43-5061.00 - Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks

Updated 2010

Summary Report for:
43-5061.00 - Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks

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.

Sample of reported job titles: Production Scheduler, Planner, Production Planner, Production Manager, Production Controller, Production Planning Manager, Scheduler, Master Scheduler, Production Control Coordinator, Production Supervisor

View report: Summary Details Custom

Tasks

Examine documents, materials, or products and monitor work processes to assess completeness, accuracy, and conformance to standards and specifications.
Review documents, such as production schedules, work orders, or staffing tables, to determine personnel or materials requirements or material priorities.
Confer with department supervisors or other personnel to assess progress and discuss needed changes.
Revise production schedules when required due to design changes, labor or material shortages, backlogs, or other interruptions, collaborating with management, marketing, sales, production, or engineering.
Confer with establishment personnel, vendors, or customers to coordinate production or shipping activities and to resolve complaints or eliminate delays.
Record production data, including volume produced, consumption of raw materials, or quality control measures.
Requisition and maintain inventories of materials or supplies necessary to meet production demands.
Calculate figures, such as required amounts of labor or materials, manufacturing costs, or wages, using pricing schedules, adding machines, calculators, or computers.
Distribute production schedules or work orders to departments.
Compile information, such as production rates and progress, materials inventories, materials used, or customer information, so that status reports can be completed.

Tools & Technology

Tools used in this occupation:

Desktop computers

Notebook computers

Personal computers

Scanners

Technology used in this occupation:

Accounting software — Intuit QuickBooks software; Sage Peachtree Premium Accounting for Manufacturing

Analytical or scientific software — KAPES software; Micro Estimating FabPlan; MTI Systems Costimator JS

Electronic mail software — IBM Lotus Notes; Microsoft Outlook

Enterprise resource planning ERP software — Exact Software Macola ES; QAD MFG/PRO; Sage MAS 90; SAP software

Inventory management software — Accvision ABMIS; iCode Everest; RyTech Inventory Control Software

Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software — eLading Bill of Lading Software; LSA Visual Easy Lean; Stratford Group INMASS/MRP; Waterloo Hydrogeologic TACTIC

Knowledge

Production and Processing — Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Clerical — Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills

Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Abilities

Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Work Activities

Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Work Context

Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?

Time Pressure — How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?

Electronic Mail — How often do you use electronic mail in this job?

Frequency of Decision Making — How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?

Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?

Work With Work Group or Team — How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?

Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

Job Zone

Title	Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Education	These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Related Experience	Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Job Training	Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Job Zone Examples	These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include sheet metal workers, forest fire fighters, customer service representatives, physical therapist aides, salespersons (retail), and tellers.
SVP Range	(4.0 to < 6.0)

There are 2 recognized apprenticeable specialties associated with this occupation:
Supercargo; Material Coordinator

To learn about specific apprenticeship opportunities, please consult the U.S. Department of Labor State Apprenticeship Information website.

For general information about apprenticeships, training, and partnerships with business, visit the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship website.

Education

Percentage of Respondents	Education Level Required
44	High school diploma or equivalent

Interests

Interest code: CE

Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Work Styles

Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Work Values

Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

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Wages & Employment Trends

National

Median wages (2012)	$21.03 hourly, $43,740 annual
Employment (2010)	271,000 employees
Projected growth (2010-2020)	Slower than average (3% to 9%)
Projected job openings (2010-2020)	88,800
Top industries (2010)	Manufacturing

State & National

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2012 wage data and 2010-2020 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2010-2020). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

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State & National Job Banks

Sources of Additional Information

Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.

Material Recording Clerks . Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition.

Summary Report for: 43-5061.00 - Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks