Functions and Responsibilities of a Production Manager in a Large size Organization

In the present era of cut-throat competition at various stages of operations, an enterprise should produce goods and services keeping into consideration the requirements and satisfaction of the potential customer. The objective should be to produce goods at minimum costs and to the maximum satisfaction of the buyer. To meet this objective, the role of Production Manager in an enterprise is most Important.

He should be able to channelize the production process in a manner which ensures most efficient use of the resources to the best advantage tor the enterprise. lie is responsible for producing right quantity of material at the right time. He should be able to do something real and constructive about production problems. He should be well conversant with the ways and means to attain the desired goals.

Functions and Responsibilities of a Production Manager

The duties of the production manager, in general, can be classified as given below:

1. Production Planning : In every enterprise, Production Manager is responsible for producing the required quantity of product in time to meet the stipulated delivery date. The quantity to be produced depends on the magnitude of demand whereas the time by which the production should be completed is determined by delivery date. Besides this the production department has to make arrangements for input factors and also to produce in economic lot sizes. To achieve all these objectives proper production planning is necessary. Production planning involves the generation and, identification of alternative courses of action and to select the optimum alternative. This can be done by-

• (1) assessing the requirement of various factors of production on the basis of demand forecasts and
• (2) formulating demand schedule for factors of production to permit purchase of raw material and the production of product in economic lot sizes.

2. Production Control : It is the duty of the production manager to use the resources at his disposal in the best possible manner as well as to regulate the operation in such way that desired delivery schedule is maintained. This is done by routing, scheduling and inspection during the production process. Production control has three major dimensions, time control, quality control and cost control. Different techniques are used to control them.

3. Quality Control: It is the responsibility of the production manager to manufacture the goods and services of desired specifications. Though the quality of the finished goods can be ensured by the inspection of finished goods it is better to employ measures which minimize the likelihood of producing defective items.

4. Method of analysis : There can be a number of ways in which some operation can he executed. Production manager should select the most efficient and economical method to perform the operation.

5. Plant Layout and Material Handling : The physical arrangement of manufacturing components and the equipment tor handling the material during production process has considerable effect on cost of production. The material handling system and the plant layout should be most efficient of the given situation.

6. Inventory Control: Inventory implies all the materials, parts, supplies, tools and in-process or finished products kept in stocks for some time. The procurement policy of these items requires careful consideration and analysis. The purchases should be planned in economic lot sizes and the time of purchase should be so scheduled that the Investment in the inventory is at lowest possible level. This implies determination of economic lot sizes and re-order level.

7. Work Study: Method study and work measurement techniques are applied to find the relationship between output of goods and services and input of human and material resources. The production manager should try to find the most appropriate method of performing various operations involved in a production process so as to obtain the optimum use of the resources as well as increasing the productivity.

8. Motivation : Production manager should be able to generate the interest of the workers to increase their efforts by providing them interest of the works to increase their efforts by providing them wage incentives. This will result, an increase in labour productivity.

9. Cost Control : The cost of production varies with different methods of production. The production manager is responsible to follow a systematic approach to control capital and expenditure designed in a way that desired profit is ensured.

The nature of problems associated in production management are such that the Production Manager should have the capability as well as the aptitude to use qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis to get the desired solutions.