PPS-System
Also: PPS, Produktionsplanungssystem, Produktionsplanungs- und -steuerungssystem, Produktionsplanung und -steuerung, PPS-Software, PPS-Lösung
AI-generated
A PPS system (production planning and control system) plans and controls the entire manufacturing process – from requirements determination through scheduling and capacity planning to order control.
Key facts
- A PPS system plans production orders, resolves bills of materials, and aligns capacities with schedules.
- The material requirements lists generated by the PPS form the basis for procurement planning, internal transport, and production supply.
- Modern PPS functionality is frequently integrated as a module within ERP systems, but can also be operated as a standalone specialized solution.
- PPS and MES complement each other: the PPS plans on an order-oriented basis, while the MES controls and monitors manufacturing in real time.
What is a PPS system?
A production planning and control system – or PPS system for short – coordinates all planning-relevant processes in manufacturing. It receives orders from sales or the ERP, resolves bills of materials, determines material requirements, plans capacities, and schedules operations. The result is production orders, material requirements, and delivery date commitments that other areas of the business use as a reliable planning basis.
Historically, PPS systems emerged as a distinct software category before ERP platforms absorbed many of their functions. Today, PPS functionality is often found as an integrated module within ERP systems, though it also exists as a specialized solution connected via interfaces – particularly where complex manufacturing environments require deeper planning logic than generic ERP modules provide.
Core functions and how they work in practice
The typical planning cycle of a PPS system comprises several sequential steps:
- Requirements planning (MRP): From customer orders, forecast data, or inventory levels, the system derives primary requirements and breaks these down via bills of materials into secondary requirements (components, raw materials).
- Scheduling: Forward scheduling and backward scheduling determine when each operation must start and end on which resource in order to meet the delivery date.
- Capacity planning: The system matches the determined capacity requirements against available capacities – bottlenecks become visible and must be resolved manually or algorithmically.
- Order control and confirmations: Released production orders are passed to the shopfloor or MES; confirmations of completed quantities, scrap, and actual times flow back into the PPS.
For intralogistics, the material requirements lists and delivery call-offs generated by the PPS are particularly relevant. They determine when which material must be available at the point of use – and therefore the timing of internal transport, Kanban cycles, and buffer storage.
Distinguishing PPS from MES and ERP
The terms PPS, MES, and ERP are often used loosely in practice. As a rough guide: the ERP manages commercial processes and high-level planning, the PPS system focuses on manufacturing-oriented planning and order control, while the MES controls and monitors production in real time at machine level. In practice, these boundaries blur – some ERP vendors refer to their manufacturing module as a PPS, and some MES systems take on planning functions.
Selection criteria
When selecting a PPS system, you should pay attention to the following points: Does the planning logic suit your manufacturing type (make-to-order, series production, or process manufacturing)? How deeply is it integrated with the existing ERP? Which interfaces to WMS, MES, and data collection systems are available as standard? And how well can the system adapt to revised bills of materials or short-notice capacity adjustments? These questions depend on the vendor and should be clarified as part of a structured requirements definition.
Related terms
- Absatzplanung
Sales planning refers to the systematic forecasting of future sales volumes for defined products, regions, or channels. It forms the foundation for all downstream planning processes in production, procurement, and logistics.
- Absatzprognose
The sales forecast estimates future demand for products or items over a defined period. It forms the basis for inventory, capacity, and procurement planning in logistics and purchasing.
- Auftragsabwicklung
Order fulfillment refers to the complete process from receiving a customer order through to its successful delivery and invoicing. It encompasses all operational and administrative steps required to fulfill an order on time and without errors.
- Auftragsfertigung
Make-to-order refers to a production model in which the manufacture of a product does not begin until a specific customer order has been received. Unlike make-to-stock production, goods are produced individually for each customer and demand-driven.
- BDE-System
A BDE system (operational data collection system) captures machine and manual process data in real time directly at the source – such as at machines, conveyor systems, or workstations.
- Bedarfsermittlung
Requirements planning refers to the systematic process by which an organization's future material or goods requirements are determined in terms of quantity and timing. It forms the basis for inventory management, procurement, and warehouse planning.
- Bedarfsplanung
Demand planning refers to the systematic process by which a company determines what quantities of materials, goods, or resources are needed and when. It forms the foundation for inventory management, procurement, and warehouse planning.
- Beschaffungsplanung
Procurement planning refers to the process by which a company systematically determines which materials or goods need to be sourced, in what quantities, at what time, and from which suppliers.
- Bestandsmanagement
Inventory management refers to the systematic planning, control, and monitoring of stock levels across the entire supply chain. The goal is to ensure delivery capability while keeping capital commitment and warehousing costs within economically viable limits.
- Disposition
Disposition refers to the operational planning and control of resources, quantities, and orders in logistics – for example in transport or materials disposition. It encompasses capacity assignment, scheduling, prioritization, and response to disruptions.
