Integrations / ERP / Infor M3
SkyPlanner APS for Infor M3: Finite Capacity Production Scheduling
SkyPlanner APS is a finite capacity scheduling add-on for Infor M3 that makes every work center, operator, tool and material finite at clock time, across the whole horizon. Infor M3 plans load per work center, and Infor’s own go-live advice for its Scheduling Workbench add-on is to start all resources with infinite capacity and make only the critical bottleneck finite (Infor docs). That is a rough-cut plan. With SkyPlanner you see which manufacturing order runs where and when, and Autopilot reschedules automatically when production changes.
SkyPlanner integrates with Infor M3 in both directions: items, product structures, work centers, manufacturing orders and purchase orders flow in, and planned operation dates and reported operations flow back. The SkyPlanner team configures the integration to your M3 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.
M3 Capacity Requirements Planning and finite capacity scheduling
Infor M3 (M3 CloudSuite, formerly Movex) does rough-cut capacity planning: a load picture per work center, with one bottleneck planned per flow. It does not build a fine-grained finite schedule for the whole plant. Infor’s own documentation shows where the line runs:
- Finite is a flag per work center. “If used, infinite/finite capacity scheduling is set in (PDS010),” and the flag decides whether an operation may create overload. (Infor docs)
- One bottleneck per flow. In Settings – Capacity Planning (CRS786), “Only one operation in a flow of operations can be set as bottleneck planned.” (Infor docs)
- Balancing is the planner’s job. Infor calls load balancing “an ongoing way of working more or less all the time,” done in the load views CPS100 to CPS130. (Infor docs)
- Detailed sequencing is an add-on. M3 Scheduling Workbench is listed among the recommended add-ons, not the core applications, in Infor’s Food and Beverage CloudSuite. (Infor docs)
Even the Scheduling Workbench add-on goes live as a bottleneck plan. Infor’s go-live advice is to “start all resources with infinite capacity,” make only the critical bottleneck finite and “Focus only on the critical bottlenecks before going live.” (Infor docs) Every other machine, person and tool is then loaded as if its capacity had no limit. SkyPlanner schedules machines, people, tools, materials and changeovers finitely at once in one engine, and you see that schedule for your own MOs within the trial.
The full walkthrough, from PDS010 to Scheduling Workbench and Planning Workbench, is in Does Infor M3 have finite capacity scheduling?
What SkyPlanner adds to Infor M3
| Infor M3 | Infor M3 with SkyPlanner APS | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Rough-cut: one bottleneck per flow; SWB goes live with only the critical bottleneck finite | Every work center, person, tool and material finite at clock time, across the whole horizon |
| Schedule | Load per work center and period | Sequenced schedule for every MO operation in seconds |
| Rebalancing | Planner moves load in CPS120 and CPS130 | Arcturus engine sequences by priority and due date |
| Changeovers | Setup time per operation | Setting time matrix orders jobs for the least setup |
| Tools and crews | Load is counted per work center | Tools are finite, jobs can need several operators, alternatives are used |
| Materials | MRP plans supply apart from sequence | Jobs start when stock or incoming POs are there |
| Changes | MO replanned, load rebuilt | Autopilot replans within your locks and priorities |
| Shop floor | Operations reported in PMS070 | Operators see their queue and log work on phone or tablet |
What that means for an M3 planner on a normal day:
No more overbooked work centers.
Every work center, person and tool gets real shifts, absences and overtime. A mold in use on one machine is never booked on another at the same time.
Delivery dates you can promise.
The schedule shows when each MO will really finish, so sales answers customers from the plan.
Rush orders replanned in seconds.
A new MO lands or a machine stops, and Autopilot rebuilds the sequence. Your locks and priorities stay in control.
Operators and office on one schedule.
Operators log work on a phone or tablet with Mobile Confirmations and the Production Timer. The reports go back to M3, so M3 load stays true.
What moves between Infor M3 and SkyPlanner
| Infor M3 object | SkyPlanner object | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Item (MMS001) | Products and materials | M3 → SkyPlanner |
| Product structure (PDS001, PDS002 materials) | Product structure, subproducts, materials | M3 → SkyPlanner |
| Operations on the product structure (PDS002) | Process steps with setup and run times | M3 → SkyPlanner |
| Work center (PDS010), capacity per day (PDS015) | Workstations, workstation groups, efficiencies | M3 → SkyPlanner |
| Manufacturing order (PMS100) and MO operations | Orders and jobs with due dates | M3 → SkyPlanner |
| Stock balances and purchase orders | Material availability, incoming deliveries | M3 → SkyPlanner |
| Planned start and finish per MO operation | Scheduled jobs on the Gantt | SkyPlanner → M3 |
| Report Operation (PMS070MI) | Timelogs and quantities from operators | SkyPlanner → M3 |
M3 has no separate routing object. Operations live on the product structure, so SkyPlanner reads them from PDS002 and from the MO operations of each order.
How the Infor M3 integration works
SkyPlanner connects through the M3 API on Infor ION API Gateway, so no SkyPlanner software is installed in M3. M3 MI programs such as PMS100MI and PMS070MI are called over REST with OAuth 2.0. The Compass query API in Infor Data Fabric handles bulk master data reads, and ION BODs or M3 Event Hub can push order changes. SkyPlanner webhooks push schedule changes back as they happen.
