The Production Control Specialist plays a central role in coordinating production schedules, managing inventory flow, and driving cross-functional communication to ensure manufacturing goals are met. This position requires strong analytical skills, hands-on ERP/MRP experience, and the ability to identify and resolve bottlenecks in real time. Success in this role hinges on proactive planning, clear communication, and a sharp eye for process improvement.In addition to owning the planning function, the Production Control Specialist provides guidance and oversight to Production Schedulers ensuring execution aligns with upcoming work orders, material availability, and departmental goals. This role demands full ownership of the assigned department, with real-time awareness of schedule status, shortages, deviations, and execution risks. The Specialist must also be comfortable navigating advanced SAP transactions and interpreting BOM/MRP impacts to maintain schedule integrity.Key Responsibilities1. Production Planning & SchedulingBuild and maintain detailed production schedules to meet customer demand and internal targets.Minimize changeovers and optimize production flow to improve throughput and reduce downtime.Analyze upcoming work orders and advise schedulers on how to structure daily plans.Review and adjust schedules based on actual shift outputs, remaining quantities, and build-ready orders.Highlight missing fabricated, painted, or purchased parts and flag them for follow-up.2. Inventory & Material ManagementMonitor inventory levels and raw material availability to prevent shortages or excess stock.Track movement of fabricated and purchased parts through the production process.Validate inventory manually when SAP or MES data is inaccurate due to entry errors or mislabeling.Submit SLVs (Stock Loss Validation forms) and coordinate with cycle count teams when parts are missing.Identify and locate mis-staged parts to prevent delays in production.3. Schedule Attainment & ReportingTrack performance against production schedules for both main lines and support areas.Provide regular updates and reports to leadership on schedule adherence and variances.Use LeanDNA to check for missing comments or ETAs and follow up with buyers or fulfillment team.4. Process Analysis & MonitoringConduct daily reviews of production flow to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and risks.Investigate root causes of production delays and implement corrective actions.Support Kaizen initiatives and contribute to ongoing process improvement efforts.Understand BOM changes and assess MRP impacts to maintain schedule integrity.Conduct regular Gemba walks to ensure production lines are running according to plan.Partners with supervisors and teams lead to address deviations and keep execution aligned.Delegate tasks to schedulers or planners as needed such as counting, locating, or requesting parts.Maintain a proactive mindset by visually confirming part availability before they’re needed.5. Quality CoordinationPartner with production and quality teams to identify, isolate, and escalate defective parts.Communicate tooling or die-related issues to purchasing or fabrication for timely corrective action.6. System Navigation & Data AccuracyCreate, adjust, and terminate production orders in SAP and Metrix.Navigate advanced T-codes and reporting tools to access deeper planning insights.
