Strategic Planning

• Develop long-term production and capacity plans aligned with the organization's business strategy.
• Analyze market trends, competitive landscape, and technological advancements to anticipate future production needs.
• Collaborate with cross-functional leaders to ensure production plans support the overall corporate goals.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings and operational efficiency improvements.

Demand Planning

• Demand Forecasting: Analyze historical sales data, market trends, and customer orders, collaborate with sales and business development, and use statistical forecasting models and techniques to forecast future product demand and decide on production quantities considering factors like seasonality, new production introductions, and economic conditions.
• Demand Prioritization: Prioritize Demand based on prioritization rules as set by the company policy.
• Follow up on delivery: Follow up on orders delivery and collaborate with other stakeholders to resolve issues to ensure on-time in-full delivery to customers. 
• Inventory Management: Monitor current inventory levels and plan production to maintain optimal inventory to meet expected demand and avoid stock outs while minimizing excess stock. 

Production Planning

• Production Scheduling: Create a detailed production schedule for manufacturing activities, that considers resource constraints, lead time and allocating resources like machinery, labor, and materials to ensure on-time and efficient production. In addition to adapting the schedule in response to changes, such as rush orders or equipment breakdowns.
• Capacity Planning: Assess the production capacity of the manufacturing facility and allocate capacity across multiple product lines and work centers, make adjustments as needed to meet demand, such as adding overtime, hiring temporary workers, or investing in new equipment.
• Continuous Improvement: Analyze production data and identify opportunities to streamline processes, reduce waste, and improve efficiency. Identify potential capacity gaps or surpluses based on forecasted demand and evaluate options to increase capacity, such as overtime, hiring, or capital investments.
• Collaboration: Collaborate with operations and finance teams to ensure capacity plans are feasible and cost-effective.

Material Requirements Planning

• Material Forecasting: Analyze historical usage data and production schedules and consider factors like lead times, safety stock levels, and seasonal fluctuations in demand to forecast future raw material requirements. In addition to collaborating with procurement and inventory management teams to ensure accurate forecasting.
• Material Requirements Planning (MRP): Implement Material Requirements Planning Processes to translate production schedules into specific raw material needs in terms of quantity, timing, and specifications of materials required for each production order. In addition to ensuring the right materials are available at the right time to support the production schedule.
• Inventory Management: Determine appropriate safety stock levels for materials to buffer against supply chain disruptions and demand fluctuations. In addition to monitoring and adjusting inventory levels based on changing production needs and supplier performance.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to optimize material usage, reduce waste, and lower costs.
• Collaboration: Coordinate the procurement of raw materials, components, and supplies required for production. This involves collaborating with suppliers and logistics teams to ensure timely material replenishment.

Talent Management and Development:

• Assess the skills and competencies required for effective production planning.
• Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing production planning team.
• Provide coaching, training, and mentorship opportunities to build the capabilities of the planning staff.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Serve as a strategic partner to other functional leaders, such as operations, procurement, finance, and sales. 
• Facilitate the alignment of production plans with the overall business objectives and customer requirements.
• Effectively communicate production plans, challenges, and recommendations to stakeholder.

General

• Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams, including sales, business development, procurement, operations, engineering, and finance, to align production plans with overall business objectives.
• Reporting and KPIs: Track and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) related to production, such as output, cycle time, on-time delivery, in-full delivery, inventory levels, and variance analysis.
• Risk Management: Anticipate and plan for potential disruptions in the supply chain, supply issues, equipment breakdowns, or other issues that could impact production, and develop contingency plans.