Establishing Priorities…

By Sylvie Lemieux

On a daily basis, the production planning coordinator is responsible for the production plans and schedules. This individual is responsible for preparing these in accordance with orders received. He or she conducts the necessary follow-up and if needed, revises plans to adapt to new situations. The production planning coordinator supervises the production progress in the clean room, and regularly visits the technicians and operators entrusted with production and the Bragg networks, speaking with them to ensure that operations are running smoothly. At the same time, this individual must make sure personnel observe the dress code in effect for accessing the clean room and respect the work methods.

If a problem arises, the production planning coordinator must quickly analyze the situation so as to avoid production delays and manufacturing defects. Depending on the situation, he or she then applies the identified solution or calls on the expertise of the R&D specialist.

The coordinator does not only plan the work on a daily basis. He or she conducts analyses used to establish projections for different aspects of production, collects data and determines production capacity by evaluating the volume on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

Inventory management is another activity added to these planning tasks. To prevent production stoppages, the coordinator must ensure that all the necessary parts are on hand, and establishes purchasing forecasts based on the order book. This individual contacts the different suppliers, negotiates the best price and sets the delivery date. Next, he or she completes the material requisition and sends it to the senior buyer so that this individual can proceed to purchase the necessary parts and components in accordance with the conditions previously established with the supplier. When the order is received, the production planning coordinator inspects the material for a break or for defective operation. He or she stores the parts and components in a specially-reserved space.

The incumbent of this position works closely with the production manager for whom he or she drafts different analysis and projections reports. The production manager must be kept abreast of any changes to the delivery schedules.

Forget about routine

A production planning coordinator has no concept of routine. He or she must demonstrate a heightened ability to adapt to change. In addition, he or she has an innate ability to organize and plan. This individual is not afraid of problems. He or she has a heightened analytical spirit and keen sense of initiative, useful troubleshooting skills and the capacity to find solutions. It goes without saying that the coordinator must have a sound knowledge of products and processes used in manufacturing, and be very conscientious about quality. In addition, this individual must be a skilled mathematician.

The production planning coordinator's work demands interaction with the production team and with the personnel from different departments. Similar to any effective communicator, he or she knows how to listen to colleagues, which makes team relationships easier. The fact that he or she must produce different documents requires excellent writing skills. The computer is one of the main tools often used by this individual, and therefore, knowledge of software applications is essential. Lastly, this individual communicates both in French and in English.

To work in a coordinator position, the candidate must have a curriculum vitae indicating college training in production management. Moreover, this individual must be knowledgeable in the realm of production techniques and processes in the optics-photonics industry. This individual must also have eight to ten years of experience in this field or in a related field such as the aerospace industry.