Analysis and improvement of the production planning at Willo AB : Through development of a classification model

• Main Author: Sannéus, David
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Linköpings universitet, Produktionsekonomi 2015
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-130990

Background and problem description: Companies in the manufacturing industry always strive to find ways to improve. One of the main areas for improvements is the process of planning the production. Willo AB is a family owned subcontractor located in Växjö, Sweden, who specializes in producing precision parts. Willo has grown over the last years and now fears the present procedures and personnel are in need for additionally support to perform the production planning in a sufficiently good way. High importance is therefore set in structuring a clear process to facilitate the future planning, with the use of product groups and classifications. Purpose and research objectives: Study how the current production planning process is conducted at Willo, to map and suggest future improvements. The goal is to develop and present a method for classifying products into different groups. The classifications should facilitate an easier and faster production planning process that can handle more products in the future. 1. Initially map the planning process and identify processes that influence the production plan at Willo. 2. Analyse the identified differences between Willo’s planning focus and time horizons to theoretical literature. 3. Develop a method for classifying products into different groups, which can be used for production planning purposes. 4. Suggest future improvements to Willo with foundation from the presented classification method and identified differences to the literature. Methodology: Four phases divides the study; planning phase, data collection phase, analysis phase, and conclusion and recommendations phase. The planning phase consists of a background together with the purpose and goal for the study. Data collection phase include the case study about production planning at Willo and the literature study. The planning at Willo has been studied by using interviews, observations, and internal documents. The analysis phase incorporates the study where Willo’s production planning is compared to the theoretical framework. The analysis led to recommendations to Willo and a further development of some of the suggested improvements presented in the last phase. Conclusions: Willo’s production planning process has been described in a process map where potential improvements have been highlighted. Other suggested improvements regarding the operational organization have further been identified and discussed. Development of a classification model has been made, which enable product groups to be formed according to manufactural specifications. Willo can use this model to support decision making during the production planning process, were the new information can facilitate an easier and faster process that can handles more products in the future.