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Production Planning in Mechanical Engineering

In many small and medium-sized mechanical engineering companies, production structures have evolved over the years. Processes have been expanded, adapted, and refined in a pragmatic manner. Production planning in the mechanical engineering industry is often carried out using Excel, supplemented by experience and direct coordination with the shop floor.

However, as the variety of variants increases, batch sizes shrink, and interdependencies between manufacturing, assembly, and material procurement grow, the organizational burden also increases. Delivery deadlines are not met, changes to plans have a greater impact, and transparency regarding these interrelationships decreases.

SDZ helps small and medium-sized mechanical engineering companies—such as machine tool manufacturers, special-purpose machine manufacturers, and contract manufacturers—to digitally map their existing production planning and make it more predictable—without having to redefine or change their workflows.

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When Excel reaches its limits

Excel is the primary tool for production planning and manufacturing control in many small and medium-sized mechanical engineering companies. It works reliably during periods of low capacity utilization. However, when orders are rescheduled, urgent tasks come up, materials are missing, or tools break down, it’s easy to lose track of things in your spreadsheets.

As complexity increases, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep track of the interactions between work processes, capacities, and material supply. Changes to plans have knock-on effects that are not immediately apparent. The effort required for coordination increases, and deadlines are not met.
The challenge here lies not in the planning system itself, but in the increasing dynamics of production planning.

Digitize production planning – with PPSimple

PPSimple was developed specifically for small and medium-sized mechanical engineering companies where production planning has traditionally been organized primarily using Excel and paper documents.

The software supports daily production planning and provides an overview of orders, capacities, and deadlines.
In day-to-day operations, this means:

  • Orders and work steps are mapped in a traceable manner
  • Capacities are presented transparently
  • The effects of plan changes become immediately apparent
  • Bottlenecks can be identified early on

The implementation does not involve a large-scale IT project. PPSimple does not replace an ERP system, but rather complements the existing system landscape at the planning level—where daily scheduling and prioritization take place.

The existing production organization will retain its current structure. The goal is to improve clarity and traceability in operational planning and to make production control more robust.

Discuss production planning with PPSimple

Strategically support production planning

Simulation, Digital Twins, and AI in Mechanical Engineering

In addition to operational production planning, mechanical engineering constantly requires spontaneous decisions.
This involves, among other things, the following issues:

  • What structural measure makes sense?
  • Where is the actual bottleneck?
  • Which investment leads to a measurable improvement?

Simulation, digital twins, and AI-supported analytical methods are available to provide a methodological basis for such decisions. Production systems can be modeled virtually, scenarios can be systematically compared, and real process data can be incorporated into the evaluation. The effects on capacity utilization, lead times, and deadlines become apparent and quantifiable.

Simulation in Production Planning

Simulation replicates real-world production processes in a virtual model. This allows for an objective analysis of planning and design options.

Specifically, the following effects, among others, can be examined:

  • Changes in lead times as order volumes increase
  • Actual bottleneck resources in the system
  • Impact of product variants and small batch sizes on delivery dates
  • Impact of planned capacity or structural measures

Simulation not only reveals bottlenecks but also their causes. This provides a methodological basis for decision-making.

Digital twins in manufacturing

Digital twins expand simulation models into a continuously usable, data-driven representation of the real production system.

Changes can be tested virtually before they are implemented in actual operations. This ensures ongoing transparency regarding capacity utilization and process interdependencies.

AI in production planning

Artificial intelligence opens up new possibilities for analyzing complex process data. AI-powered methods can identify patterns, evaluate scenarios more quickly, and systematically prioritize decision options.

AI complements simulation and digital twins as an analytical extension—but it does not replace methodical planning.

Production logistics in mechanical engineering

Analyzing material flow in established structures

Production planning and material flow are closely linked. Logistics structures in many small and medium-sized mechanical engineering companies have also evolved over the years.

Schedule deviations often arise from the interaction between production and material supply.

SDZ takes a holistic approach to production planning and production logistics—based on existing processes. The goal is to map out material flows and identify realistic measures before making decisions about investments in automation or digitalization.

SDZ’s services in mechanical engineering

For over 40 years, SDZ has been supporting industrial companies with complex planning and simulation tasks.

Successful projects – satisfied customers

Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about yard and internal transport operations simulation:

Realistic delivery dates are achieved through transparency regarding capacity and dependencies. Digital production planning makes it clear which resources are available and how changes to the schedule affect downstream processes. This allows for reliable scheduling based on existing structures—without fundamentally changing the production organization.

Small batch sizes and a wide variety of variants increase the complexity of production planning. It is therefore crucial to fully map out work steps, capacities, and their interactions digitally.
Simulation also makes it possible to evaluate different sequences or capacity configurations. This makes planning transparent and stable—even with high variability.

Engpässe entstehen oft durch das Zusammenspiel mehrerer Ressourcen. Simulation und Digitale Zwillinge analysieren diese Zusammenhänge und machen Auslastung sowie Terminwirkungen transparent. So werden Engpassursachen identifiziert, bevor sie im operativen Betrieb zu Terminabweichungen führen.

Simulation is useful when structural decisions need to be made or when there is uncertainty about the impact of measures to improve production.
Investments, capacity adjustments, or automation can be evaluated virtually. This provides a methodological basis for decision-making.

Larger orders or last-minute changes affect multiple areas. Digital production planning immediately highlights these effects.
Simulation makes it possible to compare alternative scenarios and make a sound decision.

No. With PPSimple, there is no need to change existing business processes. The software primarily digitizes overview lists and order documents.
Implementation can be carried out without external consultants, requires only minimal coordination, and typically takes just a few days.

An important factor is acceptance by the employees who work with production planning on a daily basis. If the software’s interface resembles their familiar way of working, the transition is much easier for employees.
A clear and intuitive interface facilitates implementation and ensures that the software is actually used in day-to-day work.

Production planning software provides an up-to-date overview of the status of production orders. At a glance, you can see whether deadlines can be met or whether adjustments are necessary.
The overview of resource utilization shows where there is available capacity and where bottlenecks may arise. This allows issues to be identified more quickly and reduces the need for coordination.

ERP and MES systems typically map out comprehensive business or production management processes. PPSimple, on the other hand, focuses specifically on operational production planning.
The software complements existing systems and provides transparency regarding orders, capacities, and deadlines—without the need for extensive IT projects or changes to the existing system landscape.

PPSimple was developed specifically for small and medium-sized manufacturing companies. The solution is particularly well-suited for companies where production planning has traditionally been managed primarily using Excel.
The software brings transparency to the planning process and supports structured production control without the need for complex system implementations or large-scale IT projects.

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