Integrations / ERP / APplus
APplus Integration Guide for Production Scheduling with SkyPlanner APS
This APplus integration guide shows APplus partners and IT teams how to connect APplus to SkyPlanner APS. SkyPlanner integrates with APplus in both directions, using Asseco’s own interfaces:
- Production orders (Fertigungsaufträge) with their operations (Arbeitsgänge), routings (Arbeitspläne), BOMs (Stücklisten), capacity units (Kapazitätsstellen and Kapazitätseinheiten), tools (Betriebsmittel), stock and purchase orders flow in.
- Planned start, end and capacity unit per operation go back to the production order.
- Operator timelogs can post back as BDE messages on the order, if you choose.
- SkyPlanner webhooks push schedule changes as they happen.
The SkyPlanner team configures the integration to your APplus setup during onboarding and supports it after go-live. This guide is for partners and developers who want to take part, or to build on SkyPlanner’s documented REST API (API reference) themselves.
APplus integration interfaces
APplus gives an external scheduler these routes:
- APplus web services. APplus is built on a web service architecture. Asseco says all required scheduling functions can be reached directly over the internet and used by the IT systems of customers and suppliers (Asseco). This is the main route for reading production data and writing planned dates.
- Business Integration Framework. Since APplus 6.3, the framework couples third-party systems without programming, through adaptive data structures (Asseco). Use it to map APplus objects to SkyPlanner’s REST API.
- Universal Cloud Connector. Added in APplus 7.1 to connect partner solutions and SaaS offerings to APplus, with high security for the data transferred (Asseco).
With APplus 10, Flow Mode starts processes at defined times or when certain events occur, without manual steps (Asseco). Which of these routes carries each object is set during onboarding scoping.
Authentication and access
- APplus side. The integration runs as a dedicated technical user in APplus, with rights limited to the objects it reads and writes. Your APplus partner sets up the user and the web service access.
- Network. APplus runs on premises or as a hosted version (APplus facts). The integration reaches it through the route your IT team or hosting provider allows.
- SkyPlanner side. The REST API authenticates with an API token in the
Authorization-Tokenheader, created under Settings > API. The API is documented in Swagger/OpenAPI, and the integration tutorial walks through the first calls.
Events and polling
On the APplus side, the integration polls the web services for open production orders and recent changes, or the Business Integration Framework sends changes to SkyPlanner. The frequency is set per plant, from every few minutes for orders to hourly for stock.
SkyPlanner sends webhooks when state or the schedule changes, so the write-back side is event-driven.
Data mapping
| APplus object | SkyPlanner object | Direction | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parts (Artikel), units | Products and materials | APplus → SkyPlanner | Initial load, then polling |
| BOMs (Stücklisten, Strukturstücklisten) | Product structure, subproducts, materials per product | APplus → SkyPlanner | Initial load, then on change |
| Routings (Arbeitspläne) with operations, setup and run times | Process steps with durations, setup and teardown times | APplus → SkyPlanner | Initial load, then on change |
| Capacity points and units (Kapazitätsstellen, Kapazitätseinheiten) | Workstation groups and workstations, efficiencies | APplus → SkyPlanner | Initial load, rarely after |
| Personnel capacity | Personnel with shifts | APplus → SkyPlanner | Daily, or own shifts in SkyPlanner |
| Tools and fixtures (Betriebsmittel) | Tools as finite shared resources | APplus → SkyPlanner | Initial load, then on change |
| Production orders (Fertigungsaufträge) with operations and material | Orders and jobs with due dates and material needs | APplus → SkyPlanner | Polling every few minutes |
| Stock on hand | Stock balances | APplus → SkyPlanner | Polling, hourly or on schedule run |
| Purchase orders (Bestellungen) with delivery dates | Purchase orders, incoming material by delivery date | APplus → SkyPlanner | Polling, hourly or on schedule run |
| Planned start, end and capacity unit per operation of the production order | Scheduled start and end per job | SkyPlanner → APplus | On schedule change, via SkyPlanner webhook |
| BDE messages: time and quantity per operation, employee | Timelogs and operator confirmations | SkyPlanner → APplus | Per confirmation or per shift, if chosen |
| Not in APplus | Setting time matrix, operator counts per job, alternative machines and personnel | Maintained in SkyPlanner | Set up during onboarding |
Integration patterns
1. Initial master data load. Read parts, BOMs, routings, capacity points and units, Betriebsmittel and personnel capacity through APplus web services. Map deliberately: a Kapazitätsstelle with four Kapazitätseinheiten becomes one workstation group with four workstations.
2. Order sync. Read production orders with their operations and material, plus open purchase orders. SkyPlanner treats ordered material as available on the PO delivery date and updates stock when the PO is marked Delivered. Purchase proposals stay in APplus Disposition until they become orders.
3. Schedule write-back. When the engine places or moves an operation, a SkyPlanner webhook triggers the update in APplus over the route agreed in scoping (web services or the Business Integration Framework). It sets the planned start, planned end and capacity unit of that operation on the production order, so the planning board in APplus shows SkyPlanner’s sequence.
4. Shop order release. The planner keeps releasing shop orders (Werkstattaufträge) in APplus, now with SkyPlanner’s dates. Released orders and their status flow back into SkyPlanner with the next sync.
