What is Plan vs Actual
Plan vs actual is a simple comparison between what was planned and what actually happened. It is the most important tool in production control. It shows whether the factory is on track, behind, or ahead.
Why It Matters
Plans without tracking are just wishes. Comparing plan to actual shows you where the plan is failing. It triggers action while there is still time to fix.
Practical Example 1 — Daily Line
Plan: 1000 pieces. Actual: 900 pieces. Gap: 100 pieces, 10 percent behind. Supervisor investigates and finds 30 minutes of downtime. Action: schedule maintenance tonight.
Practical Example 2 — Weekly Cumulative
Week 1: Plan 6000, actual 5500. Cumulative gap 500 pieces. If the trend continues, the delivery date is at risk. The planner adds buffer or adjusts load.
Practical Example 3 — By Style
Style A is on plan. Style B is 15 percent behind. Style C is ahead. The line manager shifts operator support to Style B.
Practical Example 4 — By Buyer
Buyer A is on plan. Buyer B is behind. Weekly buyer report flags the gap and drives weekly meeting discussion.
What to Compare
Pieces. Efficiency. DHU. Absenteeism. Downtime. Order progress. Cumulative values over weeks.
How to Present Plan vs Actual
A simple table with plan and actual for each line and each day. Add cumulative totals. Add variance in pieces and percent. Add a color code (green, yellow, red). Update daily.
Common Mistakes
Tracking plan vs actual only weekly (too late). Not tracking cumulative. Not acting on the gap. Hiding the gap. Not explaining the cause of the gap.
When to Use It
Plan vs actual is tracked daily for pieces and efficiency, weekly for order progress, monthly for buyer-level performance. It is the core of production control.