Planauftrag

Planauftrag, or planned order, is a term used in manufacturing and ERP systems to describe a planning document that requests the production or procurement of a material in a specified quantity and within a defined time window. It represents a plan or forecast rather than a final, binding commitment, and it is typically created by material requirements planning (MRP) processes.

In practice, a Planauftrag is generated when stock levels are insufficient, or lead times and lot sizes require scheduling. It includes information such as material number, plant, quantity, proposed start and end dates, and priority. Depending on the material and process, a planauftrag can represent either a planned production order or a planned purchase requisition.

A key feature of a planauftrag is its convertibility. It can be released to become a real production order or translated into a purchase requisition or purchase order, thereby committing capacity or suppliers. The release step transforms planning data into actionable manufacturing or procurement activities, turning a plan into execution.

Planaufträge differ from production orders and purchase orders in that they are not binding commitments by themselves. A production order commits resources for manufacturing, while a purchase order commits a supplier for material delivery. The planauftrag serves as a planning and scheduling instrument, aligning material flow with demand forecasts and capacity constraints.

Overall, planaufträge support better visibility and control of supply chain and production activities by providing a structured mechanism to plan, review, and convert material requirements before committing to concrete orders.