Integrations / ERP / Katana
SkyPlanner APS for Katana: Finite Capacity Production Scheduling
SkyPlanner APS is a finite capacity scheduling add-on for Katana Cloud Inventory (Katana MRP) that turns its manufacturing orders into a schedule for every workstation, operator, tool and material. You see which operation runs where and when, and Autopilot reschedules automatically when production changes.
SkyPlanner integrates with Katana in both directions. Manufacturing orders, recipes, operations, resources, stock and purchase orders flow in, and the schedule order, deadlines and logged work flow back. The SkyPlanner team configures the integration to your Katana 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
A timeline for every machine, not one list for the factory.
Katana ranks manufacturing orders in one priority list. SkyPlanner’s Arcturus engine places every operation on the workstation that will run it, at a real time, on an interactive Gantt timeline.
Delivery dates checked against real capacity.
Each order’s finish date comes from the load on each machine and person. Before you quote a date, you can see that the CNC is booked for two weeks while assembly is free.
Shifts that match your plant.
Each workstation and person has its own shifts, leave, absences and overtime shifts. A second shift on the bottleneck shows up in the dates at once.
Fewer changeovers.
SkyPlanner holds the setup time between each pair of products, in both directions. Blue to red can take 30 minutes and red to blue 60. The engine runs jobs in the order that loses the least time.
Shared tools and crews respected.
A mold in use on one workstation is never booked on another at the same time. A job that needs three operators gets three people with free shifts.
Rush orders and breakdowns replanned automatically.
Give an order Fast Track or a higher priority, and the engine makes room for it. When a machine stops, Autopilot replans, and Running Time Lock keeps started jobs in place.
Material checked on every move.
SkyPlanner checks stock and incoming purchase orders. A job waiting for a vendor delivery is planned after the arrival date.
Operators see their queue.
Each operator sees the next jobs on a phone or tablet and logs work with Mobile Confirmations or Production Timer. Progress goes back to the manufacturing order in Katana.
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.
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.
How the Katana integration works
- Katana sends the work. Manufacturing orders with their operation rows, product recipes, production operations, resources, inventory and purchase orders flow into SkyPlanner.
- SkyPlanner builds the schedule and keeps it current. The Arcturus engine plans every operation on every workstation in seconds and replans as production changes.
- The plan goes back to Katana. SkyPlanner puts the manufacturing orders in the same order on Katana’s Schedule tab and writes each order’s production deadline. Logged work returns to the operation rows.
The integration runs on the public Katana API, so nothing is installed in Katana. Katana webhooks report new and changed orders, and SkyPlanner webhooks push schedule changes as they happen. Every plant sets up Katana’s resources and operations differently, so the SkyPlanner team maps yours during onboarding and supports the integration after go-live.
The integration is quoted up front for your process and needs. Your Katana consultant or your own developers can also build on SkyPlanner’s documented API (API reference). Endpoints, field mapping and write-back rules are in the Katana integration guide for production scheduling.
What Katana schedules, and what SkyPlanner adds
Katana’s Make screen has a Schedule tab that “acts as a central production queue”. The Katana help center describes how it works:
- One list for the whole factory. “The topmost MO has the highest priority.”
- The planner sets the order. “Click and drag the MO to the desired position in the list.”
- Capacity is one weekly number. Automatic deadlines use a factory-wide Weekly throughput, and “Weekly capacity is spread evenly across 5 weekdays.” (source)
- Katana’s own advice for complex plants. “For complex, long-term, or multi-stream production setups, manual deadlines might offer better control.”
Resources in Katana have no shifts or calendars of their own, and the Tasks tab follows MO priority. So nothing in Katana checks whether a given machine is overloaded, and setup is a cost type, not a changeover that depends on what ran before. Each limit is explained in Does Katana have finite capacity scheduling?
