Integrations / ERP / Lemonsoft
SkyPlanner APS for Lemonsoft: Finite Capacity Production Scheduling
SkyPlanner APS is a finite capacity scheduling add-on for Lemonsoft that schedules every machine, operator, tool and material. Each work stage lands on a free workstation at a real clock time, and Autopilot reschedules automatically when production changes.
SkyPlanner integrates with Lemonsoft in both directions: work numbers, work stages, machines, product structures and materials flow in, and planned times and operator confirmations flow back. The SkyPlanner team configures the integration to your Lemonsoft 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
The right machine, picked for you.
In Lemonsoft, every work stage carries one machine. SkyPlanner knows which machines can run each product and how efficient each one is, and moves the stage to a free alternative when the first choice is busy. The chosen machine goes back to Lemonsoft. Planners stop dragging jobs between machines by hand.
Real clock times, not daily totals.
Every machine, person and tool gets a finite schedule with shifts, holidays, absences and overtime. Two stages never share one machine at the same hour. A fixture in use on one machine is never booked on another, and a job that needs three operators gets three people with free shifts.
Fewer setups.
SkyPlanner holds the changeover time between products in its setting time matrix, in both directions. Switching from blue to red can take 30 minutes and red to blue 60. Arcturus runs similar jobs back to back and picks the order with the least setup, balanced against due dates.
Jobs start when material is there.
SkyPlanner projects stock forward from balances, purchase orders, reservations and consumption. A stage waiting for a vendor delivery is planned for when the material arrives, and if the delivery slips, Arcturus moves the job with it.
Changes handled automatically.
A breakdown, a rush order or a stage that finishes early triggers a replan. Autopilot reschedules automatically when production changes, and your locks and priorities stay in control.
Operators see their queue.
Each operator sees the next jobs on a phone or tablet and confirms work as it happens. Confirmations post back to Lemonsoft, so the office and the ERP see the same progress.
SkyPlanner reviews from manufacturers
Lemonsofttwo-way integration with SkyPlanner
Kaskea Group
Contract manufacturing: CNC machining, steel structures and assembly
Production is planned in SkyPlanner, with a two-way integration to Lemonsoft.
Fewerstoppages from material shortages
“The value SkyPlanner brings us is that it is a tool that works in daily use, especially for setting delivery dates.”
Tommi Männistö, Production Planning Manager
Eskomatic · Contract machining
Automatic load scheduling gives more accurate delivery dates, and production stoppages caused by material shortages have fallen sharply.
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.
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.
How the Lemonsoft integration works
- Lemonsoft sends the work. Work numbers (työnumero) from the Tuotantolista, their work stages (työvaihe), machines and machine groups, product structures, materials and planned shifts flow into SkyPlanner.
- SkyPlanner builds the schedule and keeps it current. The Arcturus engine calculates the schedule in seconds and keeps it current as production moves.
- Times and confirmations go back. Planned start and end times return to the work stages in Lemonsoft. Operator confirmations post back as completion entries with quantities and hours.
SkyPlanner connects through Lemonsoft’s own REST API, so nothing is installed in Lemonsoft. Kaskea Group runs SkyPlanner with a two-way Lemonsoft integration. The SkyPlanner team configures the integration for your Lemonsoft setup and supports it after go-live.
The integration is quoted up front for your process and needs. Your Lemonsoft partner or your own developers can also build on SkyPlanner’s documented API (API reference). Endpoints, field mapping and ownership rules are in the Lemonsoft integration guide for production scheduling.
What Lemonsoft schedules, and what SkyPlanner adds
Lemonsoft’s production planning loads machines in the LemonOnline Hienokuormitus Gantt from a fixed daily capacity or from shift planning. Free scheduling avoids exceeding the day’s capacity by default; with FREE_TIMING set to 1 it starts from the first free minute of the day, and CHECK_OVERLAPPING checks stages for overlaps (source). Release 2026.10.2 added priority-based automatic scheduling: jobs are ordered by customer, job, product and material priority and delivery time, locked jobs stay in place, and overlapping jobs can be blocked on a machine (release notes). In Lemonsoft’s words (our translation), it “goes through the machines in turn and gives each machine the work stage that is highest in priority order”. SkyPlanner adds:
- Machine choice on every run. In Lemonsoft, the planner moves load to an interchangeable machine with a drag in the Gantt. SkyPlanner picks among the workstations you allow for each job every time it schedules.
- Material as a scheduling limit. SkyPlanner projects stock from purchase orders, reservations and consumption, and starts each stage when its material is there.
