MTF Institute professional program
Professional Certificate in Production Planning and Manufacturing Coordination
Build the operating discipline behind a feasible production week: connect authorised demand, material readiness, capacity, takt, connected flow, work-center schedules, constraints, handovers and performance.
Capabilities
Six capabilities for a controlled production-planning cycle
Move from fragmented requests and status messages to one visible, decision-ready operating rhythm.
Demand to plan
Separate firm orders, forecasts and authorised priorities, then place requirements in useful horizons and time buckets.
Materials readiness
Trace component requirements, supplier status and inventory evidence to the first date a shortage can affect production.
Capacity and takt
Compare load with demonstrated capacity and use demand-paced takt to test whether the planned production rate is credible.
Connected flow
Map release, sequence, buffers, starvation and blocking in conveyor-linked or otherwise connected production.
Scheduling and recovery
Build feasible work-center schedules, control daily variance and compare bounded recovery scenarios before impact.
Handovers and performance
Coordinate actionable handovers, controlled schedule versions, planning KPIs and the weekly integrated planning cycle.
Role fit
Built for industrial planners and coordinators who connect the week
The course supports entry and transition into planning while preserving the authority of production, maintenance, engineering, quality, procurement and commercial owners.
Beginning production planner
Build a day-one cadence, vocabulary and artifact set for high-volume industrial planning.
Manufacturing coordinator
Connect shop-floor status, constraints and handovers without taking over specialist authority.
Materials planner
Translate bills of material, inventory, receipts and shortage evidence into schedule-ready decisions.
Scheduling assistant
Develop feasible time-phased and work-center schedules with controlled assumptions and versions.
Operations career mover
Turn production experience into disciplined demand, capacity, flow and performance coordination.
Operating sequence
Follow the schedule from demand signal to performance review
A repeatable sequence keeps assumptions, constraints, decisions and handovers visible.
- Validate demand and planning inputs
- Translate requirements into a controlled plan
- Test material and capacity readiness
- Set takt, pace and connected-flow conditions
- Publish and control a feasible schedule
- Review constraints, handovers and performance
Curriculum
Twenty lessons, each ending in a workplace artifact
Four modules move from demand and inputs through materials, capacity, takt, connected flow, detailed scheduling, recovery, handovers and performance.
Module 1 - From Demand to a Controlled Production Plan
Establish the planner's role, validate inputs and convert approved demand into a time-phased production plan.
01The Production Planner's Operating Cycle
- List the recurring planning moments
- Match each moment to its inputs
- Identify the planner action or decision
- Name the handover or escalation owner
- Set the next review cadence
Deliverable: Responsibility and Operating-Rhythm Map
02Validate Planning Inputs Before Scheduling
- Name the decision the inputs must support
- Record each required input and source time
- Test completeness and internal consistency
- Label facts, assumptions and unknowns
- Route corrections and record readiness
Deliverable: Planning Input Validation Checklist
03Translate Approved Demand into Planning Requirements
- Classify each demand signal
- Confirm quantity, date, priority and source
- Separate requested from committed dates
- Convert demand into time-phased requirements
- Record assumptions and approval needs
Deliverable: Demand-to-Plan Brief
04Set Horizons, Time Buckets and Time Fences
- Define the planning decision
- Choose the total horizon
- Choose useful time buckets
- Set frozen, firm and flexible zones
- Define change rules and review cadence
Deliverable: Planning Horizon and Time-Fence Map
05Build the Time-Phased Production Plan
- Start with approved requirements
- Net known finished-goods availability
- Place required production by period
- Check aggregate material and resource limits
- Publish the controlled plan with assumptions
Deliverable: Time-Phased Production Plan
Module 2 - Materials, Capacity, Takt and Connected Flow
Test whether the plan is executable through material readiness, capacity, production pace and linked-process flow.
06Connect Bills of Material and MRP to the Schedule
- Select the scheduled parent item
- Read the approved product structure
- Apply quantities, timing and yield assumptions
- Reconcile inventory and open supply
- Trace each exception to the affected operation
Deliverable: Material Requirements Trace
07Build a Material-Readiness View
- Define the scheduled demand slice
- Reconcile on-hand, allocations and open supply
- Identify the first unmet requirement
- Classify ready, at risk, constrained or unknown
- Assign an owner and next check
Deliverable: Material-Readiness and Shortage View
08Compare Load with Available Capacity
- Choose the planning resource and period
- Calculate planned load
- Calculate available capacity
- Compare load, capacity and gap
- Document assumptions and decision options
Deliverable: Load-Capacity Comparison
09Use Takt Time and Production Rate in Planning
- Confirm required output and period
- Calculate available production time
- Calculate takt in matching units
- Compare takt with observed cycle and rate data
- State feasibility, assumptions and owner decisions
Deliverable: Takt and Pace Calculation Sheet
10Plan Conveyor-Linked and Connected Production Flow
- Map the linked process sequence
- Mark transfer points and finite buffers
- Identify starvation and blocking conditions
- Estimate schedule and work-in-process effects
- Coordinate the authorized operating response
Deliverable: Connected-Flow Dependency Map
Module 3 - Detailed Scheduling, Daily Control and Recovery
Create an executable detailed schedule, control daily exceptions and coordinate recovery when the plan becomes constrained.
