Production Planning and Supply Chain Collaboration in Selected Polymer Manufacturing Firms: Inputs to Action Plan

Abstract

This study assesses the relationship between internal production planning practices and external supply chain collaboration within selected polymer manufacturing firms in Laguna and Quezon City. Anchored on Ludwig von Bertalanffy’s General Systems Theory and Jay Barney’s Resource-Based Theory, the research evaluates operational dynamics across twelve metrics using data collected from 150 purposively sampled respondents, including managers, operational staff, and supply chain partners. Methodological rigor was enhanced via expert validation of the instrument, internal reliability testing, and comprehensive statistical assumption verification. The empirical findings indicate that production planning practices are positively associated with enhanced supply chain collaboration, with batch size optimization yielding the highest operational mean. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) reveals significant perceptual variations among stakeholder groups regarding localized shop-floor mechanics such as lead time reduction, batch sizing, and Just-In-Time execution, highlighting critical coordination boundaries. Pearson product-moment correlation analysis demonstrates strong, positive linear associations across all collaborative dimensions. The article outlines structural limitations, provides theoretical insights for smart material governance under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022, and defines strategic action horizons for future multi-method research.