Integrations / ERP / Exact
SkyPlanner APS for Exact Online: Finite Capacity Production Scheduling
SkyPlanner APS is a finite capacity scheduling add-on for Exact Online that schedules every machine, operator, tool and material. It turns Exact Online Manufacturing shop orders into a minute-level plan for every routing step, and Autopilot reschedules automatically when production changes. SkyPlanner also works with Exact Globe+.
SkyPlanner integrates with Exact Online in both directions. Shop orders with their routing steps and material plans, work centers, items, stock and purchase orders flow in. Planned start and end dates per routing step, time transactions and shop order receipts flow back. The SkyPlanner team configures the integration to your Exact Online setup 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
Every routing step gets a machine and a time.
Exact Online stores planned hours and dates per routing step. SkyPlanner places each step on a free machine with free people, to the minute, and the Arcturus engine optimizes the whole plan in seconds.
Every resource finite, in one schedule.
Every machine, person and tool gets a finite schedule with real shifts, absences and overtime. A job that needs two operators gets two people with free shifts.
Fewer changeovers.
SkyPlanner knows how long it takes to switch a machine from one product to the next, in both directions. Blue to red can take 30 minutes and red to blue 60. The schedule runs jobs in the order that loses the least time to setups.
Material checked before work starts.
SkyPlanner reads stock and open purchase orders from Exact Online. A shop order waiting for a supplier delivery is planned after that delivery date.
Rush orders and breakdowns replanned automatically.
When a machine stops or a rush order lands, Autopilot reschedules automatically. Running Time Lock keeps started work in place, and your priorities stay in control.
Operators see their queue.
Each operator sees the next jobs on a phone or tablet and logs work as it happens. The logged hours go back to Exact Online as time transactions on the shop order.
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.
100%delivery reliability since 2021
“SkyPlanner gives us visibility into capacity and makes planning predictable.”
Dan Berglund, COO/CFO
Opes Corporation · Chemical and food manufacturing
Delivery reliability has been 100% for the entire time SkyPlanner has been in use, since 2021.
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.
How the Exact Online integration works
- Exact Online sends the work. Shop orders with their routing steps (
ShopOrderRoutingStepPlans) and material plans (ShopOrderMaterialPlans), work centers, operations, bills of materials, items, stock positions and purchase orders flow into SkyPlanner. - SkyPlanner builds the schedule and keeps it current. The Arcturus engine plans every routing step in seconds and replans as production changes.
- Dates and logged work go back. SkyPlanner updates
PlannedStartDateandPlannedEndDateon each routing step and the planned dates on the shop order. Operator timelogs post asTimeTransactions, and finished quantities asShopOrderReceipts.
Exact Online stays your system of record. Items, bills of materials, MRP, purchasing, stock and costing stay where they are. SkyPlanner owns the sequence and timing of every routing step on every resource.
SkyPlanner uses the Exact Online REST API with OAuth 2.0. The manufacturing resources (ShopOrders, ShopOrderRoutingStepPlans, Workcenters, Operations, BillOfMaterialRoutings, TimeTransactions) are read and written there. Exact Online webhooks for items, stock positions, purchase orders and sales orders push changes to SkyPlanner as they happen.
Every plant runs Exact Online differently, so the SkyPlanner team configures the integration to your setup during onboarding and supports it after go-live. The integration is quoted up front for your process and needs. Your Exact partner or your own developers can also build on SkyPlanner’s documented REST API (API reference). During the trial you start with a CSV or Excel export, before any integration work.
On Exact Globe+? SkyPlanner schedules Exact Globe+ production orders the same way. Your Exact Globe+ partner and the SkyPlanner team agree the data route in scoping, and planned dates and logged work go back to Exact Globe+.
Endpoints, data mapping and write-back rules are in the Exact Online integration guide for production scheduling.
What Exact Online schedules, and what SkyPlanner adds
Exact Online Manufacturing covers shop orders, bills of materials with routing steps, work centers, MRP and shop-floor registration. Exact’s own pages describe how planning works:
- MRP plans with lead times. “Productieorders worden ingepland, rekening houdend met productiedoorlooptijden.” Production orders are planned with production lead times. (Exact MRP)
- MRP flags capacity issues. “Met MRP signaleer je oorzaken die impact hebben op de materiaal- en capaciteitsplanning.” MRP signals causes that affect material and capacity planning. (source)
- Routing steps carry estimated times. “Operations, or routing steps, are tasks that are done on the shop floor. You can link resources and add estimated times for running and setup.” (Exact Online help)
- Detailed production planning is an add-on. Exact: “Zo is Exact productiesoftware eenvoudig uit te breiden met een gespecialiseerde productieplanning add-on.” Exact manufacturing software extends with a specialized production planning add-on. (Exact for manufacturing)
In daily production, the planner still turns planned dates into a machine sequence. SkyPlanner APS is a specialized production planning add-on for Exact Online: it places every routing step where machines, people, tools and material are free, and writes the dates back to the shop order.
Every feature and limit is explained in Does Exact Online have finite capacity scheduling?
