The influence of production planners and schedulers at manufacturing and commercial interfaces

✍ Scribed by Martina Berglund; Jane Guinery

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 105 KB
• Volume: 18
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1090-8471
• DOI: 10.1002/hfm.20124

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

This article describes empirical research undertaken to identify how production planners and schedulers in manufacturing businesses exert influence on employees in production and commercial departments. Through the analysis of observations and interviews conducted in four case studies, sources of power were identified and categorized. It was found that although production planners and schedulers often did not have formal authority, in practice they had considerable influence. In the main, their sources of influence resided in their access to information, company agendas, and influential arenas, as well as their knowledge and social skills. The discussion draws from the findings examining influencing behaviors and considering their implications. The findings inform associated research on the processes, behaviors, and roles that schedulers and planners perform at functional interfaces, in support of effective and responsive order fulfillment. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.