Production management is a field of modern business management dealing with the design and management of an organization’s production and design processes in order to achieve maximum production output at the lowest possible cost. It is one of the most important sections of production management because it deals with all aspects of production, planning, manufacturing and labor management. A Production Manager is the head of department responsible for implementing and managing the organization’s production policies and procedures. The key function of the production manager is to plan the resources of the production staff to maximize productivity, quality, quantity and turnaround. The responsibilities of a production manager also depend upon his position or his responsibilities within an organization.
Planning is the first and foremost main function of production management. Planning determines the main functions, equipment, material and machinery required in production. Production managers also plan the budget of the company and control its resources. Production planning involves a lot of complicated factors like financial plan, budget, staffing and raw materials purchasing etc. If a production manager fails to plan, it may lead to devastating results such as excessive inventory and non-rewarding production. Proper planning ensures that there is no room for wastage of resources and that the company is able to meet all its production requirements.
Quality Control is another main function of production management. In order to ensure optimum quality of the products they produce, production managers make sure that quality control standards of the raw materials, working equipments and finished goods are maintained at all times. Production managers are involved in quality control activities such as approval processes, packaging standards, packaging supplies, packaging operations, customer feedbacks etc. They monitor quality control of the goods during production, before the goods are shipped and after the goods have been shipped.
Production Machinery is the other main function of production management. It deals with the design, development and manufacture of machinery used in the production process. Production managers decide which machines should be used to make a particular product, where they should be located and how they should be operated. Production managers check the quality of raw materials, working equipment, packaging supplies, machines and raw materials etc. before manufacturing a particular product.
Planning is also an important part of production management. The planning and execution of the plans determine the quantities of raw materials, machines, workers and other essential equipment required in the production process. The management also determines how many units should be manufactured, at what quantity, and at what cost. Production managers check the amount of inventory they need at any given time. When a new item is required they request raw materials, machines, workers and other items required in its production. After receiving approval from the production manager, the manufacturer gets in touch with the seller and gets a quote for manufacturing the required quantities of the items.
Production Planning is the final component of production management. Production planners prepare a list of activities necessary in the manufacture of a certain product. They take into account whether the desired level of quality is reached or not. If not, the desired level can be improved by improving the quantity of raw materials, improving the machinery and the workers efficiency. If the desired level of quality is reached, then production can continue till the product is ready for sale.
