Integrations / ERP / abas ERP
Does abas ERP Have Finite Capacity Scheduling? abas MRP and APS vs SkyPlanner APS
Core abas ERP plans material first and checks capacity roughly or afterwards. In abas’ own words, work orders can then land on the same limited machine at the same time. Finite detailed planning needs a separate layer. abas offers its own APS module. SkyPlanner APS is the cloud scheduler that runs beside abas ERP, on your own work orders within a 30-day trial.
How abas ERP plans production, step by step
The production chain in abas has six parts.
1. Parts and production lists
Items are parts or products (Teil, Artikel). Where other ERPs keep a bill of materials and a routing apart, abas combines them. “Instead of separate BOMs and work plans, you use a combination of both”: production lists that hold “material, operations, machines, and times in one place.” (abas)
Each production list (Fertigungsliste) carries operations (Arbeitsgänge) and operation sequences with processing and setup times.
2. Machines and the capacity calendar
Operations point to machines and resources. Scheduling takes “existing capacities into account (calendar)” when it creates reservations. (abas)
3. MRP, which abas calls Scheduling
“The abas Material Requirements Planning (MRP) module, also known as Scheduling, is one of the core abas functions.” (abas) Every requirement, such as a sales order, is assigned to a procurement: stock, a purchase order or a work order. The run happens once a day or continuously.
The result is work order suggestions (Fertigungsvorschläge). When abas English pages say “scheduling”, they mean this MRP run, not finite sequencing of operations.
4. Production center and Production dashboard
The planner reviews suggestions in the Production center (Fertigungszentrale). There you view, edit and release work order suggestions and work orders (Betriebsaufträge). “While rough planning automatically runs in the background, you can also perform detailed planning.” (abas)
5. abas APS: the detailed planning layer
Detailed planning is abas APS (APS/Feinplanung). abas describes it as “Optimization of production order processing through detailed planning against limited capacity.” (abas) It works with:
- detailed calendars, staff qualifications, sequences and priority characteristics
- alternative resources and set-up optimization
- manual planning or automatic optimization runs
- a resource view (Gantt with drag and drop), production order, customer order and capacity utilization views, and a Bottleneck view
- planning scenarios and priority simulation
Service pack 2024.Q3.1 introduced a new generation in two tiers. APS Basic plans alternative machines, resources and staff and writes manual plans back to the abas operations. APS Professional comes “als Erweiterung”, as an extension, with more simulation parameters and, for the first time, customer-specific planning logic. (abas) The module comes from alltrotec, which Forterro acquired in September 2024. (Forterro)
6. Shop floor feedback with PDC
Plant Data Collection (PDC) records “partial and full completion confirmations of yields”, attendance time and machine status. Operators use job tickets or a mobile terminal. (abas) Confirmations (Rückmeldungen) update the work order.
What stays with the planner
abas states the limits of MRP plainly on its own APS vs MRP page:
- Material first, capacity later. “Zuerst wird der Materialbedarf berechnet. Danach werden Fertigungsaufträge erstellt.” Material is calculated first, then work orders are created.
- Capacity in rough form. Capacities are “häufig vereinfacht, auf einer gröberen Ebene oder erst nachgelagert geprüft”: often simplified, checked at a rougher level or only afterwards.
- Separate capacity check. “Kapazitätsprüfung erfolgt häufig getrennt”: the capacity check often runs separately.
- Overlapping orders. Work orders can be planned at the same time on the same limited machine or resource.
- APS on top, not instead. “APS ersetzt MRP deshalb nicht.” The finite plan is an added layer, not part of MRP.
The APS layer has its own boundaries:
- Tiered scope. Customer-specific planning logic arrives only with APS Professional, the extension on top of APS Basic.
- No public terms. Public abas pages give no price or license terms for APS.
- Release-bound. The current APS generation shipped with service pack Abas 2024.Q3.1. (abas)
- Planner views. The published APS views are resource, order, utilization and Bottleneck views for the planner, optimized by drag and drop or optimization runs. Shop-floor confirmations run separately through PDC.
Without a finite layer, plants see overbooked machines, MRP dates that assume free capacity, and a shadow plan in Excel.
When abas ERP’s own planning is enough
abas MRP plus the Production center does the job when:
- Volume is low, lead times are long and expediting is rare.
- One bottleneck limits the plant and the rest has slack.
- A planner sequences jobs at the machine and rough dates are accepted.
- Changeovers, shared tools and material arrival do not decide the order of work.
If you run abas APS, test it against the checklist below. Whichever scheduler you choose, one system owns the operation dates.
When you need a finite capacity scheduler
You have outgrown rough-cut planning when several of these are true:
- Delivery dates slip although MRP dates looked fine.
- Bottlenecks move with the product mix.
- Changeover time depends on which product ran before.
- Molds, dies or fixtures are shared between machines.
- People, shifts and absences limit the plan, and some jobs need several operators at once.
- Material arrival from purchase orders decides which job can start.
- Rush orders and breakdowns force a replan several times a week.
- Operators need their own queue on a phone or tablet.
