Essential Manufacturing

23Production Control

23.1 Introduction

Having considered the techniques used for planning a production system, we now need to examine how this production can be controlled. Strictly speaking, the problems and techniques discussed here include planning as well as control; however, we use the term ‘production control’ to emphasise that it is the ongoing operation we are considering rather than ‘one off’ planning activities. This chapter concerns itself not only with the control of the flow of work and material through a factory but also with aspects of planning that are necessary for overall control on an ongoing basis. Other chapters will deal with the control of quality, costs and labour.

It should be noted that the content of this chapter, and indeed much of this section of the book, is part of the domain of ‘Production and Operations Management’ (POM). The principles and techniques of POM can be applied to almost any organised human activity, for example, the planning and control of a hospital, fast food chain, air terminal or manufacturing plant.

Efficient management of any operation demands a constant supply of up‐to‐date information; the means by which this is obtained is often termed a ‘Management Information System’ or MIS. Within any company today computers permeate the fabric of the organisation. It is through the use of these computers that MISs have gained the ability to become proficient at providing topical information when needed. This allows management to monitor ...