Profession food production planner

Food production planners prepare production plans, evaluate all the variables in the process and strive to ensure that production objectives be achieved.

Personality Type

• Enterprising / Realistic

Knowledge

• Food legislation

  Legislation related to the food and feed industry including food manufacturing, hygiene, safety, raw materials, additives, GMOs, labelling, environmental and trade regulations.

• Quality assurance methodologies

  Quality assurance principles, standard requirements, and the set of processes and activities used for measuring, controlling and ensuring the quality of products and processes.

• Statistics

  The study of statistical theory, methods and practices such as collection, organisation, analysis, interpretation and presentation of data. It deals with all aspects of data including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments in order to forecast and plan work-related activities.

Skills

• Apply requirements concerning manufacturing of food and beverages

  Apply and follow national, international, and internal requirements quoted in standards, regulations and other specifications related with manufacturing of food and beverages.

• Enhance production workflow

  Enhance the product workflow by analysing and developing logistics plans that impact production as well as distribution.

• Give instructions to staff

  Give instructions to subordinates by employing various communication techniques. Adjust communication style to the target audience in order to convey instructions as intended.

• Detect bottlenecks

  Identify bottlenecks in the supply chain.

• Apply control process statistical methods

  Apply statistical methods from Design of Experiments (DOE) and Statistical Process Control (SPC) in order to control manufacturing processes.

• Ensure cost efficiency in food manufacturing

  Ensure that the whole process of food manufacturing from receipt of raw materials, production, to food manufacturing and packaging processes is cost-effective and efficient.

• Implement short term objectives

  Define priorities and immediate actions for the short future.

• Support management of raw materials

  Support management of raw materials and plants required by the department for production. Oversee the needs for material and notify when stock levels reach re-order levels.

• Create food production plan

  Delivers the production plan within agreed budgetary and service levels.

• Control of expenses

  Monitoring and maintaining effective cost controls, in regards to efficiencies, waste, overtime and staffing. Assessing excesses and strives for efficiency and productivity.

• Apply GMP

  Apply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

• Adapt production levels

  Adapt current production levels and strive to improve the current production rates looking for economic gains and margins. Negotiate improvement with sales, dispatch and distribution departments.

• Maintain updated professional knowledge

  Regularly attend educational workshops, read professional publications, actively participate in professional societies.

• Disaggregate the production plan

  Split production plan in daily, weekly, and monthly plans with clear objectives and targets required.

• Apply HACCP

  Apply regulations regarding manufacture of food and food safety compliance. Employ food safety procedures based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP).

• Keep up with innovations in food manufacturing

  Latest innovative products and technologies to process, preserve, package and improve food products.

• Monitor ingredient storage

  Monitor ingredient storage and expiry dates via weekly reporting leading to good stock rotation and reduction of waste.

• Analyse production processes for improvement

  Analyse production processes leading toward improvement. Analyse in order to reduce production losses and overall manufacturing costs.

• Meet productivity targets

  Devise methods to determine improvement in productivity, adjusting the goals to be reached and the necessary time and resources.

• Schedule regular machine maintenance

  Schedule and perform regular maintenance, cleaning, and repairs of all equipment. Order necessary machine parts and upgrade equipment when necessary to ensure optimal performance.

• Communicate production plan

  Communicates production plan to all levels in a way that targets, processes, and requirements are clear. Ensures that information is passed to everyone involved in the process assuming their responsibility for overall success.

• Manage backlogs

  Manage work control status and backlogs to ensure completion of work orders.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB