Integrations / ERP / Infor M3
Does Infor M3 Have Finite Capacity Scheduling? PDS010, Scheduling Workbench and SkyPlanner APS
Infor M3 does rough-cut capacity planning, not fine-grained finite scheduling. Core M3 sets a finite or infinite flag on each work center and plans around one bottleneck per flow of operations. Detailed sequencing comes from the M3 Scheduling Workbench add-on, and even there Infor’s own go-live advice is to start all resources with infinite capacity and make only the critical bottleneck finite (Infor docs). Plants that want every machine, person, tool and material finite at clock time, changeovers sequenced, the plan replanned automatically and live within weeks, run SkyPlanner APS beside M3.
The program codes below come from Infor’s M3 Business Engine and M3 CloudSuite documentation.
How Infor M3 plans capacity, step by step
1. Work centers and capacity
Work centers are created in Work Center. Open (PDS010). Daily capacity is kept in Work Center. Change Capacity (PDS015), and queue and transit times in PDS020. Items live in Item. Open (MMS001).
2. Product structures carry the operations
M3 has no separate routing object. The product structure header is created in PDS001. Materials and operations are both connected in Product. Connect Materials/Operations (PDS002), with operation number, work center, setup time and run time.
Infor adds a rule that matters for every scheduler: “Note that the structure must have at least one operation.” Without one, no load is created. (Infor docs)
3. Material and supply planning
The Supply Chain Planning modules cover Material Planning, Master Production Scheduling, Rough Cut Capacity Planning, DRP and Global CTP. They plan materials and supply. On capacity, the product overview names rough-cut planning. (Infor docs)
4. Manufacturing orders create load
“Load is automatically generated when a manufacturing order or planned manufacturing order is generated or replanned.” Load type A or B is set on the MO type in PMS120. Manufacturing orders are opened in PMS100 and planned ones in PMS170.
5. The finite flag and bottleneck planning
The finite part sits in two settings:
| Setting | Program | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Infinite/finite capacity | Work Center. Open (PDS010) | Decides “whether overload can be created for the operation” when start and finish times are calculated |
| Bottleneck planning | Settings – Capacity Planning (CRS786) | Plans all requirements around one operation; push if it is first in the flow, pull if it is last |
A simulation calculates start and completion dates for the whole MO at order entry. The limit is explicit: “Only one operation in a flow of operations can be set as bottleneck planned.” (Infor docs)
6. Load views and manual balancing
Planners watch load in Load. Display Totals (CPS100), Detailed (CPS105), per Product (CPS110), Over & Under (CPS120) and the Gantt Chart for MOs (CPS130), plus the Work Center Schedule (PMS230). They rebalance by hand. Infor describes load balancing as “an ongoing way of working more or less all the time.”
7. Infor’s planning add-ons
M3 Capacity Planning Workbench shows a grid and graph of work centers with “their current capacity and load situation in M3 ERP,” color-coded for over- and under-utilization. It is a display and exception tool. (Infor docs)
M3 Scheduling Workbench (SWB) is Infor’s finite scheduler for M3. Infor calls it “a powerful decision support tool for production planning and the scheduling of manufacturing orders.” In Infor’s words, “It takes into consideration finite capacity constraints and material flow from raw materials to finished products.” It offers Theory of Constraints bottleneck handling, rules-based sequence optimization and an Interactive Scheduling Board. (Infor docs)
M3 Planning Workbench (PWB) is a desktop tool for medium-term capacity and subcontracting decisions. Macro Orders reduce the order count for simulation. (Infor docs)
What stays with the planner
- Finite is a per-work-center flag. Core M3 decides whether overload is allowed. It does not sequence many resources against each other.
- One bottleneck per flow. In Infor’s words, “all requirements planning will occur around this operation.”
- Balancing stays manual. The load views show over- and under-load, and the planner moves work.
- Load truth depends on reporting. Infor: “it is important that every operation is reported.” Missing reports leave old load in the picture.
- SWB is an add-on. In the Food and Beverage CloudSuite, Infor lists it under “core plus add-ons are recommended,” next to Factory Track and other add-ons. (Infor docs)
- SWB runs as its own application. Users start it from RDWeb with an individual RDWeb user ID, or from the start menu, and ION API and M3 BE must be set up for SWB. (Infor docs, Infor docs)
- SWB 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.” Every other resource stays at infinite capacity. (Infor docs)
- PWB orders are temporary. “The order number in M3 PWB is temporary until a new order number is inserted by the central system.” (Infor docs)
In core M3, and in SWB as Infor advises taking it live, the bottleneck gets a finite plan and every other work center gets a rough-cut load figure. Planners keep the real sequence in spreadsheets next to M3.
When Infor M3’s own planning is enough
PDS010 and CRS786 do the job when:
- Each product flow has one clear bottleneck and the rest of the plant has slack.
- Product structures are stable and every operation is reported on time.
- Planners rebalance weekly in CPS120 and CPS130, and that is fast enough.
- Material supply is the main problem, so MRP and MPS matter more than machine sequence.
- Changeovers, shared tools and operator availability do not decide what runs next.
SWB fits plants that have a dedicated planning team, accept an add-on project with Infor or a partner, and roll the finite model out step by step.
When you need a finite capacity scheduler
You have outgrown core M3 when several of these are true:
- Bottlenecks move with the product mix, so one bottleneck per flow is the wrong model.
