Gestão da produção

Production Planning & Control, Vol. 16, No. 7, October 2005, 634–651

Stumbling blocks of PPC: Towards the holistic configuration of PPC systems
H.-H. WIENDAHL*y, G. VON CIEMINSKIz and H.-P. WIENDAHLz yInstitute of Manufacturing and Management (IFF), University of Stuttgart, Nobelstrasse 12, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany zInstitute of Production Systems and Logistics (IFA), University of Hannover, Schonebecker Allee 2, 30823 Garbsen, Germany ¨

Manufacturing companies often complain about the difficulties they face in meeting their customers’ logistic requirements. Many blame the perceived inadequacies of their production planning and control (PPC) software for their performance deficits. The paper illustrates why this is only a partial view of the causes of the shortcomings. PPC software is just one of six configuration aspects of the entire PPC system. The authors argue that the configuration of the PPC aspects objectives, processes, objects, functions, responsibilities and tools has to be carried out methodically and consistently in order for the PPC system to function properly. The analysis of examples of so-called ‘stumbling blocks’ of PPC, inadequate configurations of one or several of the aspects, supports this claim. The paper closes with the proposal of a checklist that the authors suggest as a first approach to ensure the consistent configuration of PPC systems. Keywords: Production planning and control systems; Configuration aspects of PPC systems; Stumbling blocks; Configuration and operation of PPC systems; Actors in PPC

1. Introduction It is almost 30 years since Orlicky (1975) first described the material requirements planning (MRP I) algorithm. To this day the algorithm remains the kernel of many production planning and control (PPC) systems. Despite 30 years of progress in PPC theory and practice, and the definition of additional key functions, a large number of manufacturing companies remain unsatisfied with the degree of fulfilment of their logistic