees.
- First best practices: Implementation of improvements based on data analysis and employee feedback.
Fourth quarter
- Investment in technology: Complete integration of the APS system and initiation of critical process automation.
- Predictive maintenance: Initial predictive maintenance tests based on collected data.
Expected results: ‘Point 100’
In conclusion, putting the points and examples covered in this article into practice, we can conclude that the process is not always easy and doubts may arise along the way. However, with organization, good industrial planning, and the support of a reliable solution provider, it is possible to secure major process improvements, such as:
- Waste reduction: significant decrease in material and resource waste.
- Increased productivity: more efficient production with fewer unplanned stoppages.
- Meeting deadlines: better adherence to promised delivery dates.
- Fast decision-making: accurate and organized data facilitating strategic decisions.
This action plan exemplifies how the Kinderzeug toy factory can certainly evolve from an initial state to a highly optimized state using modern industrial planning tools and advanced technology.
