Manufacturing and Operations Plan

MANUFACTURING AND OPERATIONS PLAN

My recommendation is, similar to the Design and Development section, hire a consultant or read lots of books on the subject. Unless you are in the area of crafts or other small items you could become involved in substantial financial and logistics problems.

Operating Cycle
This involves production time (length), lead and lag times, seasonal peaks and slowdowns and other sales or production impacting items.

Geographical Location
This can be critical to your manufacturing process. Factors such as material, shipping, workers, natural resources, etc., can be impacted by location. Extensive study to ensure viability of the site may be required.

Facilities and Improvements
This section goes far beyond a home based or small office based business. Creating a new facility or refurbishing an older site will take serious financing and planning. Consultant(s) is/are recommended.

Strategy and Plans
For a small or home based business these items should be covered: make or buy, subcontract, suppliers, labor, quality control and inspection processes or procedures.

Regulatory and Legal Issues
Consultants and legal advisors should be sought for major undertakings. Local governments produce books and pamphlets on these items for the small or home based business owners. Contact them and make sure you have covered manufacturing, safety, quality, environmental, employees, etc. Talk to other small business owners about their experiences.