Learn about the main advantages of implementing PPSC in your projects.

If you are a very busy person, you probably try to organize your time to get all your tasks done.

However, it is not always possible to fulfill all obligations as planned, and the result is more and more issues piling up.

So, it takes a lot more than planning to get all your tasks done on time, doesn't it? Discipline and control are also essential.

In the industrial sector it is no different, but the consequences for not following what was planned are much more serious. Many organizations even declare bankruptcy.

In this context, the PPSC is an essential body for planning the actions of any company.

So, if you want to know more about this subject, keep reading this text and also learn about the main management systems that all PPSC professionals must master.

You will read in this article:

• What is PPSC?
• What does a good PPSC professional need to know?
• Main management systems used at PPSC

What is PPSC?

PPSC (Production Planning, Scheduling and Control) are control actions used to deal with unforeseen events, to verify the level of quality, and to facilitate the progress of the production processes within an organization.

Therefore, it is the company's PPSC that determines issues such as the production quantity, the execution deadline, and when a certain product will be delivered.

Planning

For a project to be executed successfully, the first step is planning. After all, it is at this stage that the execution time for each stage of the project and the expected results are defined.

When the subject is a long-term project, it is essential to think about what we call strategic planning.

It is in this type of planning those essential aspects are defined, such as the competitive differential adopted by the company and value innovation.

Short-term planning, on the other hand, is fundamental to ensure that all objects and goals are met.

After all, a company that does not define its goals does not know which path to follow, which can lead to the loss of engagement of the work team.

But whether short or long term, a good business plan is essential to position the company in the competitive market and to facilitate the organization's growth.

Control

The Control part is responsible for maintaining and increasing the efficiency of the production area.

Thus, the control sector of a company must be able to make analyses and monitor the production processes.

This area of the PPSC must also deal with any unforeseen events that occur within the production lines.

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What does a good PPSC professional need to know?

The professional that will work in any of the PPSC areas, be it planning, scheduling or control, needs to have a macro vision of all production processes.

For this, it is essential to master the philosophies/systems of quality management that add value and efficiency to manufacturing processes. Among the main philosophies, it is worth mentioning the use of Six Sigma, 5S, Kaizen, and Lean Manufacturing.

Six Sigma is a quantitative, structured, directed, and disciplined methodology for improving existing processes. The major objectives of this system are cost reduction, process optimization, and customer satisfaction.

The 5S program aims to improve productivity and the work environment through 5 senses: organization, cleanliness, self-discipline, well-being, and utilization.

Kaizen, on the other hand, is a system aimed at continuous improvement, with the purpose of eliminating waste and the participation of all employees in the organization.

Finally, Lean Manufacturing works in the leanest way possible, since it proposes the elimination of all processes that do not add value to the customer, by applying the kaizen philosophy.

Main management systems used at PPSC

Organizing all production processes, especially those that depend on several sectors within a company, is not an easy task.

To ensure that the entire process of planning, process, and production control occurs smoothly, major organizations use important systems such as Just in Time and Kanban.

For a better understanding of the models, both have been described as simplistically as possible.

Just in Time

Just in time is a method used to leverage the production system and eliminate waste in an organization. The main objective of this methodology is to reduce costs by supplying and producing materials in the correct quantity and places.

Furthermore, the Just in Time system has characteristics that contribute a lot to the PPSC, such as: machines sequenced according to the process, one-piece flow and production according to the Takt time concept.

When the machines are sequenced during the production process it is possible to create a flow of materials, which prevents the employee from having to constantly "go back and forth" and lose working time.

One-piece flow is a great way to improve the process and add value, since when the operator handles one piece at a time the work becomes much more specific, and the creation of intermediate batches is eliminated.

Finally, production according to the Takt-time concept means giving a constant pace to the work in order to drive the whole process in such a way that there are no interruptions during production.

Kanban

Kanban is used to manage the production of products in all stages of an industrial operation.

Through this system it becomes feasible to ensure that each process receives instant information on the exact quantity needed to be produced according to the flow pulled by the customer.

Kanban works by means of cards and production boards. The cards are responsible for signaling the current production status to the employee.

The production board, on the other hand, has information about the stock level. Normally, when the stock is at a critical level, red is used, yellow is used for alerts, and green for safety levels.

However, for this methodology to be used effectively in industries it is necessary to follow some rules, for example:

• Any withdrawal without a Kanban card is prohibited;
• Any withdrawal greater than that specified on the kanban is prohibited;
• Physical products transported must always be accompanied by a kanban;
• Production in excess of what is requested by the kanban is forbidden;
• Obey the production sequence specified by the kanban;
• Defective products must not be sent to the downstream process (customer).

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