Production Coordinators prepare production schedules and coordinate and expedite (speed up) the flow of work within or between departments of manufacturing plants.  Efficient coordination helps to lower the cost of production and storage and ensures that needed materials are available at the right time.

JOB DUTIES

Production Coordinators may:

Contact suppliers to verify shipment of goods on promised date

Communicate with transportation companies to prevent delays in transit

Inspect products for quality and quantity

Review production schedules and work orders

Revise schedules according to work order specifications, priorities, and availability of workers and equipment

Arrange for repair, assembly, and transportation of materials

Schedule completion dates for materials

Compile production records

Keep inventory records

Estimate production rate of a department

Distribute work orders to departments

Confer with supervisors to determine progress of work and to provide information on changes in processing methods

Release notices of authorized substitution of raw materials when scheduled materials do not arrive on time

To see a video on Production Coordinators, click here .

Tools and equipment used may include:

OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES

Production Coordinators may specialize in these areas:

221.167-018 PRODUCTION COORDINATORS prepare production schedules and coordinate and expedite (speed up) the flow of work within or between departments of manufacturing plants. Efficient coordination helps to lower production and storage costs and insures that needed materials are available at the right time.

221.167-014 MATERIAL COORDINATORS coordinate and expedite the flow of material, parts, and assemblies within or between departments in accordance with production and shipping schedules or department priorities.

221.382-018 PRODUCTION CLERKS compile data from customer orders, production estimates, and perpetual (continuing) inventory to prepare production schedules, records, and reports.

222.367-018 EXPEDITERS contact purchasing agents, vendors, or shippers to ensure that merchandise, supplies, and equipment are delivered by the required date.

221.367-042 MATERIAL EXPEDITERS locate and move parts and materials between the work areas of a plant to expedite the processing of goods according to departmental schedules and priorities.

In addition to learning about these specialties, you may also find it helpful to explore the following Career Exploration Scripts:

WORKING CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Expediters and Production Clerks generally are part of a group of clerks. New employees are trained on the job by a more experienced worker. They work under a supervisor, but after they gain experience the supervision is less direct. Production Coordinators and Material Coordinators generally work without close supervision. They work closely with department heads and supervisors. They may supervise others Working conditions vary with the job. Most work is performed inside, but inspection of material being received may require some outside work. Work places often are large, unpartitioned areas that may be drafty, cold, and littered with packing materials, although some may be well lighted and air-conditioned.

Non-supervisory workers generally work 40 hours per week and receive time and a half for work over 40 hours. Supervisory workers also generally work a 40-hour week but may work longer hours without extra pay.

Production and Material Coordinators may belong to APICS - The Educational Society for Resource Management. Members must pay dues.

You Should Prefer:

• Working with people in a business setting

• Working with your hands

• Doing routine work

• Activities involving the use of machines, processes, or methods

You Should Be Able To:

• Demonstrate persistence, tactfulness, diplomacy, and responsibility

• Make decisions based on personal judgment and verifiable criteria

• Deal effectively with people in actual job duties

• Give and receive instructions

• Perceive details in work orders, invoices, and written materials

• Communicate effectively

• Understand and apply manufacturing terminology/production methods

• Plan, control, or direct an activity or activities of others

• Attain set standards and precise limits, if a Material Coordinator

• Be orderly and systematic in your work

• Reason clearly and logically

• Work with numbers

• Read and interpret reports from data processing

Math Problem You Should Be Able to Solve:

A job was timed for 60 cycles and had an average of 1.2 minutes per piece. The performance rating was 95% and allowances are 10%, based on the eight hour day. Determine observed time, normal time, and standard time.

Reading Example You Should Be Able to Read and Comprehend:

The main determinant of the way PERT and CPM networks are analyzed and interpreted is whether activity time estimates are probabilistic or deterministic. If time estimate can be made with a high degree of confidence that actual times will not differ significantly, we say the estimates are deterministic. If estimated times are subject to variation, we say the estimates are probabilistic.

Writing Example You Should Be Able to Produce:

Prepare an estimated production rate for a department.

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able to Demonstrate:

Should be able to demonstrate excellent analytical skills in assessing production.

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EDUCATION AND PREPARATION OPPORTUNITIES

NOTE: A High School Diploma or Equivalent or a Certificate (program of up to one year of study beyond high school) or an Associate Degree (two years of study beyond high school) or a Bachelor's Degree (four years of study beyond high school) may qualify a person for this occupation.

