STRUCTURING OF PROBLEMS OF PLANNING, SCHEDULING AND CONTROL OF PRODUCTION IN MICRO AND SMALL COMPANIES: AN APPLICATION OF SOFT SYSTEMS METHODOLOGY IN THE AGRESTE OF PERNAMBUCO

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) face difficulties in structuring Production Planning, Scheduling and Control (PPCP) practices, especially in contexts of managerial informality, resource constraints and low availability of operational data. This article applies the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to the structuring of PPCP problems in four MSEs in the Agreste region of Pernambuco. The research adopts a qualitative and exploratory approach, using data from a diagnostic instrument developed by Tenorio et al. [2024]. The application of the seven stages of SSM allowed us to identify the misalignment between demand forecasting, inventory management, production scheduling, and supplier relationships as a common problem core. As a result, three actions were proposed: integrated forecasting and resource planning schedule, objective criteria for supplier evaluation, and visual tools associated with performance indicators. The study demonstrates that SSM supports progressive, contextualized and feasible improvements in the PPCP of MSEs.