Production Planner jobs
In any manufacturing/production situation, from a workshop to a high-volume production line, there is a fine balance between producing items much faster than they can be sold and going too slow to keep up with demand. In the ideal zone there needs to be a slight leeway, with any slack taken up by warehousing, but since this has a series of cost implications of its own, it needs to be minimised.
The production planner will be in charge of ensuring productivity is always at an optimal level to meet all demands while cutting out overproduction. Where products are perishable or otherwise time-sensitive this would simply not be an option as overproduction is pure waste. But even making things that will sell eventually but slowly will be a drain on the company’s credit and cash flow.
Using materials requirements planning (MRP) software and systems, the production planner will stay in tune with current stock levels, raw materials availability and customer demands to ensure that as productivity rises and falls, all stock levels are optimised. The planner will be in touch with several parties on a regular basis, most notably forecasters, sales and marketing teams, warehousing staff, suppliers and the factory floor. This is all to gain the best possible insight into the ability to meet customer demand and to guide productivity as it rises and falls throughout the year.
The skills required
The main personal characteristic of a production planner will be a logical, analytical mindset. This he or she will engage to perform the mental juggling act that is production planning. Business understanding will be highly valued, as there is little to distinguish running a business and keeping abreast of the costs and planning production based on the best intelligence. Plans will be being made weekly or monthly, but they will always be subject to change as the situation changes – the good planner will be able to take these changes, and all their after-effects and permutations, in their stride.
There are several popular MRP solutions on the market, and there is a good chance any large company will use one of them, so experience in using one would certainly help. A good working knowledge of all the main spread sheet and word processing solutions will also be helpful for analysis and communication.
Production Planner Jobs in Southport
If you’re scouring maps of Devon, Dorset or Sussex searching for Southport, stop now. It’s most definitely in the northern half of England, about halfway between Liverpool and Blackpool. Like the famous towered resort, it’s a tourist town, with miles of beach and the usual seaside attractions like boating lakes, a pier, a promenade and a famous model village. However it has close links with the city to its south, not least because both are in Merseyside.
The town grew up during the Victorian period as a fashionable spa town, and much of the architecture remains on the front. As workers’ holidays got a foothold, the town, with its good rail links, became a popular destination for the workers of places such as Liverpool, Preston, Wigan and Bolton to spend a week or a weekend in summer. With little of a manufacturing base, the town’s existence was threatened in the 60s and 70s as tourists got the option of flying to Spain or Greece instead of staying in Britain, but it managed to survive where others failed by focusing on short breaks and holding events such as air shows, flower shows and festivals.
Southport is best known in the area as having a large population of affluent people. It’s a favourite home of Liverpool and Everton footballers, as well as other celebrities, particularly those from the North West. There’s a thriving night life, with a wealth of bars, restaurants and clubs. Although it is not a traditional industrial town, sometimes Production Planner positions do come up in the Southport area. Tourist towns do require a good deal of movement of goods to service both the local population and the visitors. There are frequently building and civil engineering projects in the region, too.
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Production planner recruitment at Cast UK
Whether you’re working for a company looking for a production planner or you’re an experienced production planner yourself, Cast UK wants to hear from you. We deal with talent at this level of expertise every day, and we know exactly what kinds of candidates clients are looking for. Your manufacturing operation could really benefit from forming a relationship with Cast UK – please call us on 0333 121 3345 or get in touch here for more info.
For production planners looking for new challenges – please follow the link below and register your details with us. We know there are companies looking for your talents right now, so it could be the smartest thing you can do for your career.
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