The Role of the Master Scheduler vs. Management in Creating the Master Production Schedule (MPS)

The Master Production Schedule (MPS) is the cornerstone of production planning in any manufacturing organization, determining what products will be produced, when, and in what quantities. Developing an accurate and effective MPS requires close collaboration between the master scheduler and management, with each playing distinct yet complementary roles. This article explores these responsibilities in greater detail, highlighting how both roles contribute to the successful creation and maintenance of the MPS.

The Role of the Master Scheduler

The master scheduler is integral to ensuring that the MPS is not only feasible but also aligned with the operational capacities of the manufacturing process. The scheduler’s responsibilities are extensive and cover a wide range of tasks from the disaggregation of the production plan to ongoing adjustments and execution. The master scheduler’s key duties include:

1. Disaggregating the Production Plan: The master scheduler takes the high-level production plan and breaks it down into detailed, actionable schedules, ensuring that the right quantities are produced at the right times. This involves interpreting demand forecasts, sales orders, and production capacity to develop an achievable schedule.
2. Maintaining and Updating MPS Records: The scheduler is responsible for regularly maintaining and updating MPS records to reflect any changes in demand, production rates, or resources. This ensures that the schedule remains accurate and adaptable to shifting conditions.
3. Resolving Trade-offs: The master scheduler is often called upon to resolve trade-offs between conflicting priorities. For instance, if there is a production delay, the scheduler may need to prioritize certain orders over others, balancing the capacity constraints and customer expectations.
4. Monitoring Execution: Once the MPS is established, the master scheduler continuously monitors the execution of the schedule, ensuring that production processes are on track and identifying potential disruptions before they escalate.
5. Reconciling the MPS: The scheduler ensures that the MPS is reconciled regularly with actual production output. This involves comparing the planned production against what was achieved, making adjustments to future schedules to correct any discrepancies.
6. Launching the Final Assembly Schedule: After the individual production schedules are created, the master scheduler finalizes the assembly sequence, ensuring that all components are produced and ready for assembly when needed.
7. Reviewing and Maintaining Change Requests: The scheduler evaluates and incorporates any changes to the schedule based on new customer orders, demand fluctuations, or unforeseen disruptions. They ensure that change requests are reviewed and processed in a timely manner to avoid production delays.

The Role of Management

While the master scheduler focuses on the tactical execution of the MPS, management’s role is more strategic, ensuring that the MPS aligns with broader business objectives. Management is responsible for overseeing the entire production planning process, making high-level decisions that shape the schedule and resolve conflicts. The key responsibilities of management include:

1. Resolving Issues at the Pre-S&OP Meeting: Management plays a crucial role in addressing most of the operational issues during the pre-Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) meeting. They ensure that production and procurement challenges are resolved before they impact the MPS, providing strategic direction on how to adjust priorities.
2. Consolidating Executive Issues: At the executive level, management consolidates issues from various departments (such as production, procurement, and sales), making decisions on how to authorize changes in the MPS. They approve any necessary adjustments to the schedule, ensuring alignment with strategic goals.
3. Adjusting the Sales and Operations Plan (S&OP): Management oversees the adjustment of the S&OP to ensure that production targets remain on track. They make key decisions to balance supply and demand, ensuring that production schedules are aligned with market conditions.
4. Customer Service Performance: Management evaluates the MPS’s impact on customer service levels, ensuring that customer orders are fulfilled on time. They monitor KPIs such as on-time delivery and work with the master scheduler to address any issues that may hinder customer satisfaction.
5. New Product Introduction: Management ensures that new product introductions are factored into the MPS. They allocate resources and adjust the schedule to ensure that new products are produced and launched on time, without disrupting existing production lines.
6. Managing Special Projects: Management oversees special projects that may affect the MPS, such as capacity expansions, new product development, or process improvements. They allocate resources and adjust the schedule to accommodate these initiatives.
7. Enforcing Time Fence Policies: Management is responsible for enforcing time fence policies, which define the boundaries for making changes to the MPS. They ensure that changes are made within the appropriate time windows and that production schedules remain stable.

Comparison of Roles: Master Scheduler vs. Management

The table below summarizes the key differences between the master scheduler’s role and management’s role in creating the MPS:

Conclusion

The creation and management of the Master Production Schedule require seamless collaboration between the master scheduler and management. While the master scheduler focuses on the detailed execution and day-to-day adjustments needed to keep production on track, management ensures that the MPS aligns with the company’s long-term strategic goals and market needs. Together, they create an MPS that balances capacity, demand, and operational efficiency, contributing to the overall success of the business.