Central Planning and Production Scheduling

The Central Planning and Production Scheduling training course in Dubai is a practical three-day, 18-hour program for manufacturing professionals who plan, schedule, and deliver production. It follows the complete planning cycle, from demand forecasting and monthly Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) through the Master Production Schedule (MPS), Material Requirements Planning (MRP), capacity planning, and daily line sequencing.

The course is built around the internationally recognized ASCM CPIM body of knowledge. Every major planning step is practised with realistic manufacturing data and an Excel planning workbook, so participants leave able to build plans that are both achievable on the shop floor and aligned with customer demand.

Why Central Planning Matters in Manufacturing

When planning is weak, manufacturers see the same problems again and again: missed delivery dates, material shortages, overloaded bottleneck lines, excessive changeovers, and maintenance that clashes with production. Each of these costs money and damages customer trust.

A structured central planning process connects sales, production, supply chain, and maintenance around one agreed plan. It helps organizations improve on-time-in-full (OTIF) delivery, raise equipment effectiveness, reduce inventory, and respond faster when demand or capacity changes.

Who Should Attend This Production Planning Course

This production planning training is designed for professionals who create, use, or depend on the production plan, including:

• Industrial engineers and planners working in central planning roles
• Production and supply chain professionals involved in planning and execution
• Sales and operations staff who work with the production plan

Key Learning Outcomes

The course focuses on practical planning skills that can be applied immediately in a manufacturing environment. By the end of the program, participants will be able to:

• Translate demand forecasts into a feasible monthly S&OP plan.
• Develop a Master Production Schedule (MPS) and material plan.
• Assess line capacity and resolve overloads on bottleneck lines.
• Sequence production to reduce changeovers and downtime.
• Track planning and production performance using OTIF, schedule adherence, and OEE.
• Coordinate planning decisions with production and maintenance requirements.

Program at a Glance

The three days follow the natural flow of manufacturing planning, moving from long-range demand and S&OP to detailed schedules and daily execution.

Day 1: Planning Foundations, Demand Management, and S&OP

Day 1 establishes how central planning fits into manufacturing operations. Participants map the planning hierarchy, analyze demand data to build a forecast, and then develop a feasible monthly S&OP plan that balances demand, inventory, and capacity.

Module 1: Planning Hierarchy and Production Environment

• The role of central planning in manufacturing operations
• Planning hierarchy and planning horizons
• The link between demand, production, materials, and capacity
• Production environments and operational constraints
• Interfaces between planning, production, supply chain, and sales

Practical exercise: Map the planning hierarchy and identify key inputs, outputs, and constraints.

Module 2: Demand Management and Forecasting

• Demand management fundamentals
• Demand signals and forecast inputs
• Forecasting concepts
• Demand variability and its impact on production
• Translating demand information into production requirements

Practical exercise: Analyze demand data and develop a planning forecast.

Module 3: Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP)

• The purpose and role of S&OP
• Connecting demand and supply
• Developing a feasible monthly production plan
• Balancing demand, inventory, and capacity
• Identifying supply and demand gaps
• Resolving planning constraints
• Communicating and aligning the agreed plan

Practical exercise: Build a monthly S&OP plan using a realistic manufacturing scenario and resolve the constraints identified.

Day 2: Master Production Scheduling, MRP, and Capacity Planning

Day 2 turns the agreed S&OP plan into an executable schedule. Participants build a Master Production Schedule, test customer orders against it, calculate material requirements in an Excel MRP workbook, and identify and fix capacity overloads on bottleneck lines.

Module 4: Master Production Schedule and Order Promising

• The purpose and role of the MPS
• Translating S&OP into an executable production schedule
• MPS planning horizons and time buckets
• Production quantities and timing
• Order promising
• Managing priorities and changes

Practical exercise: Develop an MPS from the S&OP plan and test customer requirements against available capacity.

Module 5: Material Requirements Planning (MRP)

• MRP fundamentals and planning logic
• Demand, inventory, and supply inputs
• Bills of material and planning parameters
• Net requirements and planned orders
• Timing material requirements
• Identifying material shortages and exceptions

Practical exercise: Use an Excel-based planning workbook to identify shortages and develop planned orders.

Module 6: Capacity Planning

• Available versus required capacity
• Line and work-center capacity
• Identifying bottlenecks
• Capacity overloads and underutilization
• Resolving capacity constraints
• Aligning production requirements with available resources

Practical exercise: Calculate capacity requirements, identify bottleneck overloads, and develop corrective actions.

Day 3: Production Sequencing, Planning KPIs, and Capstone Case Study

Day 3 focuses on execution and performance. Participants create daily production sequences that minimize changeovers, measure results with OTIF, schedule adherence, and OEE, build planned maintenance into the schedule, and then apply the full planning cycle in an integrated capstone case study.

Module 7: Production Sequencing and Campaign Planning

• From production planning to daily line scheduling
• Production sequencing principles
• Campaign planning
• Changeover reduction
• Minimizing downtime and disruption
• Balancing priorities and operational constraints

Practical exercise: Create a daily production sequence and compare alternatives based on changeovers and downtime.

Module 8: Planning KPIs and Maintenance Coordination

• OTIF and customer-service performance
• Schedule adherence
• Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
• Planning and production performance gaps
• Maintenance coordination
• Incorporating planned maintenance into the production schedule

Practical exercise: Calculate key KPIs and adjust the production plan to accommodate maintenance requirements.

Module 9: Integrated Capstone Case Study

Participants work through an integrated manufacturing planning case that follows the full cycle: Demand → S&OP → MPS → MRP → Capacity → Sequencing → Execution and Performance. Working in teams, participants:

• Review demand and planning information
• Develop a feasible S&OP plan
• Build the MPS and the material plan
• Check capacity and identify bottlenecks
• Resolve production constraints
• Sequence production and incorporate maintenance requirements
• Calculate key planning KPIs
• Present the final planning solution

Training Methodology and Materials

The program uses a hands-on, application-focused approach. Short concept sessions are followed immediately by practice, so participants work through each major planning step using realistic planning and manufacturing data.

Training methods

• Short concept sessions
• Excel-based planning exercises
• Manufacturing scenarios
• Role-plays
• Team planning activities
• Integrated capstone case study

Course materials

• Participant slide deck
• Excel planning workbook
• Case study pack

Assessment and Certificate

Learning is measured before and after the course to show clear progress. Participants are assessed through:

• A pre-course knowledge test
• A post-course knowledge test
• Performance in the capstone case study
• The capstone presentation

A certificate of completion is issued on completing the program.