Integrations / ERP / Fulcrum
SkyPlanner APS for Fulcrum: Finite Capacity Scheduling for Job Shops
SkyPlanner APS is a finite capacity scheduling add-on for Fulcrum (Fulcrum Pro) that gives job shops one schedule for every machine, operator, tool and material at once. Setups follow a directional setting time matrix, a job that needs three operators gets three people, and Autopilot reschedules automatically when production changes.
SkyPlanner integrates with Fulcrum in both directions. Jobs, routing operations, work centers, equipment, shifts and items flow in. Planned start, finish and workstation, plus logged time and completed quantities, flow back. The SkyPlanner team configures the integration to your Fulcrum 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
Operators scheduled as people.
Fulcrum models labor as how many machines may run at once in a shift. SkyPlanner schedules each operator with their own shifts, leave and absences. A job that needs three operators gets three people with free shifts.
Setups that depend on the sequence.
SkyPlanner knows the changeover time between each pair of products, in both directions. Blue to red can take 30 minutes and red to blue 60. The Arcturus engine runs jobs in the order that loses the least spindle time.
Fixtures and tools booked once.
A fixture, die or tool in use on one machine is never booked on another at the same time. Tools are finite resources in the schedule, next to machines and people.
Material checked on every move.
SkyPlanner checks stock and incoming purchase orders whenever the plan changes. A job waiting for bar stock is planned after the PO delivery date, not on the assumption that material is ordered today.
The whole plan in seconds.
Arcturus optimizes every open job on every machine in one run, by priority, due date, customer priority and Fast Track. A rush job gets its slot, and Bulldozer pushes downstream work to make room.
Breakdowns replanned automatically.
When a machine goes down, material is late or a job finishes early, Autopilot reschedules automatically. Your locks and priorities stay in control, and Running Time Lock keeps started jobs in place.
Operators see their own queue.
Each operator sees the next jobs on a phone or tablet and logs work with Mobile Confirmations, Production Timer or Quick Log Mode. The office sees progress live, and time and quantities go back to Fulcrum.
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.
How the Fulcrum integration works
- Fulcrum sends the work. Jobs with their items to make and operations, routings, work centers, equipment, department shifts, downtimes, inventory and purchase orders flow into SkyPlanner.
- SkyPlanner builds the schedule and keeps it current. Arcturus plans every operation on every machine, operator and tool in seconds, and Autopilot replans as production changes.
- The plan and the floor go back. Planned start, finish and workstation are written to custom fields on each job operation. Operator time and completed quantities post to Fulcrum as timers and quantity updates, so job costing in Fulcrum stays accurate.
The integration runs on the Fulcrum Public API, a documented REST API with an OpenAPI spec, so nothing is installed in Fulcrum. SkyPlanner webhooks push schedule changes as they happen, and new or changed jobs are read from Fulcrum on a short polling cycle. Every shop runs Fulcrum differently, so the SkyPlanner team maps your departments, work centers, equipment and routings during onboarding and supports the integration after go-live.
The integration is quoted up front for your process and needs. Your Fulcrum consultant or your own developers can also build on SkyPlanner’s documented API (API reference).
Endpoints, field mapping and write-back are covered in the Fulcrum integration guide for production scheduling.
What Fulcrum schedules, and what SkyPlanner adds
Fulcrum’s Autoschedule places job operations onto equipment automatically, in Greedy (as soon as possible) or Just-in-Time mode. Fulcrum markets it as “Automatic scheduling calculated just for you, in seconds.” Its own Launch Pad help explains the model:
- Priority first. “The schedule prioritizes jobs first based on the following: Work In Process, Job Priority Level, Production Due Date.” And “High priority jobs will always be scheduled before moderate to low priority.”
- People as a machine count. Each shift sets how many pieces of equipment can run at once. “This is usually determined by how many people you have working in a certain area at that time.” When someone calls out sick, a manager can “decrement the Max Equipment by 1”.
- Material assumed on order. “If materials are not in stock, the schedule assumes that you are IMMEDIATELY ordering the material when you hit “Schedule” on the job”.
- Daily re-run. “The schedule automatically will pull in scheduled jobs once a day.” For same-day changes, “you will need to select the Reschedule button”.
Setup time is a fixed or per-unit value on each routing operation. Fulcrum’s Tools are measurement instruments and gages in its calibration system, not scheduling resources. So Fulcrum gives a fast, equipment-level plan, and SkyPlanner adds named operators, sequence-dependent setups, finite tools and continuous replanning. Each point is explained in Does Fulcrum have finite capacity scheduling?
