What will you do?
Working as a planner in industrial production, sometimes called a production flow manager or scheduler, you assess whether an order is feasible, determine the capacity of the production means and set production flows and lead times. You draw up production programmes, follow up manufacturing orders and check that quality procedures are applied. In Vlaanderen this is an administrative and organisational role within industry that keeps the whole production line running smoothly.
- Assess whether an order is feasible
- Determine the capacity of the production means
- Set production flows and lead times
- Draw up production schedules and programmes
- Follow up manufacturing orders
- Check that quality procedures are applied
- Hold multidisciplinary consultations
Skills to develop
- Strong planning and organisational skills
- Insight into production processes and capacity
- Comfort with planning and ERP software
- Clear communication across departments
- Attention to quality procedures and deadlines
Your foundation for this occupation
Connect customer demand with capacity, materials and lead time. Production schedules must account for changeovers and operation dependencies.
From preparation to your first day
Develop the practical skills
Schedule an order through several workstations, then add an urgent order. Compare impacts on delivery, inventory and machine utilisation.
Check your work
Check material availability and progress before releasing schedules. Discuss deviations with production and purchasing using shared information.
How can you grow?
Progress into capacity planning, supply-chain planning or process improvement as you master demand-to-execution relationships.
Frequently asked questions
Why not keep every machine fully scheduled?
A busy machine may generate work in progress while the true bottleneck is elsewhere. Plan for overall flow and reliable delivery, not just local utilisation.