ProductionPlannerPro
User Manual

1.1 First Login

Navigate to your ProductionPlannerPro URL and log in with your credentials provided during account creation.

1. 1
   Open Login Page

   Go to login.html and enter your email and password. For trial accounts, use the credentials from your welcome email.

2. 2
   Dashboard Overview

   After login, you land on the main Dashboard showing key KPIs: active orders, pending production, material alerts, and today's schedule.

3. 3
   Setup Your Organization

   Go to Settings → Organizations and fill in your company name, address, and logo. This appears on all reports and documents.

4. 4
   Configure Production Lines

   Navigate to Production → Production Lines and add your manufacturing lines with their capacity (units/hour or hours/day).

5. 5
   Add Products

   Go to Products, add each finished product you manufacture with its standard production time and line assignment.

6. 6
   Add Materials

   Navigate to Materials and create your raw materials, packaging, and sub-components with current stock levels.

1.2 Dashboard Navigation

The Customers module stores all customer information used across Sales Orders and Delivery Schedules.

2.1 Adding a Customer

1. 1
   Navigate to Customers

   Click Sales & Orders → Customers in the sidebar.

2. 2
   Click "Add Customer"

   Fill in: Customer Name, Contact Person, Email, Phone, Address, and any internal customer code.

3. 3
   Save

   The customer is now available in Sales Order dropdowns and Delivery Schedule filters.

Field	Description	Required
Customer Name	Company or individual name	Yes
Contact Person	Primary point of contact	Optional
Email	Used for order confirmations	Optional
Phone	Contact number	Optional
Address	Delivery and billing address	Optional
Customer Code	Your internal reference code	Optional

Products are the finished goods you manufacture. Each product must be defined before it can appear in Sales Orders or have a BOM assigned.

3.1 Creating a Product

1. 1
   Go to Products

   Navigate to Products in the sidebar under the Products section.

2. 2
   Add New Product

   Enter the product name, SKU/code, unit of measure (pcs, kg, litre, etc.), and description.

3. 3
   Set Production Parameters

   Define standard production time (hours per unit or units per hour), assign to a production line, and set the minimum batch size.

4. 4
   Configure VAS (Value-Added Services)

   If the product requires additional services (labelling, packaging, QC), assign VAS types from the VAS Types Config module.

3.2 VAS Types Configuration

VAS (Value-Added Services) defines additional operations required on a product beyond core manufacturing. Go to Products → VAS Types Config to create types like "QC Inspection", "Custom Labelling", or "Special Packaging". These VAS types are then assignable to products and included in scheduling time calculations.

4.1 Adding Materials

Materials are raw materials, packaging, and components used in production. Navigate to Materials → Materials.

1. 1
   Click "Add Material"

   Enter material name, code, category (Raw Material, Packing Material, or Label), unit of measure.

2. 2
   Set Stock Details

   Enter current stock quantity, minimum stock level (reorder point), and maximum stock level.

3. 3
   Set Lead Time

   Enter the procurement lead time in days. This is critical for MRP calculations and purchase order planning.

4. 4
   Assign Supplier

   Link a preferred supplier (from Supplier Management) for automatic purchase order suggestions.

4.2 Inventory Management

The Inventory Management module provides a full view of all stock with adjustment capability.

• Stock Adjustment — Manually adjust stock up or down with a reason (received, consumed, damaged, counted)
• Inventory History — Full audit trail of every stock movement
• Low Stock Alerts — Automatic warnings when stock falls below minimum level
• Stock Valuation — Calculates total inventory value at cost price

4.3 Material Planner

The Material Planner calculates what materials you need based on open production orders and current stock. It compares required quantities vs available stock and generates a shortage report with purchase recommendations. Navigate to Materials → Material Planner.

4.4 Material Consumption

Track actual material consumed versus planned consumption per production order. This helps identify waste, shrinkage, or BOM inaccuracies. Go to Materials → Material Consumption and filter by date range or production order.

