What’s it all about then?

As a Planner in a food company you’ll be responsible for ensuring that the correct products are made efficiently and to the right quality, for delivery to customers.

This means you’ll work with a variety of different people from sales through to production in order to construct a suitable production schedule.

You’ll also have to ensure that all of the raw materials are in place for use by your production colleagues in line with your schedules.

In a small company the role of planner might be combined with other functions whilst, in a larger organisation you’ll likely be part of a planning team.

Your ultimate responsibility is achieving and attaining a 100% level of customer service.

What might I be doing?

The exact role of a planner varies but is likely to include the following tasks:

• Constructing daily production schedules for production departments
• Forecasting longer term customer requirements and maintaining a suitable long term forecasting system
• Monitoring production performance to ensure that actual output does not fall behind agreed plan
• Communicating with sales, stores, production, technical departments etc to ensure that all production runs to your plans
• Resolving issues and troubleshooting any problems that may arise due to shortage of materials/labour, machinery breakdown etc.
• Liaising with logistics staff with regard to shipping times
• Briefing senior management on forecasts
• Monitoring any work in progress or previously completed work in order to properly rotate stock and thus minimise waste

What will be expected of me?

The most important part of your role will be the ability to produce accurate schedules for use by your colleagues in the production department – this means you’ll need to be fully up to speed with the production process.

You’ll need to be an excellent communicator so that everyone is aware of what is needed for successful production and also their individual roles in the process.

You’ll also need to ensure that everything is to hand in terms of raw materials and people, or the best laid plans will not succeed.

On top of all this you will need to be able to solve problems quickly and calmly, and make effective decisions.

What can I expect?

You can expect to work a 40 hour week, typically Monday to Friday, although some out of hours’ time might be necessary, either on site or via an emergency call out.

You will be mostly office based although you will likely spend some time on the factory floor monitoring what is happening.

What about the pay?

Planners can earn anywhere between £22,000 and £30,000 depending on location and experience, although a trainee may be paid less.

A senior production planner may earn well in excess of £30,000 per annum.

What qualifications do I need to get in?

There are no set qualifications for a production planner – in many instances planners have previously worked in a production role and so have become well acquainted with factory production systems. Or they may be recent graduate trainees who have been given exposure to a variety of roles.

Additionally many companies looking to recruit planners will stipulate previous experience in a similar role.

What about further training?

You will receive training from your employer, especially if your job entails using a bespoke computer programme unique to your company. This training will usually be delivered via learning from more experienced colleagues.

You could also consider specialised qualifications such as those offered by the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport e.g. Level 5 Award in Supply Chain and Inventory Management.

Experienced planners, with the right qualifications, could think about a promotion to Production Manager; alternatively you might be promoted to a more strategic planning role, rather than day to day operations.

Anything else I might need to know?

Yes, the role of planner is extremely important within any food manufacturing company because the ability to produce a cost effective product will enable your employer to stay ahead of the opposition!

Of course this means that very often you’ll be working in highly pressurised situations so remember to stay calm and think clearly at all times!