Advanced planning and scheduling
Enterprise production scheduling software
SkyPlanner APS is the detailed scheduling layer of a large plant. It takes orders from your ERP, schedules every process step to finite capacity with the Arcturus AI engine and sends planned times back. It works next to your ERP and your S&OP or supply chain planning tools, not instead of them.
- Finite-capacity scheduling
- REST API to any ERP or MES
- Role-based access
- 29 languages
30+
countries with SkyPlanner partners
29
languages in the user interface
Tens of thousands
active process steps in customer schedules
Seconds
for Arcturus to rebuild a complex plan
SkyPlanner APS is developed by Skycode Oy and sold and used globally. Read all SkyPlanner APS reviews
Where APS fits in a large company
APS next to ERP and S&OP
Large manufacturers already plan in layers. The ERP holds orders, materials and finance. S&OP and supply chain planning tools balance demand and supply over weeks and months. What is often missing is the layer that decides what each machine runs next, this shift.
ERP plans without finite capacity
MRP in the ERP calculates when things are needed, but it does not sequence jobs on machines with real shift calendars, setups and operator limits.
S&OP works in time buckets
Sales and operations planning and supply chain planning tools work in weeks and months across the network. They are not built to sequence jobs on one machine.
Spreadsheets fill the gap
Between the ERP and the shop floor, many plants still schedule in spreadsheets that one planner owns and nobody else can rely on.
Disruptions touch hundreds of jobs
A breakdown or a rush order in a large plant moves hundreds of jobs. Manual replanning cannot keep up.
IT fears another big project
A new planning system often sounds like a long integration project with custom middleware.
Security review comes first
Before any pilot, IT and purchasing need answers on data location, access control and how customer data is used.
SkyPlanner is the detailed plant scheduling layer. It does not compete with your ERP or your supply chain planning suite. It takes their orders and turns them into a finite-capacity schedule for every machine, shift and operator.
ERP integration
ERP integration without a big IT project
SkyPlanner integrates with any ERP that provides an API, through its own open REST API. Integrations are usually two-way, and the plant can start scheduling before the integration is finished.
Two-way data flow
Production or sales orders and material stock flow in from the ERP. Planned job times and start, pause and completion times flow back.
Built by Skycode or by your IT team
Skycode builds the integration, or your own developers build it against the public REST API documentation. Customer-specific features are available as customization services.
Scheduling before the integration
SkyPlanner also runs standalone with CSV and Excel imports, so planners can work with the schedule while the integration is being built.
Scale
Built for large schedules
SkyPlanner schedules process steps, not just orders, and it has customers with tens of thousands of active process steps. The Arcturus AI engine calculates complex production plans in seconds.
Workstations, operators and shifts
Every workstation has its own shift calendar, several shifts can run on one workstation, and employee groups and departments organise a large workforce. Plan by operator or by plain capacity, whichever fits the plant.
- Operator-based or capacity-based planning
- Shift scheduling with overtime and swaps
Multi-level bills of materials
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 materials will be there.
- Material shortages visible in planning
- Need dates flow back to the ERP
Several plants, one or many SkyPlanners
Plants can share one SkyPlanner, with workstation groups that separate the resources of each factory, or each plant can run its own SkyPlanner. Separate SkyPlanners communicate with each other and can share routings. Subcontractors join the chain as their own workstations or with their own SkyPlanner. Read more about multi-site production scheduling.
Breakdowns and rush orders
A line stops. The new schedule is ready in seconds.
When a line stops, a material is late or a key customer pulls an order forward, 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 quote as a sales prospect scheduled as a simulated order and see the earliest realistic delivery date, without disturbing confirmed orders.
- See what accepting a rush order does to every other promise.
- Quote dates from the real load on your workstations.
Integrates with any ERP or MES
Your ERP keeps the orders. SkyPlanner schedules the plant.
SkyPlanner connects to all ERP and MES systems through its open REST API, including in-house systems. Orders and products flow in, planned times and material need dates 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 & production orders
- Products & routings
- Materials & stock
- Customers & due dates
SkyPlanner APS
Schedules production
- Workstations
- Shifts
- Operators
- Routings
- Materials
- Plants
- Schedule
Back to your ERP
ERP · Reports · Management
- Planned start & end times
- Material need dates
- Progress & quantities
- Delivery dates
- SAP S/4HANA
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
- Oracle NetSuite
- Infor
- Epicor
- IFS Cloud
- Sage X3
- Odoo
Security
Security for enterprise IT
IT and purchasing can review how SkyPlanner handles data, access and AI before the first pilot. Security and data protection questionnaires are answered during the sales process.
What your IT team gets
- Cloud service on AWS, with a dedicated server in a specific country by agreement
- Sign-in with Google or Microsoft accounts and two-factor authentication
- Role-based access for head users, planners, operators and read-only viewers
- Audit logging of data changes and security events
- Daily backups kept for 30 days
- A data processing agreement
- Customer data never used to train AI models
Why SkyPlanner
Why large manufacturers schedule with SkyPlanner
SkyPlanner APS is AI production scheduling software for manufacturers of every size, from single plants to groups with several sites. Large manufacturers use it as the finite-capacity scheduling layer between the ERP and the shop floor.
Sized for large plants
Schedules with tens of thousands of active process steps, rebuilt in seconds by the Arcturus AI engine.
Configured to every plant
More than 1,000 configurable settings fit SkyPlanner to the process of each plant, even when plants work in different industries.
Any ERP or MES
One open REST API for every ERP that provides an API, including in-house systems.
A view for every role
Head users set the rules, planners schedule, operators report from the shop floor and viewers follow the plan.
Onboarding for large companies
A dedicated onboarding package for large companies. Implementation is normally completed within weeks of the start of the onboarding project.
Enterprise terms
Published per-workstation pricing, with enterprise terms for special requirements such as a dedicated server, custom features or tailored service levels.
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 plants, workstations and the ERP integration.
Every industry
Production scheduling software by industry
SkyPlanner is configured to the process of each factory, so manufacturers in every industry schedule with the same software.
- Food manufacturing
- Beverage
- Chemical manufacturing
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing
- Cosmetics and personal care
- Metal fabrication
- Machine shops
- Foundries and metal forming
- Surface treatment
- Machinery manufacturing
- Automotive parts
- Aerospace and defense
- Electronics manufacturing
- Electrical equipment
- Medical devices
- Contract manufacturing
- Plastics manufacturing
- Packaging and printing
- Furniture manufacturing
- Building products
- Textile, apparel and footwear
Questions large manufacturers ask
Frequently asked questions
What is the best enterprise production scheduling software?
For a large manufacturer, the best production scheduling software schedules every machine to finite capacity, connects to the ERP you already run and passes your IT security review. SkyPlanner APS is an advanced planning and scheduling system that does detailed plant scheduling with the Arcturus AI engine, integrates with any ERP that provides an API through its REST API, and runs schedules with tens of thousands of active process steps.
How does SkyPlanner work next to ERP and S&OP or IBP tools?
Each tool keeps its own job. The ERP holds orders, materials, purchasing and finance. S&OP and integrated business planning tools balance demand and supply across the network over weeks and months. SkyPlanner takes the orders and schedules every process step on the workstations of the plant, then sends planned times and material need dates back to the ERP. It does not replace a supply chain planning suite.
Can SkyPlanner integrate with SAP, Oracle or Microsoft Dynamics?
SkyPlanner integrates with any ERP that provides an API, through its open REST API. Integrations are usually two-way: orders and stock flow in, planned times and job progress flow back. The integration is built by Skycode or by your own developers using the public API documentation. See ERP integrations for systems such as SAP S/4HANA, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Infor, Epicor and IFS Cloud.
How long does an enterprise implementation take?
For large companies SkyPlanner recommends its onboarding package for large companies. The length depends on the scope, but implementation is normally completed within weeks of the start of the onboarding project. Planners can schedule with imported data while the ERP integration is built.
Is SkyPlanner secure enough for enterprise IT?
SkyPlanner runs in the cloud on AWS, and a dedicated server in a specific country is available by agreement. Users sign in with Google or Microsoft accounts and two-factor authentication, access is role-based, and data changes are written to an audit log. Data is backed up daily and backups are kept for 30 days. A data processing agreement is available, customer data is never used to train AI models, and security questionnaires are answered during the sales process.
Can SkyPlanner handle the scale of a large plant?
Yes. SkyPlanner schedules process steps, and it has customers with tens of thousands of active process steps. The Arcturus AI engine calculates complex production plans in seconds, so a large plant can replan after a breakdown or a rush order without waiting.
How is enterprise pricing set?
The standard price is 199 € per month with 5 workstations included and 20 € per month for each additional workstation. Special requirements such as a dedicated server, custom features, integrations or tailored service levels are priced case by case. Contact sales for an enterprise quote.
Does SkyPlanner support several plants?
Yes. Plants can share one SkyPlanner, where workstation groups separate the resources of each factory and transfer times are planned as teardown time or as transport jobs, or each plant can run its own SkyPlanner. Separate SkyPlanners communicate with each other and can share routings. Subcontractors are their own workstations in the routing, or can join the chain with their own SkyPlanner. See multi-site production scheduling.
Can SkyPlanner handle the special processes of each plant?
Yes. SkyPlanner has more than 1,000 configurable settings in its scheduling logic, user interface and data structure. Most process-specific needs are handled by settings, so plants with very different processes, or in different industries, can use the same software. Requirements that cannot be configured are added as customization services, estimated before the work starts.
Is SkyPlanner only for small and medium-sized manufacturers?
No. SkyPlanner is used by manufacturers of every size. Small factories start with a few workstations, and large plants and groups with several sites use the same system with ERP integration, role-based access and enterprise terms.
Schedule one plant first, with your own data
Book a demo with your workstation list and a week of orders. We will show them scheduled to finite capacity and walk your IT team through the integration and security.
