Digital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD) - Production, planning and control (PPC) networking — AQA A-Level Design and Technology: Product Design
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Digital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD) - Production, planning and control (PPC) networking explained
Production, planning and control (PPC) systems are networked software tools that coordinate manufacturing.
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Their role is to plan what is made, when and in what quantity, and to control the flow of work so resources are used efficiently. A PPC system draws on orders, stock levels and machine capacity to schedule production, allocate materials and labour, and monitor progress against the plan. Because it is networked, data is shared across departments, so sales, purchasing and the shop floor work from the same information. For example, a confirmed order can trigger material requisition and a machine schedule automatically. The specification stresses that PPC covers all aspects of manufacturing, so answers should range across planning, scheduling, resource allocation and control of production.
Your focus
- Describe the role of PPC systems in planning and controlling manufacturing.
- Explain how networking supports shared planning and control data.
- Apply PPC to an example showing scheduling or resource allocation.
Digital design and manufacture Computer aided design (CAD) - Production, planning and control (PPC) networking exam tips
Marking Points
- Describes PPC as networked systems used to plan and control manufacturing.
- Explains that PPC schedules production, deciding what is made, when and in what quantity.
- Explains that PPC allocates and monitors resources such as materials, labour and machine capacity.
- Recognises that networking allows data to be shared across departments so planning and control use consistent information.
- Gives a valid example, such as an order triggering material requisition or a production schedule.
- Shows that PPC applies across all aspects of manufacturing, not just one stage.
Examiner Tips
- 💡Use the phrase 'planning and control' explicitly to show you understand both halves of the role.
- 💡Support your description with a concrete example, such as an order triggering a production schedule, to demonstrate application.
- 💡When selecting an option, reject any that limits PPC to design work or to a single manufacturing stage.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing PPC with CAD; correction: CAD supports design, whereas PPC plans and controls production activities.
- Describing PPC as a single task such as stock control only; correction: the specification states it covers all aspects of manufacturing, including planning, scheduling and control.
- Ignoring the networking aspect; correction: shared data across departments is central to how PPC coordinates manufacturing.