In literature on the investigation of cause-effect relationships within production planning and control (PPC), many models and approaches can be found. These range from the didactic description of cause-effect relationships to generally applicable models for describing the effects and impacts of a procedure selection or parameterisation for a PPC task to be fulfilled, right up to explorative simulation studies. Thus, research in the field of production planning and control can be roughly divided into the research areas of conceptual, analytical, empirical and simulation-based investigations. While each of these approaches makes valuable contributions to prevailing theory, the purpose of this paper is to discuss an application-motivated approach making the complex network of interrelations within PPC easier to penetrate. Because, in particular from the point of view of the practical user, it is of crucial importance to gain a holistic perspective on the relationships and interdependencies within PPC in order to be able to configure it - as well as the entire production system - in the best possible way and in line with the company’s objectives. Thus this contribution can be assigned as a conceptual investigation.