Managers of the production function are responsible for three major activities. First, production managers must make plans for production inputs. This involves determining the inputs required in the firm’s operations and includes such decisions as product planning, plant location and provision for adequate supplies of raw materials, labor, power, and machinery. These plans must be completed before the conversion process from raw material to finished product or service can begin. Second, production managers must make decisions about the installation of the necessary inputs. These include the actual design of the plant, the best types of machines to be used, the arrangement of the production machinery, and the determination of the most efficient flow of work in the plant. Third, production managers must coordinate the production processes, the routing of material to the right places, the development of work schedules, and the assignment of work to specific employees. The objective is to promote efficiency.