What to look for
Ask every vendor, abas APS included, about each point:
- Every resource finite at once, each with shifts.
- A setting time matrix: sequence-dependent, asymmetric changeover times between products, used to minimize total setup.
- Tools as finite shared resources, so one fixture is never on two machines at once.
- Multi-operator jobs staffed with people who have free shifts.
- Material-aware scheduling against stock and incoming purchase orders, not stock alone.
- Alternative machines and personnel the engine uses when the primary resource is busy.
- Automatic rescheduling when production progresses or orders change, without a planner starting a run.
- Operator queues on phone or tablet, with confirmations back to the plan.
- A trial on your own work orders before any license or project decision.
- A clear write-back to abas. Planned dates belong on released work orders, not on MRP suggestions that change with the next run. Agree which system owns operation dates.
The options fall into three groups:
- abas APS is the vendor’s own detailed planning module, in Basic and Professional tiers.
- Classic APS suites from German and Japanese vendors.
- Cloud APS with shop-floor execution, where SkyPlanner sits, schedules every resource automatically beside abas. It keeps replanning as production changes and puts the schedule in operators’ hands.
Where SkyPlanner fits
SkyPlanner APS covers every point on that list. Every workstation, person and tool is finite. The Arcturus AI engine builds an operation-level schedule in seconds, sequenced by your priorities and due dates.
The setting time matrix holds changeover times between product pairs in both directions, for example blue to red 30 minutes and red to blue 60. The engine picks the order with the least setup. Tools are finite shared resources, a job can need several operators at once, and the engine uses alternative machines or personnel when the primary resource is unavailable.
Material-driven scheduling simulates future inventory from abas stock and open purchase orders. Ordered material counts as available on its delivery date, so work is planned only when material is there.
Autopilot reschedules automatically when production changes, within your locks and priorities. Planners edit jobs on an interactive Gantt timeline. Operators see their queue and log work on phone or tablet with Mobile Confirmations, Production Timer and Quick Log Mode.
Choose SkyPlanner over abas APS when:
- You need a live schedule in weeks. abas APS in its current Basic and Professional form came with service pack Abas 2024.Q3.1. SkyPlanner is cloud software beside abas ERP that you test on your own work orders in the trial and run live within weeks after onboarding starts.
- The plan must keep itself current. abas APS optimizes through drag and drop and optimization runs. Autopilot replans automatically on every meaningful change.
- Changeovers, tools, crews and material decide the sequence. SkyPlanner plans the setting time matrix, finite tools, multi-operator jobs, alternative workstations and purchase-order arrivals in one schedule.
- Operators should work from the live queue. abas APS views serve the planner and confirmations run through PDC. Mobile Confirmations give every operator the current queue on a phone or tablet.
Start with a CSV or Excel export of your open work orders in the 30-day free trial (up to 20 workstations, no credit card). After that, pricing is from 199 € per month with 5 workstations included. The integration is quoted up front for your process and needs, together with your plan. Implementation is normally completed within weeks after onboarding starts.
SkyPlanner integrates with abas ERP in both directions: work orders, production lists, stock and purchase orders flow in, and planned operation dates and timelogs go back. The SkyPlanner team configures it during onboarding, or your abas partner or developers build it on the documented REST API (API reference).
Read the overview on the SkyPlanner for abas ERP page, the technical details in the abas ERP integration guide, or other systems in the ERP integrations hub.
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.
98%delivery reliability, up from about 50%
“SkyPlanner plays a decisive role in maintaining our delivery reliability.”
Hannu Lahtinen, Managing Director
KJH-Comp · Sheet-metal mechanics and contract manufacturing
Delivery reliability rose from around 50% to as high as 98%, and scheduling now needs one supervisor instead of two.
99.2%delivery reliability
“SkyPlanner has brought visibility to identifying bottlenecks and clarified production management.”
Toni Tuori, Production Manager
Piristeel · Roof safety and rainwater systems
Delivery reliability reached 99.2% this year, and scheduling saves up to four hours of working time per day.
FAQ
Does abas ERP have a scheduling tool?
Yes, but the name misleads. In abas English, Scheduling is the MRP module that assigns requirements to stock, purchase orders or work orders. Finite detailed planning of operations is a separate APS layer.
Does abas MRP consider capacity?
Only roughly. abas itself says MRP checks capacity in simplified form, at a rougher level or afterwards. Work orders can be planned at the same time on the same limited machine.
What is the difference between abas APS Basic and APS Professional?
APS Basic plans alternative machines, resources and staff and writes manual plans back to the abas operations. APS Professional is an extension with more simulation parameters and customer-specific planning logic. Both arrived with service pack 2024.Q3.1.
Can SkyPlanner run next to abas ERP without abas APS?
Yes. SkyPlanner schedules abas work orders directly and writes planned dates back to abas. It also checks stock and open purchase orders from abas before it plans a job.
Can I test SkyPlanner before integrating it with abas ERP?
Yes. Export open work orders, operations and machines from abas to CSV or Excel and import them during the 30-day trial. No credit card is needed. See pricing, start the trial or talk to sales.