5. Shop-floor confirmations. Operators log work with SkyPlanner Mobile Confirmations or the Production Timer, and the timelogs keep the schedule current. You choose whether actual times post back. If yes, time and quantity post per operation as BDE messages on the order. If barcode BDE stays in use, SkyPlanner reads the messages from APplus instead.
6. Ownership and conflict rules. Write them down before go-live:
| Data | Owner |
|---|---|
| Parts, BOMs, routings, quantities, order status, shop order release | APplus |
| Operation sequence, start and end times, capacity unit assignment | SkyPlanner |
| Setting time matrix, operator counts, alternative resources | SkyPlanner |
| Betriebsmittel master data | APplus; availability over time planned in SkyPlanner |
| Shifts and non-working days | One system, chosen in scoping |
| BDE messages, material issues and receipts | APplus, entered there or posted from SkyPlanner timelogs |
Pick one writer of operation dates. If PPS scheduling runs, or Feinplanung or APplus APS writes dates, switch that off for the orders SkyPlanner schedules.
Typical project steps
Implementation is normally completed within weeks after onboarding starts. Before that, validate the schedule in the 30-day free trial with capacity units, routings and open production orders exported from APplus as CSV or Excel.
- Mapping. Fix the mapping table, ownership rules, sync frequencies and whether BDE messages post back.
- APplus access. Create the technical user, enable the web services with your APplus partner and test in a test system first.
- Initial load. Parts, BOMs, routings, capacity points and units, Betriebsmittel, personnel.
- Order and purchase order sync. Polling with filters, paging and retries, or pushes through the Business Integration Framework.
- Constraint setup in SkyPlanner. Setting time matrix, tools, operator counts per job and alternative machines or personnel.
- Schedule write-back. Operation dates from SkyPlanner webhooks, plus BDE messages if chosen.
- Parallel testing. Run SkyPlanner beside the current planning board, compare dates, fix master data.
- Go-live. Switch on write-back once the data matches.
What to plan for in an APplus integration
- Limited and open capacity units. In APplus, some capacity units may plan against open capacity. In SkyPlanner every workstation is finite, so check shifts and efficiencies for each one on import.
- Planning layers in use. Check whether Feinplanung or APplus APS is licensed and live, and set one writer of dates.
- Shop papers and barcodes. BDE messages are stamped on orders with printed shop papers. Agree whether release and printing stay in APplus as today.
- Setup and run time units. Convert setup and run times with the right unit and basis on import, or every duration is wrong.
- External operations. Subcontracted operations are elapsed time, not your capacity. Model them as time-only steps.
- Hosted installations. With the hosted version, agree the network route to the web services with the hosting provider early.
Who configures and supports the APplus integration
- The SkyPlanner team configures it during onboarding and supports it after go-live, across the agreed web services and mappings. Every plant runs APplus differently, and this is where that know-how goes.
- Your APplus partner can take part. The partner knows your customizing, user rights and Business Integration Framework setup, and can open the access alongside the SkyPlanner team.
- Your own developers can build on it against SkyPlanner’s REST API with an API token. An API token is enough to start, and the SkyPlanner team assists when needed. Integration documentation is at SkyPlanner integration docs.
SkyPlanner starts from 199 € per month with 5 workstations included, billed monthly. The integration is quoted up front for your process and needs, together with your plan. See pricing, APplus finite capacity scheduling, the APplus page and 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.
6 monthsof free capacity visible to sales
“SkyPlanner creates the foundation and reliability for all production planning.”
Anu Järvinen, Production Manager
Fredman Operations · Food-safe packaging papers
Sales sees free capacity six months ahead, and schedule-change requests that took an hour or more are answered in seconds.
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.
FAQ
Does APplus have an API for production orders?
Yes. APplus is built on a web service architecture, and Asseco says its scheduling functions can be used directly by the IT systems of customers and suppliers. The Business Integration Framework couples third-party systems through adaptive data structures, and the Universal Cloud Connector connects SaaS offerings to APplus.
How are planned dates written back to APplus?
On every schedule change, a SkyPlanner webhook triggers the update of planned start, planned end and capacity unit for each operation of the production order. The update runs over APplus web services or the Business Integration Framework, with the route set during onboarding scoping.
Can SkyPlanner post BDE messages to APplus?
Yes, if you choose. Operator timelogs from SkyPlanner post as BDE messages with time and quantity per operation on the order. Plants that keep barcode BDE let SkyPlanner read the messages instead.
Should an APplus partner propose APplus APS or SkyPlanner?
SkyPlanner, when the customer wants a working finite schedule in weeks. APplus APS is a partner product integrated into APplus for setup matrices across several tools and multi-resource planning (Asseco). SkyPlanner covers those cases, connects through APplus web services, replans automatically and has unlimited users, from 199 € per month.
Does the integration work with hosted APplus?
Yes. APplus runs on premises or as a hosted version, and SkyPlanner connects to both through the web services. The network route is agreed with your IT team or hosting provider during scoping.
Can we test SkyPlanner before building the integration?
Yes. The 30-day free trial supports up to 20 workstations with CSV or Excel imports from APplus, all Basic features and no credit card. Start the trial, or talk to sales to scope the integration.