What moves between Fulcrum and SkyPlanner
| Fulcrum | SkyPlanner | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Item, Materials, routing input items and input materials | Products, materials, product structure | In |
| Item routing operations: setup, labor and machine time (fixed or per unit) | Process steps, setup times, durations | In |
| Work Center and Equipment (Unlimited Capacity, Can Run Unattended) | Workstation groups, workstations, batch jobs | In |
| Department Shifts, Equipment Downtimes | Shifts and absences | In |
| Job, items to make, job operations, priority, Production Due Date | Orders, jobs, priorities, due dates | In |
| Inventory, Purchase Orders with Expected Receive dates | Stock and incoming material | In |
| Job operation custom fields | Planned start, finish and workstation | Back |
| Job tracking timers, quantity completed, operation complete | Operator timelogs and completed quantities | Back |
Fulcrum today and with SkyPlanner
| Fulcrum Autoschedule | Fulcrum with SkyPlanner APS | |
|---|---|---|
| Sequencing | WIP, priority level, then due date | Arcturus optimizes the whole plan by priority, due date and customer priority |
| Operators | Per-shift count of machines that may run | Each operator with shifts and absences, multi-operator jobs |
| Changeovers | Fixed or per-unit setup per operation | Directional setting time matrix, least total setup |
| Tools and fixtures | Tools tracked for calibration | Tools finite, never double-booked |
| Materials | Missing stock assumed ordered at scheduling | Stock and incoming POs checked on every change |
| Replanning | Daily re-run plus the Reschedule button | Autopilot reschedules automatically when production changes |
| Shop floor | Job Tracking follows Fulcrum’s order | Operator queue, Mobile Confirmations, Production Timer |
Fulcrum scheduling software and add-ons compared
Fulcrum lists no third-party scheduler among its integrations, so every add-on works through its Public API or through file exports. Buyers look at three categories:
| Option | How it works with Fulcrum | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise APS suites (PlanetTogether, Asprova, Siemens Opcenter APS) | Custom interface projects over files, databases or APIs | Large plants with dedicated planning staff and long projects |
| Spreadsheet and file-based schedulers (User Solutions EDGEBIC) | CSV or Excel exports from Fulcrum; User Solutions states “There is no automated write-back” | Planners who rekey dates by hand |
| Cloud APS with shop-floor execution (SkyPlanner) | Two-way over the Fulcrum Public API; plan, timers and quantities flow back | Job shops that want a live, optimized schedule within weeks |
Choose SkyPlanner over Fulcrum’s scheduler when…
- Choose SkyPlanner when specific operators or setup techs decide what runs. Fulcrum counts machines per shift. SkyPlanner schedules each person, and a job can need several at once.
- Choose SkyPlanner when changeovers depend on what ran before. The setting time matrix holds the time between each pair of products in both directions, and the engine sequences for least setup.
- Choose SkyPlanner when fixtures, dies or tools are shared between machines. Tools are finite resources, never booked twice.
- Choose SkyPlanner when late material is the daily problem. Every replan checks stock and incoming POs, instead of assuming material is ordered at scheduling time.
- Choose SkyPlanner when the plan must change many times a day. Autopilot reschedules automatically, with no daily cycle and no Reschedule button to remember.
- Choose SkyPlanner when operators should work from their own queue on phone or tablet, with time and quantities posted back to Fulcrum.
How to get started
- Start the free trial. 30 days, up to 20 workstations, all Basic features, no credit card.
- Model your shop. Create machines, operators, shifts and tools in SkyPlanner, or import them. Assisted onboarding is available.
- Load your jobs. Export items, routings and open jobs from Fulcrum grids to CSV, import them and compare SkyPlanner’s schedule with your Fulcrum schedule.
- Connect Fulcrum. The SkyPlanner team configures the two-way integration on the Fulcrum Public API 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 and features for the details. Using another system too? See all ERP integrations.
FAQ
What is the best scheduling add-on for Fulcrum?
SkyPlanner APS is a finite capacity scheduling add-on that integrates with Fulcrum in both directions: jobs, routing operations, work centers, equipment, shifts and items flow in, and planned start, finish and workstation, plus logged time and completed quantities, 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 Fulcrum have finite capacity scheduling?
Yes, at the equipment level. Fulcrum’s Autoschedule places operations onto machines within department shifts, by work in process, priority level and due date. Labor is a count of how many machines may run at once. SkyPlanner APS adds named operators, multi-operator jobs, finite tools and a setting time matrix.
Should we use Fulcrum’s scheduling or SkyPlanner?
Use Fulcrum’s Autoschedule when machines are the only constraint and setups are similar whatever ran before. Choose SkyPlanner when operators, sequence-dependent setups, shared tools or late material decide your schedule, and when the plan must change many times a day. Fulcrum stays your ERP either way.
Does Fulcrum schedule operators?
Fulcrum treats departments as “personnel constraints” and sets a maximum number of machines per shift. It does not schedule individual operators. SkyPlanner schedules each operator with shifts, leave and absences, and a job that needs three operators gets three people.
Do we need to install anything in Fulcrum?
No. SkyPlanner runs in the cloud beside Fulcrum and connects through the Fulcrum Public API with a Bearer token generated under Business Setup > System Data > Public Api.
Does SkyPlanner replace Fulcrum?
No, it works on top of it. Fulcrum keeps quoting, sales orders, items, routings, inventory, purchasing, quality and accounting. SkyPlanner schedules your jobs against real capacity and sends the plan, time and quantities back.
How much does SkyPlanner cost next to Fulcrum?
From 199 € per month with 5 workstations included, plus 20 € per month per extra workstation. A shop with 20 workstations pays 499 € per month. 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 departments, work centers and equipment, connects jobs and purchase orders, and sets up the write-back. Everything is tested against your current Fulcrum schedule before go-live.
Can we test SkyPlanner with our Fulcrum data first?
Yes. Export items, routings and open jobs to CSV and import them in the trial. You see a finite capacity schedule of your own shop before any integration work starts.
