Produktionssteuerung
Also: Fertigungssteuerung, Shopfloor-Steuerung, Produktionssteuerung Fertigung, Production Control, Auftragssteuerung Fertigung
AI-generated
Production control refers to the operational management of active manufacturing orders, ensuring that planning and actual production processes remain aligned despite disruptions, bottlenecks, and material variances.
Key facts
- Production control operationally executes planned manufacturing orders and responds in real time to disruptions, bottlenecks, and material variances.
- It encompasses order release, sequencing, prioritization, feedback capture, and shortage management.
- Short-notice changes in production control have a direct impact on material provisioning, intralogistics, and — in the case of urgent procurement — purchasing as well.
- The quality of control depends significantly on the availability of current shop floor data and clearly defined responsibilities.
- Production control is operational and short-term in nature, which fundamentally distinguishes it from tactical and strategic production planning.
What is production control?
Production control is the operational link between tactical production planning and what actually happens on the shop floor. While planning defines what should be produced, when, and in what quantities, control ensures that these specifications are implemented under real-world conditions. This includes releasing manufacturing orders, determining processing sequences, prioritizing during bottlenecks, and capturing and evaluating feedback from production. Production control thus responds immediately to disruptions such as machine failures, missing parts, or short-notice capacity changes.
How does production control work in practice?
In day-to-day operations, production control relies on real-time data from Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), shop floor data collection terminals, or directly networked machines. Based on this data, orders are released or held back, priorities are adjusted, and capacities are rescheduled. A key instrument is shortage management: as soon as materials are not available on time, control must coordinate alternatives — for example, by resequencing orders, submitting express requests to intralogistics, or notifying procurement for short-notice sourcing.
Coordination with intralogistics is particularly critical in this context. Changes in the production sequence frequently trigger adjustments to material provisioning, picking, and transport schedules. Without tight data integration between production control and the warehouse management system, idle times or material backlogs arise. Many companies rely on bidirectional interfaces between MES and WMS or ERP, though the specific degree of integration varies greatly depending on the system environment in question.
What matters when selecting and designing a solution?
Several aspects are decisive when designing production control:
- Data availability: Only current and complete shop floor data enables well-founded control decisions. Media breaks between machines, MES, and ERP significantly increase the risk of errors.
- Clear responsibilities: Who decides in the event of prioritization conflicts — production management, scheduling, or sales? Unclear accountability leads to delays and duplicated effort.
- Degree of automation: Simple rule sets such as FIFO or priority flags can be automated effectively. Complex bottleneck situations often require human decision-making or AI-assisted optimization methods, whose maturity and suitability vary depending on the vendor.
- Interfaces to logistics: Production control should report short-notice changes to intralogistics early and in a structured manner, so that provisioning and outbound transport can be adjusted accordingly.
The boundary between production planning and production control is fluid but important: planning is tactical and looks weeks or months ahead, while control is operational and responds on an hourly or shift-by-shift basis.
Related terms
- Auftragsabwicklung
Order fulfillment refers to the complete process from receiving a customer order through to its successful delivery and invoicing. It encompasses all operational and administrative steps required to fulfill an order on time and without errors.
- Auftragsdurchlaufzeit
Order throughput time refers to the total time from the receipt of an order to its dispatch to the recipient. It encompasses all waiting, processing, and internal transport steps, and serves as a key indicator of the performance of a warehouse or fulfillment process.
- Auftragsfertigung
Make-to-order refers to a production model in which the manufacture of a product does not begin until a specific customer order has been received. Unlike make-to-stock production, goods are produced individually for each customer and demand-driven.
- Auftragsmanagement
Order management refers to the systematic control and monitoring of orders throughout their entire lifecycle – from capture through prioritization and status tracking to completion. It forms the operational link between sales, logistics, purchasing, and IT.
- BDE-System
A BDE system (operational data collection system) captures machine and manual process data in real time directly at the source – such as at machines, conveyor systems, or workstations.
- BDE-Terminals
BDE terminals are stationary or mobile devices used for operational data capture, enabling employees at workstations, machines, or warehouse areas to digitally record process, time, and quantity data directly at the point of origin.
- Bedarfsplanung
Demand planning refers to the systematic process by which a company determines what quantities of materials, goods, or resources are needed and when. It forms the foundation for inventory management, procurement, and warehouse planning.
- Bottleneck Analyse
Bottleneck analysis identifies the process step with the lowest capacity in a logistics system, making the limiting factor for overall throughput visible.
- Disposition
Disposition refers to the operational planning and control of resources, quantities, and orders in logistics – for example in transport or materials disposition. It encompasses capacity assignment, scheduling, prioritization, and response to disruptions.
- Dispositionssoftware
Dispatching software is a software solution for the operational planning, control, and optimization of transports, routes, and resources in logistics. It helps dispatchers efficiently coordinate orders, capacities, and time windows.