- Delivery dates slip although CPS100 looks balanced per period.
- Changeover time depends on which product ran before.
- Molds, dies or fixtures are shared between work centers.
- People and shifts limit the plan as much as machines, and some jobs need several operators.
- Rush orders and breakdowns force a replan during the shift.
What to look for
- All resources finite at once in one engine: machines, people, tools and materials.
- A setting time matrix with sequence-dependent changeover times in both directions.
- Tools as finite shared resources and multi-operator jobs.
- Alternative workstations and personnel that the engine actually uses.
- Material-aware scheduling from stock and incoming purchase orders.
- Automatic rescheduling when production progress or orders change.
- Clear date ownership with M3. Schedule firm MOs, not planned MOs that MRP regenerates, and decide which system owns operation dates.
- Operation reporting back to M3 through PMS070MI, so M3 load stays true.
The options fall into four groups:
- M3’s own capacity planning covers one bottleneck per flow inside M3.
- Infor’s add-ons, SWB and PWB, give planners finite sequencing with setup matrices and rules-based optimization, plus medium-term simulation.
- Enterprise APS suites connect through an implementation project and need a central planning team.
- Cloud APS with shop-floor execution, where SkyPlanner sits, schedules every resource automatically beside M3 and puts the schedule in operators’ hands.
Where SkyPlanner fits
SkyPlanner APS schedules every workstation, person, tool and material finitely in one engine. The Arcturus AI engine builds the operation-level schedule in seconds and sequences it by job priority, completion date, customer priority, Fast Track and Dynamic Priorities. Nobody rebalances CPS120 by hand.
The setting time matrix holds changeover times between products in both directions, and the engine picks the order with the least setup. Tools are finite shared resources, a job can need several operators, and the engine moves work to alternative workstations or people when the primary one is unavailable.
Material-driven scheduling simulates future inventory from stock and incoming purchase orders. Ordered material counts as available on its delivery date, so an MO starts only when material is there.
Autopilot reschedules automatically when production changes, within your locks and priorities, and Running Time Lock keeps started jobs in place. Operators log work with Mobile Confirmations and the Production Timer, and the reports go back to M3 through PMS070MI.
Choose SkyPlanner over M3 Scheduling Workbench when:
- You want real finite scheduling, not a rough-cut plan. Infor’s go-live advice for SWB is infinite capacity for every resource except the critical bottleneck. SkyPlanner plans every machine, person, tool and material finitely at clock time, across the whole horizon, from the first schedule.
- You want a live schedule in weeks. SWB is an application users start from RDWeb, each with an individual RDWeb user ID, or from the start menu. ION API and M3 BE must be set up for it first (Infor docs). SkyPlanner runs in the browser, is tested on your own MOs in the trial and goes live within weeks after onboarding starts.
- The plan must keep itself current. Autopilot replans automatically on every meaningful change, with the setting time matrix, multi-operator jobs, alternative workstations and purchase-order arrivals in the same run.
- Operators should work from the same schedule. Mobile Confirmations give every operator the live queue on a phone or tablet, users are unlimited, and reports go back to M3 through PMS070MI.
Start with a CSV or Excel export from M3 in the 30-day free trial, with up to 20 workstations and no credit card. Pricing is 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 how the systems connect on the SkyPlanner for Infor M3 page, or go to the Infor M3 integration guide. Other ERPs are on the ERP integrations hub.
SkyPlanner reviews from manufacturers
2 hsaved every week
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Abdul Rucyinga, Head of IT
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Production efficiency is up 90%, and a three-month optimized plan across all workstations takes under 30 minutes.
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“Production is under control in a different way, and our understanding of capacity is on a completely different level.”
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FAQ
Does Infor M3 have a scheduling tool?
Yes. Core M3 calculates operation dates from work center capacity and can plan one bottleneck per flow in CRS786. M3 Scheduling Workbench adds finite sequencing of manufacturing orders as an add-on.
What is the difference between M3 Scheduling Workbench and Planning Workbench?
Scheduling Workbench sequences manufacturing orders against finite capacity and material flow. Planning Workbench is a desktop tool for medium-term capacity and subcontracting decisions, and its orders stay temporary until M3 assigns numbers.
Is M3 Scheduling Workbench included in M3 CloudSuite?
In the Food and Beverage CloudSuite, Infor lists it as a recommended add-on, not a core application. Check your own CloudSuite subscription with Infor or your partner.
Should we use M3 Scheduling Workbench or SkyPlanner?
SkyPlanner, when you want a real finite schedule instead of a rough-cut plan. Infor’s 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 runs as a separate application through RDWeb. SkyPlanner schedules every machine, person, tool and material finitely at clock time, with directional changeover times, multi-operator jobs and alternative workstations. Autopilot replans on every meaningful change, and you are live within weeks, from 199 € per month with a 30-day trial on your own data.
Does M3 MRP schedule against finite capacity?
M3 MRP and MPS plan materials and supply, and Infor’s planning overview names rough-cut capacity planning for capacity. The finite flag in PDS010 acts later, when operation start and finish times are calculated for an order.
Can I test SkyPlanner before integrating it with Infor M3?
Yes. Export items, work centers and open MOs from M3, import them as CSV or Excel during the 30-day trial and compare the schedule with your current plan. See pricing, start the trial or talk to sales.
