Resources must be in the right place at the right time during production. For this to work in practice, forward-looking resource planning is essential. This promotes efficiency, reduces bottlenecks, and boosts business success. We’ll show you how to use resource planning in your business to make the most of your resources.
Contents
- Various Resources
- Resources influence production
- Recording during resource planning
- Levels of resource planning in production
- Resources in Industry 4.0
Various Resources
What exactly counts as a resource? And what exactly does resource planning entail? Resources are means used to achieve specific goals and purposes, such as the production of goods or the provision of services. In economics, resources are divided into intangible and tangible resources.
Intangible assets are not physical; therefore, they cannot be touched. These include services, rights, patents, and consulting services.
Tangible assets, in contrast, are actually visible. These goods or physical assets can be sold or used in the further production process. Examples include various raw materials, production facilities, or office space, as well as tools, computers, and the products that end consumers purchase at the end of the production process.
Raw Materials
Resources also include various raw materials. These can be categorised as renewable and non-renewable raw materials, as well as organic and inorganic raw materials:
Renewable raw materials: These include renewable resources from the animal and plant kingdoms, as well as water, sunlight and air.
Non-renewable raw materials: These include mineral and fossil raw materials such as crude oil and metal ores, which do not regenerate.
Organic raw materials: These originate from living organisms, e.g. plant and animal matter as well as microorganisms.
Inorganic raw materials: These originate from non-living sources, such as minerals, metals, water and gases.
Resource planning in production
Production involves numerous complex processes that depend on various resources. This makes resource planning crucial for the efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness of production. Resource planning is a process in which a company systematically analyzes, plans, and manages its available resources. The goal is to achieve maximum efficiency so that all resources are available at the right time and in the right place. This optimizes production processes, minimizes costs, and helps conserve resources and operate sustainably in the long term.
If a company has a well-functioning resource management system, production bottlenecks are eliminated and resource waste is reduced. This saves unnecessary costs and is also good for the environment.
Resources influence production
In production, both tangible and intangible resources play a significant role. When planning resources for manufacturing, different types of resources must be taken into account.
The various resources in production:
Raw material resources: These form the basis for the production of goods. Raw materials may be of natural origin, such as metals, wood, cereals, chemical compounds (e.g. in the pharmaceutical industry) or meat as an industrially produced raw material for food production.
Workforce resources: These include the workforce employed in production. The skills, qualifications and availability of staff are crucial in planning.
Machinery resources: Production machinery and equipment are essential. The maintenance and availability of this equipment influence production capacity.
Human resources: In addition to the workforce, employees’ expertise and experience are crucial. A well-trained and well-coordinated team enhances efficiency and quality in production.
Tooling resources: Specialised tools and equipment are necessary in many manufacturing processes. The condition and availability of various tools also influence production.
Transport resources: Logistics and the transport of raw materials and finished products require efficient planning and use of resources. In production in particular, it is important that raw materials or product components are in the right place at the right time.
Space resources: Production space in a factory is limited. Optimal use of space helps to increase production capacity.
Recording during resource planning
Successful resource management requires a centralised information source in which all resources and/or project stakeholders are identified, allocated and scheduled. Various tools or spreadsheets support this process. In production, capacity planning complements resource planning. This is because when orders in production change, production itself changes. Planning for machine and human capacity leads to smooth production processes. Process documentation helps to keep track of all production steps. Furthermore, appropriate planning and reliable delivery of the raw materials required for production are essential.
Benefits of resource planning and management
If companies have a clear overview of their own resources, they know exactly where they have been used and where there are still spare resources. This enables rapid rescheduling and gives staff the necessary overview to work effectively and efficiently.
This helps with resource tracking:
- Resource management systems: Modern software solutions help to track and manage resources in real time
- Maintenance schedules: As production machinery forms part of the resources, maintenance schedules are an integral part of resource planning. This is because regular maintenance and repairs of machinery and equipment extend their service life and prevent downtime. A particularly efficient maintenance method is predictive maintenance.
- Inventory management: Close monitoring of stock levels helps to avoid shortages and reduce waste.
Levels of resource planning in production
Resource planning in production comprises three levels: the strategic, tactical and operational levels. The strategic level is responsible for long-term resource planning to achieve the company’s objectives. This includes investments in new machinery, the expansion of production facilities and long-term workforce planning. The tactical level covers medium-term resource planning for projects and production lines, as well as the adjustment of workforce and machine capacities. The operational level deals with short-term planning on a weekly or daily basis. The aim is to allocate resources such as labour, machinery and materials in such a way that daily production requirements are met.
Other areas of resources
The following planning processes support resource allocation in production:
Material requirements planning: The management of raw material resources involves monitoring stock levels, ordering raw materials, managing inventory, and preventing shortages or excess stock.
Staff planning: Staff allocation, shift planning and employee training form part of resource planning at the human resources level.
Machinery and plant planning: The availability, maintenance and efficient repair planning of machinery and plant in production are necessary for optimal production capacity utilisation.
Financial planning: Financial resource planning involves allocating budgets for various production activities, investments in new technologies or resources, and cost control.
Quality management: Ensuring product quality through quality management using appropriate software supports resource planning and ensures that necessary quality checks and measures are carried out. Inspection systems or dynamic inspection trolleys within production assist with this.
Resources in Industry 4.0
Digital transformation and Industry 4.0 are transforming manufacturing and, consequently, the way resources are managed. Connected smart factories collect vast amounts of data during the manufacturing process. By analysing this data, companies gain a data-driven basis for resource planning – in real time. This enables the optimal allocation of materials, machinery and personnel. Resource planning, when combined with Industry 4.0, therefore further enhances resource efficiency.
FAQ
What types of resources are relevant in production processes?
Various resources are involved in production processes. These include raw materials, machinery, tools, labour, as well as expertise and financial resources for investment.
How do technological resources affect modern production processes?
Production processes have been transformed by technological advancements. Technologies such as automation, robotics, IIoT and AI enable real-time monitoring and improved process optimisation, which has a long-term impact on production efficiency.
What innovative approaches are there for improving resource efficiency in production?
One example is Industry 4.0. Connected production facilities enable data analysis and simulations of material and energy flows. This allows for a more efficient use of resources based on real-time data from the company’s own production processes.
Leave a comment