- Capacity exceptions at clock time. Lemonsoft adds or removes machine deviations from the day’s hours without a clock time. SkyPlanner puts maintenance, holidays, overtime and breakdowns on the shift calendar.
- Least-setup sequencing. Lemonsoft orders stages by its priority fields and adds each stage’s fixed setup time. SkyPlanner reads the changeover time from its setting time matrix, by what ran before and what runs next, and orders jobs for the least setup against due dates.
Every setting and limit is explained in Does Lemonsoft have finite capacity scheduling?
Lemonsoft today and with SkyPlanner
| Lemonsoft scheduling | Lemonsoft with SkyPlanner APS | |
|---|---|---|
| Machine choice | The machine written on each stage; moves within a group in the Gantt | Arcturus picks among the workstations you allow per job, weighted by efficiency |
| Scheduling logic | Priority-based automatic scheduling (option 3) or legacy capacity fill | Arcturus optimizes the whole plan in seconds |
| Capacity | Fixed daily capacity or shift planning; free scheduling by day or from the first free minute | Machines, people and tools at clock time, with shifts and absences |
| Changeovers | Fixed setup time per stage | Setting time matrix orders jobs for the least setup |
| Materials | Material priority in the sort order; shortages flagged on the Gantt | Projected stock and incoming purchase orders decide when a stage starts |
| Changes | Refresh, or timed runs through Lemonsoft Windows services | Autopilot replans on every meaningful change, within your locks and rules |
| Shop floor | Work queue with RFID or barcode login | Mobile Confirmations on phone or tablet, posted back to Lemonsoft |
How to choose a scheduler for Lemonsoft
Lemonsoft’s own Hienokuormitus Gantt fits a shop where each stage has one fixed machine and the priority order alone sets the sequence.
- Choose SkyPlanner when several machines can run the same stage and you want the plan to choose between them.
- Choose SkyPlanner when changeovers decide your output. The engine sequences jobs for the least total setup.
- Choose SkyPlanner when material arrival decides which job starts, not just a shortage flag.
- Choose SkyPlanner when people and shared tools limit the plan as much as machines do.
- Choose SkyPlanner when the plan changes several times a week. Autopilot replans, and the new times go back to Lemonsoft.
- Choose SkyPlanner when you want scheduling and operator confirmations in one browser tool, connected to Lemonsoft in both directions.
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 work numbers. Export open work numbers, stages and machines from Lemonsoft to Excel. Import them and compare SkyPlanner’s schedule with your current Gantt.
- Connect Lemonsoft. The SkyPlanner team configures the two-way integration over Lemonsoft’s REST 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 for the details, and other systems in the ERP integrations hub.
FAQ
What is the best scheduling add-on for Lemonsoft?
SkyPlanner APS is a finite capacity scheduling add-on that integrates with Lemonsoft in both directions: work numbers, work stages, machines, product structures and materials flow in, and planned times and operator confirmations 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 Lemonsoft have finite capacity scheduling?
Yes. Lemonsoft’s production planning fills each machine’s capacity without overloading it, and release 2026.10.2 added priority-based automatic scheduling that keeps locked jobs in place. SkyPlanner APS adds machine choice among alternative workstations, scheduling against projected stock and incoming purchase orders, and grouping of similar jobs to cut setups.
Do we need to install anything in Lemonsoft?
No add-on goes into Lemonsoft. SkyPlanner runs in the cloud and connects through Lemonsoft’s REST API, which comes preinstalled for Lemonsoft platform service (Alustapalvelu) customers. You create an API key and user rights in Lemonsoft user management.
Does SkyPlanner replace Lemonsoft production planning?
No, it works on top of Lemonsoft. Lemonsoft keeps products, product structures, sales orders, purchasing, inventory and finance. SkyPlanner schedules the work numbers against real capacity and sends the times back.
How much does SkyPlanner cost for a Lemonsoft shop?
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.
How long does implementation take?
Implementation is normally completed within weeks after onboarding starts. The team maps your machines and work stages, connects work numbers and materials, and sends planned times back. Everything is tested against your current plan before go-live.
Can we test SkyPlanner before integrating with Lemonsoft?
Yes. The 30-day trial runs on an Excel export of your Lemonsoft work numbers and machines. You see a finite capacity schedule of your own production before any integration work starts.
Which Lemonsoft package includes production planning?
The P1 Tuotannon suunnittelu package, meant for production planners who follow load and plan production. The Gantt planning feature needs the WTUGANT license. SkyPlanner works beside whichever Lemonsoft packages you run, because it reads and writes production data over the REST API.
