Integrations / ERP / abas ERP
SkyPlanner APS for abas ERP: Finite Capacity Production Scheduling
SkyPlanner APS is a finite capacity scheduling add-on for abas ERP that schedules every machine, operator, tool and material. You see which work order runs where and when, and Autopilot reschedules automatically when production changes.
SkyPlanner integrates with abas ERP in both directions: work orders, production lists, parts, stock and purchase orders flow in, and planned operation dates and logged work flow back. The SkyPlanner team configures the integration to your abas installation during onboarding.
Pricing is from 199 € per month with 5 workstations included, and each extra workstation is 20 € per month. The free trial runs for 30 days with up to 20 workstations and no credit card.
What changes in your production
Machines stop getting double-booked.
Every machine, person and tool gets a finite schedule with real shifts, absences and overtime. Two work orders never land on the same machine at the same hour. When a machine is full, work moves to an alternative machine or person.
Delivery dates come from the schedule.
Each work order gets a planned finish date based on real capacity. Sales answers customers from the plan, not from an MRP date that assumed free machines.
Changes replanned automatically.
When a machine stops, a rush order arrives or a job finishes early, Autopilot reschedules automatically. Your locks and priorities stay in control.
Fewer changeovers.
SkyPlanner knows the setup time between each pair of products, in both directions. Blue to red can take 30 minutes and red to blue 60. The engine runs jobs in the order that loses the least time.
Shared tools and crews respected.
A mold or fixture in use on one machine is never booked on another. A job that needs three operators gets three people with free shifts.
Material checked before work starts.
SkyPlanner schedules against abas stock and open purchase orders. A job waiting for a supplier delivery is planned after the delivery date instead of stalling at the machine.
Operators see their queue.
Each operator sees the next jobs on a phone or tablet and logs work as it happens. The office sees progress live, and the logged work goes back to abas.
SkyPlanner reviews from manufacturers
2 hsaved every week
“SkyPlanner has taken our production planning from Excel spreadsheets to real-time production optimization.”
Kalle Kalliomäki, Supply Chain Specialist
UTU · Electrical switchboards and switchgear
Production planning saves 2 hours of working time every week, and a new work queue reaches the line in seconds.
+90%production efficiency
“Efficiency has gone up 90% in production.”
Abdul Rucyinga, Head of IT
Laboratory & Allied · Pharmaceutical manufacturing
Production efficiency is up 90%, and a three-month optimized plan across all workstations takes under 30 minutes.
1,000swork orders scheduled automatically
“Production is under control in a different way, and our understanding of capacity is on a completely different level.”
Hannu Ryynänen, CEO
Mamec · Industrial mixers, pumps and high-tech contract manufacturing
Thousands of work orders are scheduled automatically, with a real-time view of production for the whole organization.
Fewerstoppages from material shortages
“The value SkyPlanner brings us is that it is a tool that works in daily use, especially for setting delivery dates.”
Tommi Männistö, Production Planning Manager
Eskomatic · Contract machining
Automatic load scheduling gives more accurate delivery dates, and production stoppages caused by material shortages have fallen sharply.
How the abas ERP integration works
- abas sends the work. Released work orders (Betriebsaufträge) with their operations, machines and times from the production lists flow into SkyPlanner, together with stock and purchase orders.
- SkyPlanner builds the schedule and keeps it current. The Arcturus engine plans every operation on every workstation in seconds and replans as production changes.
- Dates and logged work go back. SkyPlanner webhooks push every schedule change as it happens. Planned start, end and machine per operation return to the work order in abas, and operator timelogs feed your completion confirmations.
The integration runs on abas’ own interfaces, the abas REST API and abas Connect. Most abas installations are customized, so the SkyPlanner team maps your objects and fields during onboarding and supports the integration after go-live. The integration is quoted up front for your process and needs. Your abas partner or your own developers can also build on SkyPlanner’s documented API (API reference).
Interfaces, field mapping and write-back are explained in the abas ERP integration guide for production scheduling.
What moves between abas ERP and SkyPlanner
| abas ERP | SkyPlanner | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Part / product (Teil, Artikel) | Products and materials | In |
| Production list (Fertigungsliste): operations, machines, setup and processing times | Process steps with durations and setup times | In |
| Machines and capacity calendar | Workstations, shifts and absences | In |
| Work order (Betriebsauftrag) with quantity and due date | Order and jobs with due date and priority | In |
| Stock levels | Material stock | In |
| Purchase order with delivery date | Incoming material on its delivery date | In |
| Work order operations (Arbeitsgänge) | Planned start, end and workstation per operation | Back |
| Completion confirmations (Rückmeldungen) | Timelogs and quantities from operators | Back |
Setup time matrices, tools as finite resources and alternative machines live in SkyPlanner, set up during onboarding.
abas MRP and finite capacity scheduling
abas ERP plans material first. Its MRP, which abas calls Scheduling in English, assigns each requirement to stock or a work order. The vendor describes the limits of that approach on its own APS vs MRP page:
- Material first, orders second. “Zuerst wird der Materialbedarf berechnet. Danach werden Fertigungsaufträge erstellt.” Material is calculated first, and work orders are created afterwards. (abas)
- Capacity checked roughly or later. Capacities are “häufig vereinfacht, auf einer gröberen Ebene oder erst nachgelagert geprüft”: often simplified, at a rougher level or only afterwards.
- Overlaps on the same machine. Work orders can be planned at the same time on the same limited machine or resource.