The following education and preparation opportunities are helpful in preparing for occupations in this Career Exploration Script:

***SCHOOL SUBJECTS***

0600 BUSINESS , 0700 CAREERS , 0900 COMMUNICATIONS , 1000 COMPUTERS , 1100 ECONOMICS , 2200 MATH , 2800 PUBLIC SPEAKING , 3300 TECHNOLOGY

***VOCATIONAL EDUCATION***

There are no Vocational Education Programs related to this Career Exploration Script.

***POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS***

025 BUSINESS MANAGEMENT & ADMIN.

Programs in Business Management and Administration provide opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills needed for employment in a leadership role in business. Individuals who teach business at the secondary school level must have a Michigan Teaching Certificate.

Courses within programs will vary but may include:

Search for a College and/or Instructional Program

***APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES***

Although this occupation has apprenticeship programs available in Michigan, they are limited in number. See the Sources of More Information below for name, address and phone number of the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training.

You will also find a more extensive list of information sources in the "What Is An Apprenticeship?" document found under the MOIS Supports Menu Items.

***MILITARY PROGRAMS***

There are no Military Programs related to this Career Exploration Script.

E-Learning Courses and Programs

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCE AND METHODS OF ENTRY

Summer or part-time work in shipping and receiving departments of companies and contact with people employed as Production Coordinators are ways of exploring the field. Postsecondary business management and administration programs may provide opportunities for experience also.

School-to-Work opportunities include:

informal apprenticeships

mentorships

job shadowing experiences

touring a local Production Coordinator employer

internships

volunteer work with a Production Coordinator employer

community service work with an agency

Although this occupation has apprenticeship programs available in Michigan, they are limited in number. Contact the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training Representative in your area if you would like more information.

Common methods of becoming a Production Coordinator include direct application to employers, referral from school placement offices, contacting placement services APICS - The Educational Society for Resource Management, and seeking available positions through Michigan Works! offices as well as newspaper want ads.  In addition, you should access and search the Internet's on-line employment services sites such as:

You should also enter an electronic resume on these on-line services.

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EARNINGS AND ADVANCEMENT

Earnings of Production Coordinators vary according to employer, the extent of unionization, geographic area, level of responsibility, and individual experience.

Nationally, in mid 2006, Production Coordinators and Expediters had annual median earnings of $36,700 and $30,500 respectively.  The median yearly earnings of "all" workers in the U.S. were $33,852 in 2005.

In the automotive industry, the annual earnings of most schedulers were between $41,496and $55,994 in late 2006. Additionally, these workers receive a cost-of-living allowance.

Estimated annual earning of Production Expediters in Michigan were (mid 2006):

Most Production Coordinators receive paid vacations and holidays; life, accident, disability, and hospitalization insurance; retirement plans; and sick pay. Auto companies also provide dental and optical insurance plans. Benefits are usually paid for, at least in part, by employers, but some employers and employees contribute to a union-sponsored trust fund used to pay for certain benefits. Some employers offer stock purchase plans or savings plans for salaried employees.

Advancement usually consists of increased administrative and supervisory responsibilities. Expediters and Production Clerks may be promoted to head shipping or receiving clerks or warehouse managers. Material and Production Coordinators may advance to production supervisors, superintendents, and plant managers. Key factors in advancement are experience and proven ability.

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EMPLOYMENT AND OUTLOOK

Nationally, about 292,000 Production Coordinators were employed in 2004.  Employment of these Coordinators is expected to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2014.  The industry distribution for Production Coordinators looked like this:

Although the growing population and continued business expansion should create increasing demand for more products, automation of the material handling process will reduce the need for many additional Production Coordinators.

There are about 9,850 Production Coordinators employed in Michigan. Most worked for manufacturing companies, primarily those that make cars, trucks, and buses, metal products, and office furniture.

Employment of Production Coordinators is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012.  An average of 390 annual openings is expected, with 150 due to annual growth and 240 due to the replacement of workers who retire, die, or leave the labor force for other reasons.  Additional openings will occur as workers transfer to other jobs or occupations.

"Just in time" parts delivery by suppliers, along with new types of automated Material Handling equipment, will shrink the size of inventories in assembly facilities and reduce the number of Production Coordinators.  One such innovation is Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), which is a new and more efficient means of inventorying and tracking large shipments. The object of any RFID system is to carry data in suitable transponders, generally known as tags, and to retrieve data, by machine-readable means, at a suitable time and place to satisfy particular application needs. Data within a tag may provide identification for an item in manufacture, goods in transit, location, the identity of a vehicle, an animal or individual. Potential applications for RFID may be identified in virtually every sector of industry, commerce and services where data is to be collected. New Production Coordinators should be proficient in this industry innovation in order to be effective in this position.

MICHIGAN'S EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK TO 2002-2012

SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Printed Occupational information is available upon written request from the sources below.

Copyright © 2007 Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth