Production scheduling for aerospace and defense suppliers
Aerospace and defense production scheduling software
SkyPlanner APS turns your work orders, routings, machines, inspections, outside processors and shifts into one finite-capacity schedule. It plans every operation and special process so parts reach each milestone on time, keeps your most expensive machines loaded, and rebuilds the plan in seconds when a batch comes back late from heat treatment or a new contract is won. It integrates with any ERP or MES through its open REST API.
- Long routings and special processes
- Finite-capacity scheduling
- Any ERP or MES via REST API
- From 199 € / month
Since 2021
scheduling dozens of CNC lathes and machining centres, Eskomatic
Thousands
of work orders scheduled automatically, Mamec
98%
delivery reliability, up from around 50%, KJH-Comp
2 → 1
supervisors needed for scheduling, KJH-Comp
Results reported by SkyPlanner customers Eskomatic (contract machining of demanding metal components for the metal, hydraulics, medical, defense and electronics industries), Mamec (industrial mixers and pumps, plus high-tech contract manufacturing) and KJH-Comp (sheet-metal contract manufacturing). Read all SkyPlanner APS reviews
Why aerospace and defense work is hard to schedule
Long routings, outside processes, dates written into the contract
An aerospace part can pass through many operations, several inspections and more than one approved outside processor before it ships. Every step has to happen in order, on capacity that is often already booked.
Routings with many operations
Saw, rough machine, heat treat, finish machine, deburr, inspect, treat the surface, inspect again. A part waits for every step before it, and every step has its own workstation.
Inspection is capacity too
First article checks, in-process inspection and final inspection all take time on a CMM or an inspection bench, and the next operation cannot start until the part is released.
Special processes leave the building
Heat treatment, NDT, anodizing, plating and painting often run at approved outside processors. Their lead time is part of the delivery date whether the plan shows it or not.
Low volume, high mix
Small batches of many part numbers, each with its own program, fixture and material. The job order on a machine decides how much of the shift goes to setups.
Every machine hour is expensive
Five-axis machining centres, large mills and turning centres are the bottleneck and the investment. An hour lost to a missing fixture or a late casting is an hour you never get back.
Milestones the customer tracks
Prime contractors and OEMs track delivery dates and program milestones. A slip at the second operation shows up as a missed date at the end of the route.
SkyPlanner follows every work order through every operation, inside and outside your walls. Each machine and inspection bench is loaded to its real hours, outside processes sit in the route with their real lead times, and the Arcturus AI engine rebuilds the plan in seconds when a part comes back late.
Outside processes, inspections and wait times
Heat treatment, NDT and inspection on the same timeline as your machines.
A part that is machined but still at the plater is not ready to ship. SkyPlanner puts outside special processes, inspections and waiting times into the route, so the delivery date covers every step.
Outside processors as workstations
A heat treater, NDT lab or surface treatment shop is set up as its own workstation in subcontract mode. Outsourced steps appear in the route and on the Gantt like any other step, and you see when parts are sent out and when they come back.
Fixed cycles and waits
Give a step a fixed duration that does not depend on quantity, such as a furnace cycle, and a teardown time for the wait after it. The next operation cannot start before the wait is over.
Inspection as a scheduled step
Inspection is planned as its own step with its own capacity, so CMM time and inspector hours are booked in the schedule instead of becoming a queue nobody planned.
How SkyPlanner schedules an aerospace and defense supplier
Costly machines loaded, every work order accounted for
SkyPlanner schedules to the machines, fixtures and materials you really have, ties every job to its work order, and shows the same plan at the machine and at the inspection bench.
Machine hours planned like the asset they are
Each machining centre, lathe and inspection station has its own shift calendar, and planned maintenance, calibration and breakdowns are entered as exceptions. Tell SkyPlanner which machines can run an operation, and the AI scheduling engine moves a job to the next suitable machine when the first choice is busy or down. Products carry properties such as material, fixture or part family, and a changeover matrix for each machine lets the scheduler group similar jobs to cut setup time while still meeting due dates. Personnel scheduling assigns operators to shifts and machines, so no job is planned on a machine that has nobody to run it.
- A shared fixture or tool cannot be in two places at once, so it is never planned on two machines at the same time
- Several plants scheduled together, with transfer times between sites
Work orders followed from raw stock to final inspection
Every job carries its order item, its process step and the attachments added to the order, such as drawings and instructions. SkyPlanner handles multi-level bills of materials and sub-products, calculates material needs at every level and, with material-based scheduling on, starts a job only when its forgings, castings, bar stock or purchased parts will be there. Progress, quantities, scrap and logged hours are reported against each job, and external work numbers keep every step linked to the work order in your ERP.
