A Framework for Developing Production Control Systems: A Case in Coffee Roasting/Distributing

Production situations are unique. The way to control production has to be matched to its characteristics. The term production control concept stands for the heart of such a way of control. It is something like a proper view of the production situation; proper in the sense that on one hand the characteristics of the situation, as far as relevant for production control, are sufficiently taken into account, and on the other hand that it is suitable as a basis for developing rules, procedures, performance measures and information systems. A production control concept is the way production control is stratified. To develop a production control concept requires care. Meal [1984] in his plea for a hierarchical approach of production planning and control stressed already the difficulty of the idiosyncracy of production situations. A too standard approach has to be avoided indeed. But by stressing the uniqueness of the situation too much it may get difficult to apply available general production control principles.