What is process planning pdf

Who receives the output, and how do they define success? And Are there specific checkpoints in the process that need to be addressed?

Documentation: During the documentation stage, interviews are conducted with company personnel to determine the steps and actions they take as part of a specific business process. The results of these interviews is written down, generally in the form of a flow chart, with copies of any forms used or attached.

These flow charts are given to the involved departments to review, to make sure information has been correctly captured in the chart. Manufacturers have been following an evolutionary step to improve and computerize process planning in the following five stages:.

Earlier to CAPP, producers attempted to triumph over the issues of manual process planning by basic categorization of parts into families and developing standardized process plans for parts families that is called Stage I. When a new part is initiated, the process plan for that family would be manually recovered, marked-up and retyped. While this improved output but it did not enhance the quality of the planning of processes.

Computer-aided process planning originally developed as a device to electronically store a process plan once it was shaped, recover it, amend it for a new part and print the plan. It is called Stage II. Other ability of this stage is table-driven cost and standard estimating systems. These attributes permit the system to choose a baseline process plan for the part family and achieve about ninety percent of the planning work.

The schemer will add the remaining ten percent of the effort modifying or fine-tuning the process plan. The baseline process plans stored in the computer are manually entered using a super planner concept that is, developing standardized plans based on the accumulated experience and knowledge of multiple planners and manufacturing engineers. In this stage, process planning decision rules are developed into the system. These decision rules will work based on a part's group technology or features technology coding to produce a process plan that will require minimal manual interaction and modification.

While CAPP systems move towards being generative, a pure generative system that can create a complete process plan from part classification and other design data is a goal of the future.

These types of generative system will utilize artificial intelligence type capabilities to produce process plans as well as be fully integrated in a CIM environment. An additional step in this stage is dynamic, generative CAPP which would consider plant and machine capacities, tooling availability, work center and equipment loads, and equipment status in developing process plans. The process plan developed with a CAPP system at Stage V would differ in due course depending on the resources and workload in the factory.

Dynamic, generative CAPP also entails the need for online display of the process plan on a work order oriented basis to cover that the appropriate process plan was provided to the floor. There are numerous advantages of this type of process planning.

It can decrease the skill required of a planner. It can reduce the process planning time. It can reduce both process planning and manufacturing cost. It can create more consistent plans. It can produce more accurate plans. It can increase productivity. Automated process planning is done for shortening the lead-time, manufacturability feedback, lowering the production cost and consistent process plans.

Advantages of Computer-aided Process Planning include reduced demand on the skilled planner, reduced process planning time, reduced process planning and manufacturing cost, created more consistent plans, produced accurate plans, increased productivity, increased high flexibility, attained high efficiency, attained adequate high product quality and possibility of integration with the other automated functions and systems.

Manufacturing Process Planning delivers essential process planning potential for all manufacturing industries. Using Manufacturing Process Planning, process planners can powerfully create and authenticate the original process plan using the product structure from product engineering, modify the plan to specific requirements, and link products and resources to the steps of the plan.

To summarize, Process Planning is important action in a production enterprise that verifies which processes, materials, and instructions will be used to produce a product. Process planning describes a manufacturing facility, processes and parameters which are to be used to change materials from a primary form to a predetermined final stage.

Read More. Home » Subject » Management » Notes » Process planning. Notice Board. In fact, it is the point of decision-making-deciding upon the plan to be adopted for accomplishing the enterprise objectives. Formulating Derivative Plans To make any planning process complete the final step is to formulate derivative plans to give effect to and support the basic plan. For example, if Indian Airlines decide to run Jumbo Jets between Delhi an Patna, obliviously, a number of derivative plans have to be framed to support the decision, e.

In other words, plans do not accomplish themselves. They require to be broken down into supporting plans. Each manager and department of the organisation is to contribute to the accomplishment of the master plan on the basis of the derivative plans. Establishing Sequence of Activities Timing an sequence of activities are determined after formulating basic and derivative plans, so that plans may be put into action.

Timing is an essential consideration in planning. It gives practical shape and concrete form to the programmes. The starting and finishing times are fixed for each piece of work, so as to indicate when the within what time that work is to be commenced and completed.

Bad timing of programmes results in their failure. To maintain a symmetry of performance and a smooth flow of work, the sequence of operation shaped be arranged carefully by giving priorities to some work in preference to others. Under sequence it should be decided as to who will don what and at what time.

It is also required to see whether the plan is working well in the present situation. If conditions have changed, the plan current plan has become outdated or inoperative it should be replaced by another plan. A regular follow- up is necessary and desirable from effective implementation and accomplishment of tasks assigned.

The plan should be communicated to all persons concerned in the organisation. Its objectives and course of action must be clearly defined leaving no ambiguity in the minds of those who are responsible for its execution. Planning is effective only when the persons involved work in a team spirit and all are committed to the objectives, policies, programmes, strategies envisaged in the plan.

Planning means looking ahead and chalking out future courses of action to be followed. It is a preparatory step. It is a systematic activity which determines when, how and who is going to perform a specific job.

Planning is a detailed programme regarding future courses of action. It is the basic management function which includes formulation of one or more detailed plans to achieve optimum balance of needs or demands with the available resources. Planning bridges the gap between where we are to, where we want to go. Steps in Planning Function Planning function of management involves following steps:- 1. Establishment of objectives a. Planning requires a systematic approach.

Planning starts with the setting of goals and objectives to be achieved. Objectives provide a rationale for undertaking various activities as well as indicate direction of efforts.

Moreover objectives focus the attention of managers on the end results to be achieved. As a matter of fact, objectives provide nucleus to the planning process. Therefore, objectives should be stated in a clear, precise and unambiguous language. Otherwise the activities undertaken are bound to be ineffective.

As far as possible, objectives should be stated in quantitative terms. For example, Number of men working, wages given, units produced, etc. But such an objective cannot be stated in quantitative terms like performance of quality control manager, effectiveness of personnel manager.

Such goals should be specified in qualitative terms. Hence objectives should be practical, acceptable, workable and achievable. Establishment of Planning Premises a. Planning premises are the assumptions about the lively shape of events in future. They serve as a basis of planning.

Establishment of planning premises is concerned with determining where one tends to deviate from the actual plans and causes of such deviations. It is to find out what obstacles are there in the way of business during the course of operations. Establishment of planning premises is concerned to take such steps that avoids these obstacles to a great extent.

Planning premises may be internal or external. Internal includes capital investment policy, management labour relations, philosophy of management, etc. Whereas external includes socio- economic, political and economical changes. Internal premises are controllable whereas external are non- controllable. Choice of alternative course of action a. When forecast are available and premises are established, a number of alternative course of actions have to be considered.

For this purpose, each and every alternative will be evaluated by weighing its pros and cons in the light of resources available and requirements of the organization.

The merits, demerits as well as the consequences of each alternative must be examined before the choice is being made. After objective and scientific evaluation, the best alternative is chosen.

The planners should take help of various quantitative techniques to judge the stability of an alternative. Formulation of derivative plans a. Derivative plans are the sub plans or secondary plans which help in the achievement of main plan. Secondary plans will flow from the basic plan. These are meant to support and expediate the achievement of basic plans.

These detail plans include policies, procedures, rules, programmes, budgets, schedules, etc. For example, if profit maximization is the main aim of the enterprise, derivative plans will include sales maximization, production maximization, and cost minimization. Derivative plans indicate time schedule and sequence of accomplishing various tasks. Securing Co-operation a. After the plans have been determined, it is necessary rather advisable to take subordinates or those who have to implement these plans into confidence.

The purposes behind taking them into confidence are :- i. Subordinates may feel motivated since they are involved in decision making process. The organization may be able to get valuable suggestions and improvement in formulation as well as implementation of plans. Also the employees will be more interested in the execution of these plans. After the selected plan is implemented, it is important to appraise its effectiveness.

This is done on the basis of feedback or information received from departments or persons concerned. This enables the management to correct deviations or modify the plan. This step establishes a link between planning and controlling function. The follow up must go side by side the implementation of plans so that in the light of observations made, future plans can be made more realistic.

Limitations of planning There are several limitations of planning. Some of them are inherit in the process of planning like rigidity etc. These limitations are due to the causes which can be either internal to the organization or due to the factors which are external to the organization. For planning function to be useful and purposeful, management is to be aware of the limitations usually associated with the planning process.

Major limitations are given below. There can be attempts to influence setting of the planning objectives. In such case it may be used to serve individual interests rather than the interest of the organization. Unreliable data makes the planning ineffective. Hence the process is not suitable for emergencies and crisis situations.

