Master scheduling is the process of planning production in a manufacturing facility. The master planner takes input from marketing to determine product demand and creates a production schedule. The procurement team orders necessary parts and the production planning team ensures capacity constraints are met. The scheduler also works with asset managers to maximize inventory turnover and increase profits.
Master scheduling is the process by which a manufacturing operation is performed. The master planner is the person or department in a manufacturing facility responsible for planning. The master scheduling department may be responsible for all aspects of scheduling such as demand forecasting, master production schedule or mps, production planning and inventory planning. In large operations, the primary planning group is its own department, and other aspects of planning are handled by additional groups or departments.
A master planner takes input from the marketing department to determine how many of each particular product the sales team expects to sell in the next month, quarter, or year. The information is then run through a “what if” scenario tool or uploaded directly into the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. The master planning department then produces reports informing the factory and management what missing parts or capacity issues resulted from the uploaded schedule.
When the material or procurement department examines the shortage of parts, they will place the required orders. The procurement team will also begin expediting components as needed so they arrive in time to support planned construction requirements. If the parts cannot be picked up or scheduled to arrive on time, the master planner will shift demand to match the production plan when the parts arrive.
During this same time period the production planning team, which may also include the master planner, will review any capacity constraints to determine whether the planned products can all be run through the factory in time to meet customer requirements. If there is a capacity constraint due to equipment, the team will approach the lead scheduler about possible solutions such as attracting demand to build earlier or working with the capital team to obtain additional equipment. If there is a capacity constraint due to lack of human resources, the master planner may also need to call back demand or schedule weekend and overtime work to meet the overall production plan.
Inventory is typically the highest cost of manufacturing companies, so keeping inventory turnover at a high rate is desirable. As part of the overall scheduling duties, the scheduler often works with asset managers to set up the production plan in a way that maximizes the rate at which product flows through the factory. By reducing cycle time, the factory runs leaner and inventory turns faster, which lowers the overall cost of capital and increases the company’s profits.
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