Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks

What production, planning, and expediting clerks do

Coordinate and expedite the flow of work and materials within or between departments of an establishment according to production schedule. Duties include reviewing and distributing production, work, and shipment schedules; conferring with department supervisors to determine progress of work and completion dates; and compiling reports on progress of work, inventory levels, costs, and production problems.

Typical tasks

1. 1Distribute production schedules or work orders to departments.
2. 2Revise production schedules when required due to design changes, labor or material shortages, backlogs, or other interruptions, collaborating with management, marketing, sales, production, or engineering.
3. 3Review documents, such as production schedules, work orders, or staffing tables, to determine personnel or materials requirements or material priorities.
4. 4Arrange for delivery, assembly, or distribution of supplies or parts to expedite flow of materials and meet production schedules.
5. 5Confer with establishment personnel, vendors, or customers to coordinate production or shipping activities and to resolve complaints or eliminate delays.
6. 6Requisition and maintain inventories of materials or supplies necessary to meet production demands.
7. 7Confer with department supervisors or other personnel to assess progress and discuss needed changes.
8. 8Plan production commitments or timetables for business units, specific programs, or jobs, using sales forecasts.
9. 9Compile information, such as production rates and progress, materials inventories, materials used, or customer information, so that status reports can be completed.
10. 10Examine documents, materials, or products and monitor work processes to assess completeness, accuracy, and conformance to standards and specifications.

Technology used

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Adobe Acrobat
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe InDesign
• Adobe Photoshop
• Google Docs
• Intuit QuickBooks
• MEDITECH software
• Microsoft Access

How to become one

Education

The most common level among workers surveyed is a high school diploma (37%). Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Training

Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.