Operational plans are often described as single use plans or ongoing plans. Single use plans are created for events and activities with a single occurrence such as a single marketing campaign. Ongoing plans include policies for approaching problems, rules for specific regulations and procedures for a step-by-step process for accomplishing particular objectives.

It starts at the highest level with defining a mission and casting a vision. Important components of a strategic plan are vision, mission and values. Often, the scope is less than one year and breaks down the strategic plan into actionable chunks.

Contingency Planning Contingency plans are made when something unexpected happens or when something needs to be changed.

Business experts sometimes refer to these plans as a special type of planning. Contingency planning can be helpful in circumstances that call for a change. As the business world becomes more complicated, contingency planning becomes more important to engage in and understand.

In order for plans to be effective and to yield the desired results, managers must identify any potential barriers and work to overcome them. Managers are not born with the ability to plan.

Others may have never been taught how to plan. When these two types of managers take the time to plan, they may not know how to conduct planning as a process. The development of of a plan is hard work; it is much easier for a manager to claim that he or she doesn't have the time to work through the required planning process than to actually devote the time to developing a plan.

The latter, of course, would save them more time in the long run! Another possible reason for lack of commitment can be fear of failure.

As a result, managers may choose to do little or nothing to help in the planning process. No matter how well managers plan, if they are basing their planning on inferior information, their plans will probably fail. Many companies have a planning department or a planning and development team.

These departments conduct studies, do research, build models, and project probable results, but they do not implement plans.

Planning department results are aids in planning and should be used only as such. Formulating the plan is still the manager's responsibility. Managers can find themselves concentrating on the things and events that they can control, such as new product development, but then fail to consider outside factors, such as a poor economy.

One reason may be that managers demonstrate a decided preference for the known and an aversion to the unknown. The barriers are: 1. Dynamic and Complex Environments 2.

Reluctance to Establish Goals 3. Resistance to Change 4. Constraints 5. Time and Expense 6. Psychological Difficulties 7.

Technical Problems 8. Misunderstanding 9. Barrier 1. When, for instance, an electronics firm develops a long-range plan, it tries to take into account how much technological innovation is likely to occur during the time period of planning.

Anticipating rapid and significant changes certainly complicates the entire planning process. Barrier 2. Reluctance to Establish Goals: The second barrier to effective planning is the reluctance on the part of some managers to establish goals for themselves and their units of responsibilities. The main reason for this reluctance is lack of confidence or fear or failure. A manager is reluctant to disclose his failure. This means that managers who do consciously or unconsciously try to avoid this degree of accountability are likely to hinder the planning efforts of their organisation.

Barrier 3. Resistance to Change: This is the third major barrier to the planning process. Any type of organisational planning involves changing one or two aspects of its current situation. Managers resist change for three main reasons, viz. Barrier 4. Constraints: Another major obstacle to planning arises due to constraints that limit what an organisation can do. For example, an organisation may have such a heavy investment in plant and equipment that it cannot acquire new equipment. Labour contracts can also be major constraints.

Barrier 5. Time and Expense: Another barrier to effective planning is that good planning is time-con- suming and expensive. Good planning often fails for lack of funds. A planning system often requires for instance, technical expertise or a database that are to be acquired at a cost.

Barrier 6. Psychological Difficulties: These difficulties mainly arise from lack of confidence among planners. If there is a fear of the future and unknown there may be a preference for day-to-day activities as opposed to looking into a dim future.

He may be over-confident as to the present, or over- pessimistic as to the future. He may feel that there is hardly any point in planning for a recession which might deepen.

His approach may be completely non-rational in relation to the essence of planning. Barrier 7. Technical Problems: Such problems which occur frequently are a major source of difficulty for the managerial planner. If the manager is deficient in organizing ability he will be unable to understand or solve some of the technical organisational problems which accompany planning. Alternatively, if he lacks training in the effective utilization of this time, he cannot solve the technical demands of arranging time in order to cope with the burdens of planning.

The control process which he supervises may be inadequate, so that the technical problems of extrapolating from data reflecting past experience which may be necessary in working out plans become insoluble. More often than not it is the very complexity of the planning process and the appearance of the complicated tools for their resolution which create difficulties for management.

The nature of the industry may be such that shifting patterns of market demand make production highly uncertain.