You need to plan production for a new product line. What tools will help you stay ahead of the competition?

To effectively plan production for a new product line and stay ahead of the competition, accurate forecasting and a robust marketing plan are essential. Additionally, effective capacity management, using advanced software such as Oracle and SAP, is crucial. Quality control measures should be in place to ensure the production of high-quality products. A well-thought-out market penetration and distribution strategy are also key elements to successfully compete in the market.

Production planning is a process that helps you make your products efficiently and on time. Some of the tools that can help you with this are demand forecasting software, which predicts how much your customers will want your products; inventory management software, which tracks and controls your materials, products, and orders; and production scheduling software, which plans and executes each step of your production process. There are also other tools that can improve your production planning, such as project management, quality management, lean manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Harness cutting-edge production planning software for meticulous scheduling, conduct thorough market research to anticipate demand, and integrate lean manufacturing principles to optimize efficiency, ensuring a competitive edge in the market.

Para planejar efetivamente a produção de uma nova linha de produtos e ficar à frente da concorrência, previsões precisas e um plano de marketing robusto são essenciais. Além disso, o gerenciamento eficaz da capacidade, usando softwares avançados como Oracle e SAP, é crucial. Devem ser aplicadas medidas de controle da qualidade para assegurar a produção de produtos de elevada qualidade. Uma imersão bem estruturada de mercado e uma estratégia de distribuição também são elementos chave para competir com sucesso no mercado.

Based on the stage of product in the life cycle, the demand forecasting can be significantly different. For existing products, past trends and competition data can assist. For new products and emerging markets, a more complex analysis of product utilization, products displaced, and/or adoption rates would play a critical part in forecasting methodology.

In production plan, actually quite simple, you just need production plan comply with demand. The problem is on forecasting. We know that forecasting is never been true. But it guide you to go to certain level so you don't need to start from scratch. Let say your capacity is 100 pcs/day, forecast says 125/day, so to reach 125, you may overtime, but your capacity has reach 100. So to achieve 125, you start from 100, not 0. Much more easier. The problem, you have to understand how your customer behavior, fluctuation, seasonal, sales program and so on. This is they key how to understand your forecast is in better direction or not. S&OP meeting periodically will help you. You know that forecasting is wrong, but you know the pattern.

Predict market trends and customer demand to optimize production schedules, ensuring timely delivery and minimizing excess inventory. Streamline production processes, enhance communication across departments, and improve overall operational efficiency for a competitive edge.

A previsão de demanda focada no cliente final é uma forma de sair na frente do concorrente: Exemplo: se uma fábrica de carros tem mais procura por carro vermelho em determinado estado, ele pode fazer um estudo de mercado se a preferência no resto do país se mantem. Assim dará preferência para o que os clientes estão consumindo.

A previsão de demanda dentro de um processo de S&OP permite que executivos tomem decisões estratégias como abrir fábricas, ampliar, reduzir turnos etc. Trabalho com Quintiq Macro Planer e seu uso para criação de cenários usando ferramentas estatísticas dão muito poder a camada estratégica em um horizonte amplo.

Predictive analytics to be used to gather more information about the new product line and then plan accurately to the tune of demand to avoid any excess inventory.

Production scheduling can be either done based on forecast, as to strictly follow the demand variations and working just in time, or it can be done aimed at building the right level of inventory to cover for customer needs. The Master Production Schedule is the key process for this activity and it needs to be done thoroughly by the scheduling team as to ensure demand is met and right inventory level is kept, according to the strategies adopted by the company. A good capacity plan must be done upfront, in order to ensure resources availability, and there are several tools that can be used able to optimize production and capacity, like Cyberplan or BlueYonder.

Key to Productivity: Strategic Production Planning Effective production planning is vital for steady productivity. It hinges on analyzing capacity planning and forecasting, alongside maintaining transparency with key performance indicators (KPIs). Crucial Planning Elements: KPI Insight: Metrics like LEAN OEE, TTEP, and MTBF highlight machine performance and areas for improvement. Operational Feedback: Incorporating insights from Kaizen initiatives ensures ongoing process optimization. Kanban Systems: Employing Kanban can streamline workflows and stabilize production output. Focused production planning, driven by detailed KPIs and active feedback, optimizes efficiency and resource use, balancing demand and cost control.