A Bill of Materials (BOM) defines exactly which materials — and in what quantities — are required to produce one unit of a finished product. BOMs are the foundation of MRP calculations, material planning, and feasibility checking.

5.1 Creating a BOM

1. 1
   Navigate to BOM Advanced

   Go to Materials → BOM Advanced.

2. 2
   Select the Product

   Choose the finished product this BOM belongs to from the product dropdown.

3. 3
   Add BOM Lines

   For each material required, add a line: select the material, enter quantity per unit, and set the category (Raw Material / Packing / Label).

4. 4
   Set Lead Times

   Each BOM line can have a specific lead time override if the material's default lead time differs for this product.

5. 5
   Save and Verify

   Save the BOM. The system shows a summary of total material cost per unit based on current material prices.

5.2 BOM Categories

Category	Purpose	Example
Raw Material	Core production inputs	Steel sheets, plastic pellets, chemicals
Packing Material	Packaging for finished goods	Cartons, shrink wrap, pallets
Label	Product identification materials	Barcodes, product labels, QC stickers

5.3 Availability Check

The BOM Advanced module includes an Availability Check button that compares current stock against what's needed to produce a specified quantity. It shows a colour-coded status: Available Partial Shortage for each BOM line.

Sales Orders are the starting point of production. Every order flows from Sales → Feasibility Check → Production Order → Schedule → Delivery.

6.1 Creating a Sales Order

1. 1
   Go to Sales Orders

   Navigate to Sales & Orders → Sales Orders and click New Order.

2. 2
   Select Customer

   Choose the customer from your customer database. If new, add them in Customers first.

3. 3
   Add Order Lines

   Add each product with quantity required and requested delivery date. Multiple products can be on one sales order.

4. 4
   Set Priority

   Assign order priority (Urgent / High / Normal / Low). Priority affects scheduling order in the AI auto-scheduler.

5. 5
   Run Feasibility Check

   Click Check Feasibility to verify if the delivery date is achievable given current capacity and material availability.

6. 6
   Confirm Order

   Once satisfied, change status to Confirmed. The order is now available for Production Order creation and scheduling.

6.2 Order Statuses

Status	Meaning	Next Action
Draft	Order created but not confirmed	Review and confirm
Confirmed	Accepted, ready for production planning	Create Production Order
In Production	Production order active	Monitor floor progress
Scheduled	Scheduled on production line	Track via Gantt
Completed	Production finished, ready to ship	Dispatch and invoice
Cancelled	Order cancelled	—

6.3 Feasibility Checker

The standalone Feasibility Checker (Sales & Orders → Feasibility Checker) lets you run a capacity and material availability check before creating a sales order. Enter the product, quantity, and desired delivery date — the system returns a go/no-go result with earliest possible completion date if the target isn't feasible.

Production Orders are created from Sales Orders and represent the actual manufacturing job. They track progress from "Planned" to "Completed" with full material and time tracking.

7.1 Creating a Production Order

1. 1
   Go to Production Orders

   Navigate to Production → Production Orders and click Create Order.

2. 2
   Link to Sales Order

   Select the parent sales order (or create a standalone production order if manufacturing for stock).

3. 3
   Review BOM & Materials

   The system auto-populates required materials from the BOM. Review and check material availability.

4. 4
   Assign to Production Line

   Select which production line will manufacture this order.

5. 5
   Set Dates

   Enter planned start and end dates, or leave for the AI scheduler to assign automatically.

6. 6
   Release to Production

   Change status to Released to make it visible on the Production Floor and Work Orders modules.

7.2 Work Orders

Work Orders are sub-tasks within a Production Order. If your production process has multiple operations (e.g., Cutting → Welding → Painting → QC), each becomes a Work Order. Navigate to Production → Work Orders to view, assign, and track individual operations. Each Work Order can be assigned to a specific operator or team.

7.3 Production Floor Tracking

The Production Floor module provides real-time status of all active production orders. Operators can update progress directly, log actual hours worked, and report exceptions. The floor view shows live completion percentages and flags any orders falling behind schedule.

The AI Auto-Scheduler automatically optimizes your production schedule across all lines, orders, and constraints. It considers capacity, priorities, delivery dates, setup times, and material availability to generate the optimal production sequence.

8.1 Single Order Scheduling

1. 1
   Go to Auto-Schedule

   Navigate to Scheduling → Auto Schedule.

2. 2
   Select Order

   Choose the production order you want to schedule from the orders list.

3. 3
   Click "Auto-Schedule"

   The AI engine calculates the optimal start/end time on the available production line, considering all existing bookings and capacity constraints.

4. 4
   Review Proposal

   Review the proposed schedule slot showing: line assigned, start time, end time, and any conflict warnings.

5. 5
   Apply Schedule

   Click Apply to confirm. The order slot is locked on the Gantt chart.

8.2 Bulk Auto-Scheduling

For scheduling multiple orders at once, use Scheduling → Bulk Scheduler. Select all unscheduled orders and click Schedule All. The AI processes orders by priority and delivery date, allocating them across lines to maximize throughput while meeting deadlines.

8.3 Conflict Manager

When the scheduler detects conflicts (overlapping orders, insufficient capacity, missing materials), they appear in the Conflict Manager (Scheduling → Conflict Manager). Each conflict shows the cause and offers resolution options: reschedule, split order, reassign line, or flag for manual review.

8.4 Managing Special Days & Holidays

Go to Scheduling → Special Days to mark plant holidays, maintenance days, and reduced-capacity shifts. The scheduler will not book production on closed days and adjusts capacity automatically for partial days.

8.5 Dependency Manager

If some production orders must complete before others can start (sequential dependencies), define these in Scheduling → Dependency Manager. The scheduler will automatically enforce the sequence — if Order A must precede Order B, B will never be scheduled before A completes.

8.6 Production & Planning Calendars

Two calendar views are available: Production Calendar shows what is scheduled day-by-day on each line; Planning Calendar provides a higher-level view for capacity planning across weeks and months.

9.1 Capacity Dashboard

The Capacity Dashboard (Scheduling → Capacity Dashboard) shows utilization across all production lines for any selected period. A colour-coded heatmap makes it easy to spot overloaded periods (red), optimal use (green), and idle time (grey).

9.2 Production Lines Setup

Navigate to Production → Production Lines to configure each line:

• Line Name — e.g., Line 1, Assembly Line A
• Capacity — Units per hour, or hours available per shift
• Working Hours — Shifts per day, days per week
• Efficiency Rate — % of theoretical capacity achievable
• Setup Time — Default changeover time between products

9.3 Line Capacity Matrix

The Line Capacity Matrix (line-capacity-matrix.html) shows a grid of all products vs all lines with the capacity (units/hour) for each combination. This is used by the scheduler to know which products can run on which lines and at what speed.

9.4 Production Schedule View

The Production Schedule module provides a Gantt-style timeline showing all scheduled orders across all lines. Drag and drop to manually adjust order timing if needed.

10.1 MRP Dashboard

MRP (Material Requirements Planning) calculates what materials to order, how much, and when, based on the production schedule and current stock levels.

1. 1
   Run MRP

   Go to Planning → MRP Dashboard and click Generate MRP. Select the planning horizon (e.g., next 4 weeks).

2. 2
   Review Requirements

   The MRP output shows each material: gross requirement, on-hand stock, scheduled receipts, net requirement, and suggested order quantity.

3. 3
   Generate Purchase Orders

   Click Create POs to automatically generate Purchase Orders from MRP suggestions. Review before confirming.

10.2 MPS Dashboard

The Master Production Schedule (MPS) is the high-level production plan for finished goods over the planning horizon. It drives MRP calculations. Go to Planning → MPS Dashboard to:

• View planned vs actual production by product per week/month
• Manually adjust planned quantities to reflect forecast changes
• Lock MPS periods to prevent automated changes
• Optimize MPS based on demand forecast data

10.3 Demand Forecasting

The Demand Forecasting module (Planning → Demand Forecasting) uses historical sales data to project future demand. This feeds into the MPS for proactive production planning. Select a product and view demand trends with statistical forecasts.

