Planning for Production - Allocation of Resources

Understanding Resources

Resources in the context of production refer to factors which contribute towards product creation. These can include raw materials, any needed machinery, human input, energy, and finances.
It’s crucial to comprehend that effective resource allocation is key to achieving production goals while preserving efficiency and keeping within budget.

Material Resources: These involve all physical elements required in the production process, such as raw materials, machinery, equipment, and physical infrastructure.
Human Resources: Human resources are the workers that deploy their skills and knowledge in the production process. It includes project managers, designers, engineers, technologists, and manual labourers, among others.
Financial Resources: This refers to the funds required for procuring and maintaining material and human resources, as well as other expenses such as utility costs, marketing, and distribution expenses.

Resource Planning: Initially, a plan detailing what resources are necessary, how much is needed, and when are they needed is made.
Resource Scheduling: The resources are then scheduled to be available at the needed times and places in the production process.
Resource Leveling: To prevent overallocation or underallocation, resources are evenly balanced across the overall production process.
Monitoring and Adjusting: During the process of production, allocation of resources is continuously tracked. Based on this real-time data, adjustments are made to the allocation of resources to facilitate smooth and efficient production.

Efficiency: Proper resource allocation ensures maximum productivity with minimum waste, facilitating cost-effective production.
Sustainability: Well-planned resource allocation aids in reducing environmental impact, supporting sustainability goals.
Predictability: Efficient resource allocation provides a more accurate estimation of production time, costs, and output, leading to improved predictability and control.
Maximising Profit: Efficient allocation of resources plays a key role in controlling costs, improving product quality and ultimately maximising profit margins.

To summarise, planning for and allocating resources efficiently is a vital aspect of production planning in design and technology.