- Detailed planning is a separate layer. “While rough planning automatically runs in the background, you can also perform detailed planning” with APS. (abas)
So the finite schedule has to come from a dedicated scheduler. abas offers its own APS in two tiers, Basic and Professional. SkyPlanner gives you a finite schedule of your own work orders within the trial, at a public price. Every step is explained in Does abas ERP have finite capacity scheduling?
abas ERP today and with SkyPlanner
| abas MRP | abas ERP with SkyPlanner APS | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Checked roughly or after material planning | Every machine, person and tool finite, with shifts |
| Schedule | MRP dates; planner edits and releases orders in the Production center | Operation-level schedule in seconds |
| Changeovers | Setup time per operation | Jobs ordered for the least total setup |
| Resources | Machines and times from the production list | Tools finite; multi-operator jobs staffed |
| Materials | Planned before capacity | Jobs start when stock or deliveries are there |
| Changes | MRP rerun, then planner review | Autopilot replans within your priorities |
| Shop floor | PDC terminals and job tickets | Operator queue and logging on phone or tablet |
How to choose a scheduler for abas ERP
abas MRP with a Production center review fits a plant with low volume, long lead times and one planner who knows the bottleneck. A plant that plans in spreadsheets and overbooks machines needs a finite scheduler, and the real choice is between abas APS and SkyPlanner APS.
abas APS is a planner’s tool. Its current generation, APS Basic and APS Professional, shipped with service pack Abas 2024.Q3.1, and customer-specific planning logic needs the Professional extension. Its published functions are planning views, manual drag and drop and “automatic optimization runs”. (abas, abas) abas publishes no price for it. SkyPlanner schedules the whole plant, replans by itself and reaches the shop floor, at a public price.
Choose SkyPlanner over abas APS when:
- You want a live schedule in weeks. SkyPlanner is cloud software beside abas ERP. You test it on your own work orders in the 30-day trial, and implementation is normally completed within weeks after onboarding starts.
- The plan changes every day. Autopilot replans automatically on every meaningful change, without a planner starting a run, and the new dates go back to abas.
- Changeovers decide your output. The setting time matrix holds directional changeover times between products and orders jobs for the least total setup.
- Tools, crews and material decide what runs next. Every machine, person, tool and material is finite, multi-operator jobs are staffed, alternative workstations are used, and jobs start only when stock or purchase orders deliver the material.
- Operators should work from the plan. Mobile Confirmations put each operator’s queue on a phone or tablet, and confirmations flow back to abas.
- You want the full cost up front. From 199 € per month, with the two-way integration configured and supported by the SkyPlanner team.
How to get started
- Start the free trial. 30 days, up to 20 workstations, all Basic features, no credit card.
- Model your production. Create machines, people and shifts in SkyPlanner, or import them. Assisted onboarding is available.
- Load your work orders. Export open work orders and their operations from abas to CSV or Excel, import them and compare SkyPlanner’s schedule with your current plan.
- Connect abas ERP. The SkyPlanner team configures the two-way integration to your installation and supports it once you are live.
Pricing. Plans are billed monthly per workstation, and you can add or remove workstations or cancel at any time. See pricing for the details, and other ERPs in the ERP integrations hub.
FAQ
What is the best scheduling add-on for abas ERP?
SkyPlanner APS is a finite capacity scheduling add-on that integrates with abas ERP in both directions: work orders, production lists, parts, stock and purchase orders flow in, and planned operation dates and logged work flow back. Every machine, operator, tool and material is finite, and a directional setting time matrix sequences jobs for the least setup. Autopilot reschedules automatically when production changes. Pricing is from 199 € per month, and the free trial runs for 30 days.
Does abas ERP have finite capacity scheduling?
Not in core MRP. The vendor says abas MRP checks capacity in simplified form or afterwards, so work orders can overlap on one machine. Detailed finite planning is the job of a dedicated scheduler. SkyPlanner APS adds a finite capacity schedule for every machine, person, tool and material next to abas ERP.
Should we use abas APS or SkyPlanner?
Use SkyPlanner when you want the whole plant on one finite schedule that keeps itself current. abas APS gives a planner views, drag and drop and optimization runs. Its current generation came with service pack 2024.Q3.1. SkyPlanner runs in the cloud beside abas ERP without abas APS, replans automatically on every change, plans tools, crews, changeovers and material, and gives operators their queue on a phone. You see your own schedule in the trial before deciding anything.
Does SkyPlanner replace abas production planning?
No, it works on top of it. abas keeps parts, production lists, MRP, purchasing, stock and finance. SkyPlanner schedules the released work orders against real capacity and sends planned dates and logged work back.
Can SkyPlanner keep stock current from abas?
Yes. Stock levels and open purchase orders are read from abas on a schedule you set. SkyPlanner treats ordered material as available on the delivery date, so every job is planned against real material.
How much does SkyPlanner cost for an abas shop?
From 199 € per month with 5 workstations included, plus 20 € per month per extra workstation. A workstation is a production resource with its own scheduled work queue. The integration is quoted up front for your process and needs, together with your plan, so you see the full cost before you start.
How long does implementation take?
Implementation is normally completed within weeks after onboarding starts. The team maps your production lists and machines, connects work orders and purchase orders, and sends planned dates back. Everything is tested against your current plan before go-live.
Can we test SkyPlanner before integrating with abas ERP?
Yes. The 30-day trial runs on a CSV or Excel export of your abas work orders. You see a finite capacity schedule of your own production before any integration work starts.