11.1 Purchase Orders

Purchase Orders (Purchasing → Purchase Orders) can be created manually or auto-generated from MRP suggestions. Each PO tracks: supplier, materials ordered, quantities, unit prices, expected delivery date, and receipt status.

1. 1
   Create New PO

   Click New Purchase Order, select supplier, and add line items (material, quantity, price).

2. 2
   Confirm and Send

   Change status to Confirmed. Use the email integration to send PO to supplier directly from the system.

3. 3
   Receive Goods

   When materials arrive, update PO status to Received. Stock levels automatically update in Inventory Management.

11.2 Supplier Management

Go to Purchasing → Suppliers to maintain your supplier database. For each supplier, track: contact details, lead times, payment terms, performance rating, and associated materials. Supplier performance metrics (on-time delivery %, quality rate) are calculated automatically from PO history.

12.1 Reports Dashboard

The Reports Dashboard (Monitoring → Reports Dashboard) is your central hub for all system reports. Available reports include:

12.2 Analytics Dashboard

The Analytics Dashboard (Main → Analytics) provides real-time charts and trend analysis. Use the date range picker to compare performance across periods. All charts are exportable as PNG or PDF.

12.3 Production Reports

Navigate to production-reports.html for detailed production-level reports. Filter by date, line, product, or order. Reports can be exported to PDF or CSV for use in external tools.

12.4 Report Automation

Set up scheduled reports (Settings → Report Automation) to automatically generate and email reports to stakeholders on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Configure recipient emails, report type, and delivery schedule — no manual export required.

13.1 Organizations

Configure your company profile in Settings → Organizations: company name, logo, address, fiscal year start, default currency, and time zone. The organization profile appears on all printed documents and reports.

13.2 User Management

Manage system users in Settings → Users. Create accounts, set roles, and control module access. Available roles:

Role	Access Level
Admin	Full access to all modules and settings
Manager	All production modules, reports; no user management
Planner	Scheduling, MRP/MPS, capacity; read-only for orders
Operator	Production floor, work orders, time tracking only
Viewer	Read-only access to dashboards and reports

13.3 Email Settings

Configure SMTP settings in Settings → Email Settings to enable system-generated emails: order confirmations, PO emails to suppliers, automated report delivery, and alert notifications.

13.4 System Settings

The general Settings page covers: date format, number format, default currency, working hours template, and system notifications. Changes here affect how data is displayed throughout the entire system.

13.5 Email Logs

Review all sent emails (POs, reports, notifications) in Settings → Email Logs. Each entry shows recipient, subject, timestamp, and delivery status. Useful for troubleshooting email delivery issues.

13.6 Subscription Plans

Manage your subscription tier in subscription-plans.html. Upgrade from Monthly to Annual to save 17%, or purchase a Lifetime License for complete source code access and white-label rights.

14.1 Common Issues

Auto-Scheduler returns no result

MRP shows incorrect requirements

Feasibility check always returns "Not Feasible"

Emails not being sent

14.2 Frequently Asked Questions

Question	Answer
Can I import data from Excel?	Yes. Use the import function in Materials, Customers, and Products modules. Download the CSV template first.
Can multiple users be logged in simultaneously?	Yes. The system supports concurrent users with role-based access control.
How do I reset a user's password?	Admin users can reset passwords from Settings → Users → Edit User → Reset Password.
Can I run the scheduler on mobile?	The system is responsive and works on tablets and mobile browsers, though desktop is recommended for scheduling and Gantt views.
How is data backed up?	For self-hosted installations, configure regular MySQL database backups via your server's cron jobs. Cloud-hosted accounts are backed up daily.
Can I customize report templates?	Yes. Report templates use HTML and can be modified. Contact support for custom report development.