Production Planning Strategies for the Manufacturing Industry

Bill of Materials (BOM) – A Complete Guide with Examples

Regardless of the size of the manufacturing operation, a bill of materials (BOM) is vital for production. Manufacturers utilize them as the guide and recipe for creating a final product, and as such, they are tied into production, quoting, purchasing, and many other areas of manufacturing.

By Madis Kuuse 19 min read

InventoryProduction planningSupply Chain

Demand Forecasting in Manufacturing – Process, Methods, and Tools for SMEs

Demand forecasting done right makes the difference between reactive and structured decision-making. It gives purchasing, inventory management, and production planning teams more time to prepare and takes a lot of guesswork out of replenishment decisions.

By Mattias Turovski 35 min read

InventoryProduction planning

Serial Number Tracking in Manufacturing: A Practical Guide for SMEs

Serial number tracking is usually described as a way to identify individual inventory items. But that considerably undersells it. The real payoff is a searchable history for one unit across purchasing, production, inventory, sales, and after-sales. This guide covers how to build one.

By Steve Maurer, IME 18 min read

Production planning

Contract Manufacturing: Definition, Types, Examples, and Benefits

While many companies manufacture a product completely in-house, there’s a rapidly growing trend toward contract manufacturing. Companies of all sizes are outsourcing some of their production to third-party manufacturers. But the strategy must be managed carefully. Here’s how it works and what to watch out for.

By Steve Maurer, IME 13 min read

Manufacturing TipsProduction planning

Product Configuration Guide for Manufacturing SMBs

Product configuration makes it possible to customize products without designing each order from scratch. By using predefined options and rules, small manufacturers can offer more choice to customers while keeping production repeatable and manageable.

By Shane Dubbelman 13 min read

Manufacturing TipsProduction planning

Multi-Level BOM (Indented BOM): Benefits, Tips, and Use Cases

A multi-level BOM is a bill of materials that represents the composition of subassemblies in addition to the final product. This type of BOM becomes indispensable when a certain level of product complexity is reached, but there are also situations where a multi-level BOM is unwarranted.

By Madis Kuuse 12 min read

Choosing a SoftwareManufacturing TipsProduction planning

Production Planning Excel Template: How to Build a Production Schedule and When to Move to MRP?

Excel spreadsheets can be a good place to start with production planning. They give manufacturers a simple way to organize everything. That works well until production gets more complex and the schedule starts changing faster than the spreadsheet can keep up.

By Steve Maurer, IME 19 min read

Production planningSales

Sales Forecasting in Manufacturing – A Guide for SMBs

Sales forecasting helps manufacturers estimate expected future demand based on historical sales data, customer order patterns, seasonality, and known market changes.

By Karl Heinrich Lauri 13 min read

Manufacturing TipsProduction planning

8 Manufacturing Challenges and How SMEs Can Overcome Them in 2026

In 2026, SMEs in the manufacturing industry are facing pressure from several directions at once. Rising costs, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and scheduling issues can each create problems on their own. But they rarely stay isolated. That’s why overcoming manufacturing challenges starts with understanding how closely they’re connected.

By Steve Maurer, IME 14 min read

Production planning

Bill of Materials (BOM) – A Complete Guide with Examples

Demand Forecasting in Manufacturing – Process, Methods, and Tools for SMEs

Serial Number Tracking in Manufacturing: A Practical Guide for SMEs

Contract Manufacturing: Definition, Types, Examples, and Benefits

Product Configuration Guide for Manufacturing SMBs

Multi-Level BOM (Indented BOM): Benefits, Tips, and Use Cases

Production Planning Excel Template: How to Build a Production Schedule and When to Move to MRP?

Sales Forecasting in Manufacturing – A Guide for SMBs

8 Manufacturing Challenges and How SMEs Can Overcome Them in 2026

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Production planning

Bill of Materials (BOM) – A Complete Guide with Examples

Demand Forecasting in Manufacturing – Process, Methods, and Tools for SMEs

Serial Number Tracking in Manufacturing: A Practical Guide for SMEs

Contract Manufacturing: Definition, Types, Examples, and Benefits

Product Configuration Guide for Manufacturing SMBs

Multi-Level BOM (Indented BOM): Benefits, Tips, and Use Cases

Production Planning Excel Template: How to Build a Production Schedule and When to Move to MRP?

Sales Forecasting in Manufacturing – A Guide for SMBs

8 Manufacturing Challenges and How SMEs Can Overcome Them in 2026

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