Exact Online today and with SkyPlanner
| Exact Online Manufacturing | Exact Online with SkyPlanner APS | |
|---|---|---|
| Planning basis | MRP with production lead times | Every routing step on a timeline, to the minute |
| Capacity | MRP signals capacity issues; planner adjusts dates | Engine places work only where capacity exists |
| Resources | Work centers with rates and a capacity value | Machines, named people and tools, all finite |
| Changeovers | Setup and run time per routing step | Setting time matrix: least total setup |
| Materials | MRP order advice from stock, demand and lead times | Jobs start when stock or incoming deliveries are there |
| Changes | Re-run MRP, then adjust shop order dates | Autopilot replans the whole plant within your priorities |
| Planner view | Shop order lists and MRP overview | Interactive Gantt: move a job, the plan stays consistent |
| Shop floor | Time and material registration per shop order | Operators see their queue and log work on phone or tablet |
| Getting started | Manufacturing edition and a planning add-on | 30-day trial on your shop order export, then from 199 € per month |
What moves between Exact Online and SkyPlanner
| Exact Online object | SkyPlanner object | Direction |
|---|---|---|
ShopOrders | Orders with due dates | Exact Online → SkyPlanner |
ShopOrderRoutingStepPlans | Jobs with setup and run hours, sequence, work center | Exact Online → SkyPlanner |
ShopOrderMaterialPlans | Materials per job | Exact Online → SkyPlanner |
Workcenters, Operations, OperationResources | Workstations, workstation groups, process steps | Exact Online → SkyPlanner |
Items, BillOfMaterialVersions, BillOfMaterialMaterials, BillOfMaterialRoutings | Products, materials, subproducts | Exact Online → SkyPlanner |
ItemWarehouses, StockPosition | Stock balances | Exact Online → SkyPlanner |
PurchaseOrders, PurchaseOrderLines | Purchase orders with delivery dates | Exact Online → SkyPlanner |
SalesOrders, SalesOrderLines | Customer due dates and priority | Exact Online → SkyPlanner |
ShopOrderRoutingStepPlans: PlannedStartDate, PlannedEndDate, Workcenter | Scheduled start, end and workstation | SkyPlanner → Exact Online |
ShopOrders: PlannedStartDate, PlannedDate | Order start and finish | SkyPlanner → Exact Online |
TimeTransactions | Operator timelogs | SkyPlanner → Exact Online |
ShopOrderReceipts | Finished quantities | SkyPlanner → Exact Online |
SkyPlanner compared with other Exact scheduling options
| Option | Examples | Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Planning inside Exact Online | MRP, shop order planned dates | Lead-time planning; the planner sets the machine sequence |
| Planning add-ons and APS projects | Limis Planner, Alan Planning (Kjerner), Siemens Opcenter APS through BrainSys, planeus | Planning software connected to Exact by the vendor, often with a configuration project |
| Demand and inventory planning | GMDH Streamline | Forecasting and replenishment, a different planning layer |
| Cloud APS with shop-floor execution | SkyPlanner APS | Every resource finite, automatic replanning, operator app, monthly price |
Choose SkyPlanner when:
- You need the production planning add-on Exact points to, live in weeks. Test on your own shop orders in the 30-day trial. Implementation is normally completed within weeks after onboarding starts.
- Machines, people, tools and materials all limit what runs next. One engine schedules every constraint at once.
- Changeovers decide your output. The setting time matrix holds directional changeover times, and jobs run in the order with the least setup.
- The plan changes several times a week. Autopilot replans, Running Time Lock keeps running jobs in place, and new routing step dates go back to Exact Online.
- Operators should work from the plan. Mobile Confirmations put the live queue on a phone or tablet, and hours return as time transactions.
- You want one monthly price. 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 orders. Export open shop orders and their routing steps from Exact Online to Excel, import them and compare SkyPlanner’s schedule with your current plan.
- Connect Exact Online. The SkyPlanner team configures the two-way integration 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.
FAQ
What is the best scheduling add-on for Exact Online?
SkyPlanner APS is a finite capacity scheduling add-on that integrates with Exact Online in both directions. Shop orders, routing steps, material plans, work centers, stock and purchase orders flow in, and planned routing step dates, time transactions and shop order receipts 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 Exact Online have finite capacity scheduling?
Exact Online Manufacturing plans with MRP and production lead times, and stores planned dates and hours per routing step. Exact points to a specialized production planning add-on for detailed planning. SkyPlanner APS adds a finite capacity schedule for every routing step, machine, person and tool.
What scheduling software integrates with Exact Online?
SkyPlanner APS integrates with Exact Online in both directions through the Exact Online REST API. It reads ShopOrders, ShopOrderRoutingStepPlans, Workcenters, items, stock and purchase orders. It writes PlannedStartDate and PlannedEndDate back to each routing step and posts TimeTransactions and ShopOrderReceipts. Exact Online webhooks push item, stock and purchase order changes, and SkyPlanner webhooks push schedule changes.
Which Exact Online edition do we need?
SkyPlanner works with Exact Online Manufacturing, where shop orders and routing steps live. Exact sells it in Essentials, Plus, Professional and Premium editions, and MRP is part of Professional and Premium. SkyPlanner schedules the shop orders in every edition that has them.
Does SkyPlanner work with Exact Globe+?
Yes. SkyPlanner schedules Exact Globe+ production orders on every machine and person and sends planned dates and logged work back. The data route is agreed with your Exact Globe+ partner in scoping.
Do we need to install anything in Exact Online?
No. SkyPlanner runs in the cloud beside Exact Online. You authorize the connection with OAuth 2.0, and SkyPlanner uses the standard Exact Online REST API.
How much does SkyPlanner cost for an Exact Online plant?
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.
Can we test SkyPlanner before integrating with Exact Online?
Yes. The 30-day trial runs on an Excel export of your open shop orders. You see a finite capacity schedule of your own production before any integration work starts. Implementation is normally completed within weeks after onboarding starts.
