{"id":65951,"date":"2023-03-28T14:00:34","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T19:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectmanager.com\/?p=65951"},"modified":"2026-04-27T09:57:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T14:57:05","slug":"manufacturing-process-planning-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectmanager.com\/blog\/manufacturing-process-planning-steps","title":{"rendered":"Process Planning: Steps, Types & Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manufacturers need to have a process by which to make or assemble their products. Before they go into production, therefore, they must engage in what\u2019s called process planning. This is an important step before manufacturing and must be thoroughly understood.<\/p>\n

Learn what process planning is, including why it\u2019s so important and the different types there are. Then find out the steps to process planning and see what a manufacturing process plan is and why it benefits production.<\/p>\n

What Is Process Planning?<\/h2>\n

Process planning is how manufacturers determine the sequence of operations that they\u2019ll take to produce a part or make an assembly leading to the finished goods. When working in a job shop that produces one-of-a-kind products or where the same product is mass-produced, process planning is incredibly important.<\/p>\n

However, all manufacturers benefit from process planning. That\u2019s because process planning is the bridge between product design and product manufacturing. The purpose of process planning is to develop the most efficient sequence of operations. This includes having the right equipment and tools and meeting product requirements and specifications.<\/p>\n

All of this is done to reduce costs and increase productivity. Manufacturers have two ways to achieve these goals; one is manual process planning and the other is using software to aid in process planning.<\/p>\n

ProjectManager<\/a> is award-winning software that helps manufacturers with process planning by using tools such as our award-winning Gantt charts. You can create in-depth project plans that have drag-and-drop scheduling to adjust production timelines in real time. Use the Gantt chart to set milestones, link dependencies and identify the critical path for better execution. It’s never been easier to find the most efficient sequence of operations.\u00a0Get started with ProjectManager today for free.<\/p>\n

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ProjectManager has Gantt charts that can improve production planning processes. Learn more<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Benefits of Process Planning<\/h2>\n

Any kind of planning is always important in manufacturing or, frankly, any industry. You never want to wing it, not when there are money and people\u2019s livelihoods involved. But that\u2019s just a general benefit, there are more specific reasons why manufacturers want to use process planning.<\/p>\n

For one, it helps manufacturers evaluate other ways of operating when it comes to the production of their goods. That way they can look at where they\u2019re maximizing resource utilization<\/a> and how they can better optimize throughput from the start of the production life cycle. In other words, they can better strategize their manufacturing operations to deliver on their goals.<\/p>\n

Process planning also gives manufacturers the flexibility to quickly shift production if they find a better way of doing things, such as increasing production efficiencies. It also helps deliver consistent quality over multiple production lines or plants. That means reducing the time to market, which improves customer satisfaction and retention.<\/p>\n

Types of Process Planning<\/h2>\n

There are three main types of process planning: manual process planning, computer-aided process planning and generative process planning. Let\u2019s take a moment to explore each of these.<\/p>\n

Manual Process Planning<\/h3>\n

Also known as man-variant process planning, this is the most commonly used type of process planning. A process planner will select the combination of processes needed to produce the finished part. These are engineering drawings that define the part requirements and the availability and capabilities of machines and processes. The selection leads to criteria, such as production costs<\/a> or time, machine utilization and routine will also impact the plan. Usually, the criteria are based on a family of parts rather than the processes and machines needed to produce a single part.<\/p>\n

Computer-Aided Process Planning<\/h3>\n

This is a more efficient type of process planning, less tedious and less likely to make mistakes. Automating process planning systems removes the human element in the steps between preparing engineering drawings and finishing the process plan for all manufacturing operations. There still must be human oversight to ensure compatibility with the available processes. Whether to turn, mill or stamp is determined by the product requirements<\/a>, quantities ordered and capabilities of the processes. This still reduces process planning time, and the skills required of a process planner and makes for more consistent and accurate plans that increase productivity and reduce costs.<\/p>\n

Generative Process Planning<\/h3>\n

Generative process planning takes in-process information and uses it to automatically create a process plan for a new component. This information is pulled from manufacturing databases and doesn\u2019t involve much human oversight. After reviewing the design, the operation sequence is automatically produced. Of course, the software must be encoded with knowledge of manufacturing. In fact, machine selection, tool selection, process optimization and more can also be automated by this system. There are hurdles to clear, however, such as transforming component data and decision rules into the system.<\/p>\n

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