- Due dates for individual process steps, so each milestone has its own date
- Minimum degree of completion lets the next operation start on finished parts before the whole batch is done
Machinists and inspectors work from one live queue
Machinists and inspectors see their own work queue in a simple worker view or the SkyPlanner shop-floor app, and can open the drawing for the job on a tablet. They start, pause and complete jobs and report quantities and scrap as they go, so the schedule always reflects where every part actually is. Logged hours also make future duration estimates more realistic.
Late castings, returned parts, new contracts
Parts back late from plating. The plan already knows.
When a casting is late, an outside processor returns a batch behind schedule or an urgent repair arrives, the Arcturus AI engine rebuilds the schedule in seconds. Lock jobs that must not move, raise priorities or fast-track an urgent order.
- Add a new contract or RFQ as a sales prospect scheduled as a simulated order and see the earliest realistic delivery date, without disturbing confirmed work orders.
- Fast-track an urgent MRO repair and see what it does to every other promise before you accept it.
- Quote delivery dates from the real load on your machines, your inspection and your outside processors.
The value SkyPlanner brings us is that it is a tool that works in daily use, especially for setting delivery dates. There, I think, it works well.
Tommi Männistö, Production Planning Manager, Eskomatic Oy
Contract machining of demanding metal components, including for the defense industry · Eskomatic’s SkyPlanner APS review
Integrates with any ERP or MES
Your ERP holds the contracts and part revisions. SkyPlanner times every operation and outside process.
SkyPlanner connects to all ERP and MES systems through its open REST API, including in-house systems. Work orders, routings and materials flow in, planned times, need dates and progress flow back. It also runs standalone, so you can start scheduling before an integration is in place.
From your ERP
ERP · MES · CSV · Manual
- Sales orders & work orders
- Parts, routings & BOMs
- Forgings, castings & purchase orders
- Customers & milestone dates
SkyPlanner APS
Schedules production
- Machines
- Inspection
- Outside processes
- Fixtures
- Shifts
- Milestones
- Schedule
Back to your ERP
ERP · Reports · Management
- Planned start & end times
- Material need dates
- Progress, quantities & logged hours
- Delivery dates
- SAP S/4HANA
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
- Oracle NetSuite
- Infor
- Epicor
- IFS Cloud
- Sage X3
- Odoo
- Deltek Costpoint
- Infor CloudSuite Industrial
Where SkyPlanner fits
Scheduling for aerospace and defense suppliers of every size
From a single machining cell to groups with several plants. Wherever parts follow long routings through your own machines, inspection and approved outside processors toward a fixed delivery date, SkyPlanner plans them.
Aerospace and defense segments
- Aerostructures and machined airframe parts
- Engine and turbine components
- Aircraft interiors and cabin parts
- MRO component repair shops
- Defense vehicles and equipment
- Landing gear and actuation components
- Precision subcontractors and build-to-print suppliers
Why SkyPlanner for aerospace and defense
Why aerospace and defense suppliers plan with SkyPlanner
SkyPlanner APS is AI production scheduling software for aerospace and defense manufacturers that want every operation, inspection and outside process planned to real capacity and every delivery date backed by the actual load. It suits component makers, build-to-print suppliers and MRO shops alike, from a single cell to multi-site groups.
Special processes in the route
Heat treaters, NDT labs and surface treatment shops run as subcontract workstations, so outside lead times are part of the schedule and you see when parts go out and come back.
Inspection and work orders tracked
Inspection is a scheduled step with its own capacity, and every job reports progress, quantities, scrap and hours against its work order.
Expensive machines kept cutting
Changeover matrices group similar jobs, alternative machines take over when one is down, and a shared fixture is never booked on two machines at once.
Milestone dates you can defend
Set due dates for individual process steps, schedule a new contract as a simulated order and let the Arcturus AI engine rebuild the plan in seconds when anything slips.
Any ERP or MES, 29 languages
Schedule on your own before any integration, then connect any ERP or MES, including in-house systems, through the open REST API. The interface comes in 29 languages.
Published price, free trial
From 199 € / month with 5 workstations included and 20 € per month per additional workstation. The 30-day free trial covers up to 20 workstations with no credit card.
