Planners ensure that products are made efficiently and timely.
In many firms, the Planner must provide instructions and authorization before production can begin. Duties for Production Planners vary with the size of the firm, type of product, and employer policy. Planners may work with the sales, cost accounting, and purchasing and manufacturing department staffs to develop sales forecasts, which are used to estimate how many items must be manufactured. Planners forecast production for the entire business units, specific programs or jobs, and for each department from the sales forecasts. After sales and production are predicted, Planners draw up master schedules that establish time limits and sequences of manufacturing operations.