Every plant runs M3 differently, so you have three ways to build it:
- The SkyPlanner team configures it during onboarding and supports it after go-live. The integration is quoted up front for your process and needs.
- Your Infor M3 partner builds it on SkyPlanner’s documented REST API (API reference).
- Your own developers build it. An API token is enough to start, and the SkyPlanner team assists when needed.
You can start before any of this. Export items, work centers and open MOs from M3 and import them as CSV or Excel during the trial. Endpoints, mapping, ownership rules and project tips are in the Infor M3 integration guide for production scheduling.
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.
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.
How to choose a scheduler for Infor M3
M3 plants pick from four kinds of scheduling:
| Option | What it does | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| M3 core capacity planning | Finite flag per work center, one bottleneck per flow, load views | One clear bottleneck, stable structures, weekly rebalancing |
| Infor add-ons (Scheduling Workbench, Planning Workbench) | Finite sequencing with setup matrices and rules-based optimization, plus medium-term simulation | Plants with a dedicated planning team and an add-on project |
| Enterprise APS suites | Large planning models connected through an implementation project | Groups with a central APS team |
| Cloud APS with shop-floor execution (SkyPlanner) | Every resource finite, automatic replanning, operators on the same schedule | Plants that need a live schedule for the whole floor |
For a plant moving off spreadsheets, the real choice is between M3 Scheduling Workbench and SkyPlanner APS. Infor’s own go-live advice for SWB is to run every resource at infinite capacity except the critical bottleneck, so what goes live is a rough-cut plan, not a finite schedule for the floor. SWB is also an add-on: Infor lists it next to Factory Track under “core plus add-ons are recommended” in the Food and Beverage CloudSuite. Users start it as a separate application from RDWeb, each with an individual RDWeb user ID, and ION API and M3 BE must be set up for SWB first. (Infor docs, Infor docs, Infor docs)
Choose SkyPlanner over M3 Scheduling Workbench when:
- You want real finite scheduling, not a bottleneck plan. SWB goes live with only the critical bottleneck finite. SkyPlanner makes every machine, person, tool and material finite at clock time from the first schedule, with multi-operator jobs and alternative workstations.
- You want a live schedule in weeks, not an add-on project. SkyPlanner runs in the browser with nothing to install in M3. You test it on your own MOs in the 30-day trial, and implementation is normally completed within weeks after onboarding starts.
- The plan changes during the shift. Autopilot replans automatically on every meaningful change, and Running Time Lock keeps started work in place.
- Changeovers and material decide the sequence. The setting time matrix holds directional changeover times, and an MO starts only when stock or an incoming purchase order covers its material.
- Operators should work from the same schedule. Mobile Confirmations put each operator’s queue on a phone or tablet, and reported operations go back to M3. Users are unlimited.
- You want a public 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 workstations from your M3 work centers, then add shifts, tools and changeover times. Assisted onboarding is available.
- Load your orders. Export open manufacturing orders and their operations from M3, import them and compare SkyPlanner’s schedule with your current plan.
- Connect Infor M3. 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. Other systems are on the ERP integrations hub.
FAQ
What is the best scheduling add-on for Infor M3?
SkyPlanner APS is a finite capacity scheduling add-on that integrates with Infor M3 in both directions: items, product structures, work centers, manufacturing orders and purchase orders flow in, and planned operation dates and reported operations flow back. Every work center, 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 Infor M3 have finite capacity scheduling?
Only at rough-cut level. Core M3 sets finite or infinite capacity per work center in PDS010 and plans one bottleneck per flow in CRS786. Detailed sequencing needs the M3 Scheduling Workbench add-on, and Infor’s go-live advice there is infinite capacity for everything except the critical bottleneck. SkyPlanner APS schedules every work center, person, tool and material finitely beside M3.
Should we use M3 Scheduling Workbench or SkyPlanner?
SkyPlanner, when you want a real finite schedule instead of a rough-cut plan. Infor’s own go-live advice for SWB is to start all resources with infinite capacity and make only the critical bottleneck finite, and SWB is an add-on that users run as a separate application through RDWeb. SkyPlanner schedules every machine, person, tool and material finitely at clock time from your M3 MOs, with directional changeover times in a setting time matrix. Autopilot replans on every meaningful change, operators get their queue on a phone, and you are live within weeks, from 199 € per month with a 30-day trial on your own data.
Do we need to install anything in Infor M3?
No. SkyPlanner runs in the cloud beside M3 CloudSuite and connects through the M3 API on ION API Gateway with OAuth 2.0. On-premises M3 connects through its own ION endpoint or middleware.
Does SkyPlanner replace M3 manufacturing?
No, it works on top of it. M3 keeps items, product structures, MRP, purchasing, inventory and finance. SkyPlanner schedules the MO operations and sends planned dates and reported operations back.
How much does SkyPlanner cost for an Infor M3 plant?
From 199 € per month with 5 workstations included, plus 20 € per month per extra workstation. A plant 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 work centers and product structures, connects MOs 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 Infor M3?
Yes. The 30-day trial runs on a CSV or Excel export from M3. You see a finite capacity schedule of your own orders before any integration work starts.