Security and data
SkyPlanner runs in the cloud on AWS. If your data needs to stay in a specific country, a dedicated server there is available by agreement. Data is backed up daily and backups are kept for 30 days. Users can sign in with Google or Microsoft accounts and two-factor authentication. A data processing agreement is available, and customer data is never used to train AI models.
Pricing
From 199 € / month
5 workstations included. Each additional workstation is 20 € per month. There is a free trial, and guided onboarding packages are available if you want help setting up machines, routings and outside processes.
Questions aerospace and defense manufacturers ask
Frequently asked questions
What is the best production scheduling software for aerospace and defense manufacturing?
An aerospace or defense supplier needs scheduling software that plans long routings with inspections and outside special processes to finite capacity, keeps expensive machines loaded across a high mix of small batches, and gives every work order a delivery date backed by the real load. SkyPlanner APS does all three, and the Arcturus AI engine rebuilds the schedule in seconds when a part comes back late or a new contract arrives. Pricing is published, from 199 € / month, there is a 30-day free trial, and SkyPlanner integrates with any ERP or MES through its open REST API.
Is SkyPlanner a finite-capacity APS that plans machining, inspection and special processes as one route?
Yes. SkyPlanner APS is an advanced planning and scheduling system that loads every machining centre, CMM and inspection bench to its real hours and puts each outside special process in the same route. A flight part’s sequence of saw, machining, heat treatment, NDT, surface treatment and final inspection becomes one finite-capacity schedule, optimised by the Arcturus AI engine.
What does SkyPlanner exchange with an aerospace ERP such as SAP S/4HANA or Deltek Costpoint?
Sales orders, work orders, parts, routings, multi-level BOMs, purchase orders for forgings and castings, and customer milestone dates flow in from the ERP. Planned start and end times, material need dates, progress, quantities, scrap, logged hours and delivery dates flow back, with external work numbers keeping each step tied to its ERP work order. Any ERP or MES, including in-house systems, connects through the open REST API, built by Skycode or by your own developers from the public API documentation.
Do contracts, part revisions and quality records stay in our ERP when SkyPlanner schedules the shop?
Yes. Your ERP remains the home of contracts, part data and revisions, purchasing, inventory, quality records and costing, while SkyPlanner owns the detailed timing of every operation, inspection and outside process. Planners work in SkyPlanner, and the ERP receives the planned dates and reported progress for each work order.
How quickly can an aerospace machining supplier see its first finite-capacity schedule?
The same day. Start the 30-day free trial with up to 20 workstations and no credit card, set up your machining centres, inspection stations and approved outside processors as workstations, then load demo data or your own parts and routings by CSV import or by hand to build a first schedule with no integration at all. Onboarding workshops then tailor SkyPlanner to your fixtures, special processes and milestone dates, and the ERP connection follows through the open REST API.
Is SkyPlanner sized for a build-to-print machining cell as well as a multi-plant defense group?
Yes, SkyPlanner serves aerospace and defense suppliers of every size. A precision cell with a handful of machines starts from 199 € per month with 5 workstations included and adds 20 € per month per additional workstation, while a group schedules several plants together with transfer times between sites. Machinists and inspectors in plants across different countries use the interface in any of its 29 languages.
Can SkyPlanner schedule outside special processes like heat treatment, NDT and plating?
Yes. Each outside processor is set up as its own workstation in subcontract mode, so outsourced steps sit in the routing and on the Gantt like any other operation, and you can track when parts are sent out and returned. Fixed-duration steps and teardown times model furnace cycles and waits, and inspection is planned as its own step with its own capacity, so the delivery date covers the whole route.
How does SkyPlanner protect program milestones when a casting arrives late or an urgent MRO repair comes in?
Due dates are set for individual process steps, so each milestone carries its own date, and material-based scheduling starts a job only when its forgings, castings or bar stock will be there. When a delivery slips or an AOG repair is fast-tracked, the Arcturus AI engine replans in seconds while locked jobs stay put, and a new contract can be scheduled as a simulated order to show its earliest realistic delivery date before you commit.
More industries
Production scheduling in related industries
Plan SMT setups, component availability, test and box build to real capacity.
Bring one long routing. See it scheduled to the milestone.
Bring a recent work order with its operations, inspections and outside processes, plus your machines and shifts. We schedule it with you in SkyPlanner and show where each operation lands, when parts leave for outside processing and come back, and which delivery date you can commit to.
