# Process Planning

## Introduction

| Process planning has been introduced in conjunction with STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product Data). This standard is used to simulate the processing/production chain of a product. Both individual processing stages (states) and operations required for the progress from one processing stage to another are reproduced. The relationships between process, operation, item, and resources are depicted in the figure below.
| Process plans are used mostly in the automotive industry for the production of car body parts.