What moves between Katana and SkyPlanner
| Katana | SkyPlanner | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Products, materials, variants | Products and materials | In |
| Product recipe / BOM | Product structure, subproducts | In |
| Production operations: Type, Resource, Time | Process steps, setup times | In |
| Resources (workstation, machine, employee) | Workstations, workstation groups | In |
| Manufacturing order with operation rows and ingredients | Orders and jobs | In |
| Inventory, purchase orders with arrival dates | Stock and incoming material | In |
| Sales order delivery date | Order due date, customer priority | In |
| MO rank on the Schedule tab, production deadline | Schedule sequence, planned finish | Back |
| Operation row status and actual time | Mobile Confirmations, timelogs | Back |
Katana today and with SkyPlanner
| Katana | Katana with SkyPlanner APS | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | One MO priority list | Every operation on a workstation timeline |
| Capacity | One weekly throughput figure | Each machine, person and tool with its own shifts |
| Calendars | Monday to Friday, factory-wide | Shifts, leave, absences, overtime per resource |
| Sequencing | Planner drags MOs by hand | Engine sequences all open orders by priority and due date |
| Changeovers | Setup as an operation cost | Setting time matrix, least total setup |
| Changes | Re-drag after each disruption | Autopilot replans the whole plant |
| Materials | Reserved in priority order | Stock and incoming POs checked on every change |
| Shop floor | Task list by resource | Timed queue, Mobile Confirmations, Production Timer |
How to choose a scheduler for Katana
Katana’s Schedule tab fits a small shop with short cycles, steady output and one or no bottleneck. Beyond that, buyers compare four routes: Katana alone, spreadsheet schedulers fed by CSV exports, shop-floor tools that track status, and a cloud APS that schedules every resource and writes back.
- Choose SkyPlanner when several machines compete for the same orders, and one weekly throughput figure hides the overload.
- Choose SkyPlanner when shifts differ by machine or team.
- Choose SkyPlanner when changeovers depend on sequence. The setting time matrix decides the order.
- Choose SkyPlanner when shared tools and crews decide what can run next.
- Choose SkyPlanner when you want the sequence back in Katana, so material reservations follow the real plan.
- Choose SkyPlanner when operators should work from a timed queue on phone or tablet.
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, people and shifts in SkyPlanner, or import them. Assisted onboarding is available.
- Load your orders. Export the Tasks list from Katana’s Make screen to CSV, import it with your open orders and compare SkyPlanner’s schedule with your current plan.
- Connect Katana. 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. Using another system too? See all ERP integrations.
FAQ
What is the best scheduling add-on for Katana?
SkyPlanner APS is a finite capacity scheduling add-on that integrates with Katana in both directions: manufacturing orders, recipes, operations, resources, stock and purchase orders flow in, and the schedule order, deadlines and logged work flow back. Every workstation, 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 Katana MRP have finite capacity scheduling?
No. Katana ranks manufacturing orders in one priority list and estimates deadlines from a single weekly throughput figure. Resources have no capacity or shifts of their own. SkyPlanner APS adds a finite capacity schedule for every workstation, person and tool.
Do we need to install anything in Katana?
No. SkyPlanner runs in the cloud beside Katana and connects through the Katana API with an API key. Katana webhooks report order changes, so the schedule stays current.
Does SkyPlanner replace Katana?
No, it works on top of it. Katana keeps products, recipes, inventory, purchasing, sales orders and your accounting links. SkyPlanner schedules your manufacturing orders against real capacity and sends the order, deadlines and progress back.
How much does SkyPlanner cost next to Katana?
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.
Which Katana plan do we need for the integration?
Katana’s pricing page lists API access on both the Free and the Advantage plan. Manufacturing orders and production operations come with Katana’s Manufacturing Management capability. You create the API key under Settings > API.
How long does implementation take?
Implementation is normally completed within weeks after onboarding starts. The team maps your resources and production operations, connects manufacturing orders and purchase orders, and sends the sequence and deadlines back. Everything is tested against your current plan before go-live.
Can we test SkyPlanner with our Katana data first?
Yes. Import your workstations and open orders from a Katana CSV export in the trial. You see a finite capacity schedule of your own production before any integration work starts.