11Create a Feasible Work-Center Schedule
- Select the scheduling horizon and resources
- Load eligible work and due dates
- Apply material, routing and capacity constraints
- Resolve conflicts within delegated rules
- Release the schedule with open exceptions
Deliverable: Feasible Work-Center Schedule
12Sequence Work, Lots and Changeovers
- List eligible jobs and constraints
- Identify sequence-dependent changeovers
- Compare feasible sequence options
- Select and explain the preferred sequence
- Confirm handovers and residual risk
Deliverable: Sequencing and Changeover Worksheet
13Run Daily Production Control
- Freeze the status time
- Compare planned and actual progress
- Prioritize near-term exceptions
- Confirm actions, owners and deadlines
- Publish the current authorized plan
Deliverable: Daily Production Control Board
14Maintain a Production Constraint Log
- Describe the verified constraint
- Quantify the gap and first impact
- Identify dependencies and owner
- Set the decision deadline and next check
- Update status without erasing history
Deliverable: Production Constraint Log
15Develop Recovery Scenarios and Escalate Decisions
- Confirm the current plan and constraint
- Develop permitted options
- Quantify benefits, trade-offs and residual risk
- Recommend a planning path
- Escalate the decision and record the outcome
Deliverable: Recovery Scenario and Escalation Brief
Module 4 - Handovers, Performance and Planning Improvement
Coordinate cross-functional execution, control schedule changes and use performance evidence to improve the planning cycle.
16Make Cross-Functional Handovers Actionable
- Name the affected work and decision
- State facts, source time and assumptions
- Quantify impact and required action
- Assign owner, deadline and next update
- Confirm receipt and record the result
Deliverable: Manufacturing Planning Handover Record
17Control Schedule Changes and Versions
- Capture the change request
- Assess affected work and constraints
- Confirm decision authority
- Update the controlled schedule and reason
- Withdraw superseded views and communicate
Deliverable: Schedule Change Log
18Define Planning Performance Measures
- Name the decision the measure supports
- Define population, formula and time window
- Identify the approved source and owner
- Set interpretation and review rules
- Test the measure on a worked example
Deliverable: Planning KPI Definition Sheet
19Review Variance and Improve Planning Assumptions
- Select a material variance
- Separate fact from interpretation
- Test plausible planning causes
- Assign a corrective planning action
- Verify effect at the next review
Deliverable: Planning Variance Review
20Lead the Weekly Integrated Planning Cycle
- Refresh the demand and status picture
- Test material, capacity and flow feasibility
- Resolve or escalate material exceptions
- Confirm the controlled schedule and handovers
- Record decisions, measures and next review
Deliverable: Weekly Production Planning Pack
Applied Capstone - Restore a Constrained Production Week
Build a Production Week Recovery Plan
Bring the full planning cycle together in one bounded high-volume manufacturing case.
The situation
Northstar Manufacturing faces a component delay, reduced work-center capacity and a late priority change during a high-volume week.
Your request
Show feasible dates and quantities, explicit assumptions, material and capacity effects, a takt and connected-flow check, owned handovers, bounded escalation and the next review point.
People and community
Learn with an international professional education community
Explore the institute's faculty network and connect with the wider ambassador community.
Single enrollment
Start building your production-planning system
Enroll once for the full English-language program: 20 lessons, applied capstone and downloadable career starter pack.
€10
After successful enrollment, you receive an email with course access. If you need help, email welcome@gtf.pt.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Who is this production planning course for?
It is designed for aspiring and newly appointed production planners, manufacturing coordinators, materials planners, scheduling assistants and operational professionals moving into high-volume industrial planning roles. No prior planning job title is required.
What practical work will I complete?
Every lesson produces one reusable planning artifact, from a demand-to-plan brief and material-readiness view to a feasible schedule, constraint log, handover record and weekly planning pack. The capstone combines the methods in one Production Week Recovery Plan.
Does the course cover takt time and conveyor-linked production?
Yes. You will calculate demand-paced takt, compare it with observed cycle and production rates, and map connected-flow dependencies including buffers, starvation and blocking. Instruction stays within production-planning and scheduling decisions.
Does the course teach physical conveyor operation or maintenance?
No. It does not teach physical operation, adjustment, guarding, maintenance, jam clearing or lockout/tagout. Those activities remain with authorised operations, engineering, maintenance and safety roles.
How is AI used in the lessons?
AI is used as a bounded drafting and critique partner with fully populated prompts. Learners verify inputs, calculations, assumptions and authority limits before retaining any output.
What evidence supports the course design?
The curriculum is grounded in original MTF Institute analysis of 103 current United States vacancies, a separate current-practice study and an openly archived research report.
How long does the course take, and what do I receive?
Plan approximately 28 to 40 hours of focused study and practical work within a self-paced one-month window. After completing the required activities and capstone, you receive the named MTF Institute professional course-completion certificate.