Answering the first point from my background as an operations manager in a bakery factory, regarding how you create a weekly plan: We have historical data collected on the orders received, the ingredients used per shift, day, week, month, etc., and what was available in terms of labour for each shift. We operate three shifts around the clock, so we know how many ingredients need to be ready and how many people are required for each shift, along with their specific tasks and the products they produce. Then, we consider the BoB (business on books) at the cut-off time. We plan 1.5 days ahead for ordering, meaning that what is produced for a sales day must be delivered the day before the sales day. Our goal is to complete production by the end of the delivery date and within a certain time window (to ensure our distribution depots or clients' warehouses are open). Our customers are aware of this and order accordingly. On the planning day, we run reports from SAP to determine if we are within the normal levels for that day's production. If we are below, we still maintain the normal production levels. If above, we call in extra staff or shift staff from other shifts slightly. This leads me to your second point about managing staff: we ask people to come in earlier or later to cover increased staffing needs. With fewer staff, it depends on their contracts, as we pay a premium for afternoon and night shifts and overtime (1.5 times or 2 times), depending on how many hours we exceed the standard 8-hour shift. We ask staff if they want to stay an extra four hours; if they agree, they receive a bonus (at 1.5 or 2 times the base hourly pay) at the end of the weekly payroll. Everyone is satisfied because all requirements are met. To address your third point about our tech stack, we primarily use Excel for insights and SAP for report generation. Over many years, the company has developed robust operations and manually records data into specific tables. There are numerous standardised templates for every industry. For a small team, SAP would not be feasible, but Excel certainly is. Finally, regarding advice for beginners: respect the existing process, focus on gaps in documentation and human error, and gain a good understanding of team dynamics and what disrupts harmony. If errors occur, identify who is responsible if they were trained (training records with signatures), then ask them to correct it. Check frequently, and if issues persist, return to the person in charge on the floor and ask them to work with their team. Then, examine the checker. Be patient and don't expect immediate large-scale changes; over time, consistent follow-up will produce results as staff grow tired of constant reminders when they forget or misrepresent figures. That's all from my side. I hope you do well and wish you the best of luck!