Em horizontes de médio e curto prazo se faz necessário o uso de ferramentas como Ortems para que o programador de produção consiga decidir qual o melhor plano de produção e reagir as variações do plano firme planejado. Essas ferramentas de scheduling dão possibilidades de simulação de cenários poderosas e permitem o atingimento de um OTIF ainda mais acertado.

The design and quality targets for the product play a critical part in the production planning process. So many times, new complex-to-manufacture products have high rework and scrap rates which put unplanned stress on launches. Traditionally manufacturing was forced to optimize the process to deal with product complexity adding cost and resources downstream. DFM and best practices in the form of manufacturing requirements to the product design team can help enterprise be more efficient and cost/resource effective.

You can also look out for shared inventory management by the approach of vendor managed inventory. This will allow pipeline stock readiness.

Especially when working in a “flow-driven” production environment, Inventory management is crucial. All products and raw materials must be analyzed and classified through a Pareto categorization in order to understand the most valuable/remunerative ones and identify specific strategies to manage them. The right inventory level is always balance between costs related to each product, their profitability and the service level we want to maintain for each customer.

Production Ramp-Up: Inventory's Role Inventory buffers against ramp-up inefficiencies, such as inadequate training or insufficient spare parts, enabling smooth production despite challenges. Adequate levels are crucial for navigating learning curves and improving efficiency over time. Inventory Management Essentials Essential for adapting to unexpected challenges without disrupting production. Effective workforce deployment and ongoing training are key to mitigating inefficiencies. Effective inventory management is crucial for sustaining production and laying the groundwork for ongoing improvements as production lines evolve.

La calidad no solo se aplica al producto final, si no también en los Mantenimientos, procesos o procedimientos y a todo lo involucrado en el proceso, sea humano o mediante herramientas o máquinas.

Process design should include quality gates to catch defects and avoid scrap and limit rework activities. By placing inline checks and error-proofing, the quality system can drive: “accept no defects, build no defects, ship no defects”. Tying quality gate data to robust FMEA and control plans management systems would help identify and mitigate new failure modes. Big data and analytics play a crucial part in manufacturing quality as well as field performance impacts.

In my experience, you should be able to analyse the historical data and made an estimation of the future trend market, so if we established a relation between it and Quality control, the last one doesn't only mean quality of the products, also includes the information with we work to make a production plan, please never forget the information has to be relevant, it must add value, it must be valid and, above all, truthful, which is why it is important to use support systems for decision making. From the point production view use Six Sigma methodology, like a Lean Value Stream Map, helps us to examines the flow of information and materials within a production process. Its objective is to provide the customer with the product they require.

Stabile Qualität ist eine Voraussetzung für den Erfolg eines Produktes. Qualität kostet Geld. Dies ist das Spannungsfeld in dem sich die Qualitätskontrolle bewegt. Deshalb ist es erforderlich zu verstehen, welche Qualitätskriterien für den Kunden wichtig sind. Das ist die Aufgabe aller an der Produktentwicklung beteiligten Bereiche. Informationen beim Kunden einholen ist dazu der direkte Weg. Aber auch beim Kunden ist das Verständnis nicht immer einheitlich. Was der Einkauf des Kunden vorgibt ist nicht in allen Fällen das gleiche, was sich die WEP forder oder die Produktion benötigt. Gerade bei neuen Produkten und neuen Kunden läßt sich mit dem umfassenden Verständnis ALLER Kundenanforderungen ein Vorsprung im Wettbewerb erzielen.

O que é o balanceamento de linhas de montagem? Trata-se da distribuição equitativa das tarefas ao longo do processo de produção, otimizando o fluxo de trabalho e minimizando gargalos. Ao equilibrar a carga de trabalho entre os diferentes estágios da linha, as empresas podem reduzir tempos de espera, aumentar a produtividade e garantir a qualidade do produto final. Por que isso é tão importante? Além de impulsionar a eficiência operacional, o balanceamento de linhas de montagem contribui para a satisfação do cliente, ao garantir prazos de entrega mais rápidos e produtos consistentemente de alta qualidade. Além disso, ao reduzir o desperdício de tempo e recursos, as empresas podem alcançar uma vantagem competitiva significativa no mercado.

Quando se trata de planejamento estratégico de produção o 5H2W atende bem esses requisitos e evita bem os apagadores de incêncio. O método 6Ms também ajuda a visualizar as incertezas do projeto, afim de evitar ou mitigar riscos. A matriz sowt permite visualizar as vantagens e desvantagens internas e externas. Todos estes que garantem a aplicação da melhoria contínua e a mitigação de riscos.

Kaizen is imperative for new product line and demand sensing tools can be used to dynamically take correction of any abberations. Master data correction is also helpful in improving process flow in SAP.

For continuous improvement in production, embedding the principles of a Learning Organization and an Open Organization culture from the outset is crucial. Organizational Learning & Openness: Adopting practices that encourage continuous learning and open sharing of challenges and solutions ensures a resilient and adaptable production environment. Kaizen Methodology: Integral to this approach is the Kaizen philosophy, which emphasizes incremental, ongoing improvements involving all employees. By ingraining these principles early in the production launch, organizations can foster a culture that not only anticipates and addresses current challenges but is also primed for future enhancements, maintaining a competitive edge.

In my experience at Toyota, it's not much about the tools but rather the understanding and application of the principles of TPS which are designing Continuous Flow (Just In Time) and Built-in quality at the lowest operational cost into whatever new process or production line that will be introduced. It's designing the shortest parts routing. This is Toyota's playbook that keeps it ahead of its competitors in terms of cost leadership. These principles when understood enable the designers (planners and engineers) to design tools and systems to plan and operate production that does not require much investment or full automation to set up and maintain. Most of the tools and systems of production are manual, easy to understand and use.

Two key elements in any manufacturing are effectiveness and efficiency, for effectiveness, identifying CTQs at each step of the process or defining 3 parameters - ideal input , processing and ideal output for each step gets an ideal output fit for next step of the VSM, these parameters of success can be defined depending on the type of product, this ensures RFT where quality is built in at design stage of every step of the process and can be ensured through APQP in automotive or assembly process followed by PSW. 2nd part is efficiency for which line/ assembly speed is established through PPAP and there are multiple ways to improve like IWS, DMAIC, PDCA, Kaizen etc. to improve speed of flow based on your understanding of process functions.

Mapear o fluxo de valor para esse novo processo é um ponto importante para criar rotas de abastecimento e identificar gargalos que podem afetar a produtividade

Aus meiner Erfahrung in der Airbagentwicklung ist es wichtig die Erfahrungen aus bisherigen Prozessen miteinzubeziehen und die Inhouse Expertise voll zu nutzen. Je genauer die Anforderungen definiert werden, desto schneller ist eine Umsetzung möglich. Eine enge Abstimmung im Projektteam und mit den Lieferanten während des ganzen Prozesses ist wichtig. Lieferanten sollten möglichst früh mit in den Prozess eingebunden werden. Und ganz wichtig, so kompliziert wie notwendig aber so einfach wie möglich.

Additional tools that will help speed up the start-up of the new line: -Product Development Team: equipped with all tools to guarantee an excellent sampling process and the creation of an effective "Tech Pack" of the product that includes very illustrated drawings and descriptions of critical construction details that subsequently will help the production line to reach the desire quality and to avoid delays due to mistakes or bad quality. -Training method: The start-up of the line is the first action that will lead the project to reality. It's necessary to have a good team of trainers, a good software that allows the engineers to stablish learning curves and fair incentive Plan that ultimately will speed up the process.

The need for a new production line or the introduction of a new product should be captured during the long terms cycle plan like S&OP or IBP. During these processes, lots of information and data are shared, like marketing trends, demand forecast and high level inventory targets/production targets. If all information are gathered correctly upfront, it is possible to plan in advance and ensure all tools, materials and resources are available to quickly and effectively implement the new production line needed. Long term processes are key for a good strategy.

Básico básico es que está implementación requiere la implicación global de l empresa,recursos humanos,proveedores,tecnologías a utilizar ,financiamiento ,planes de retorno,etc etc por lo tanto no es sólo la ingeniería necesaria sino la complementación de todos los aspectos de la empresa incluso ..recursos externos de cómo otras compañías solventaron esta etapa de ampliación de una nueva línea productiva para un nuevo producto. Las facilidades actuáles son muchas con la llegada de ia,y sofware a medida..