Integrations / ERP / Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform
SkyPlanner APS for Plex: Finite Capacity Production Scheduling
SkyPlanner APS is a finite capacity scheduling add-on for the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform that schedules every work center, operator, tool and material. You see which job runs where and when, and Autopilot reschedules automatically when production changes.
SkyPlanner integrates with Plex in both directions: jobs, parts, routings, work centers, inventory and purchase orders flow in, and planned operation times and logged work flow back. The SkyPlanner team configures the integration to your Plex 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 schedule that builds itself.
The Arcturus AI engine places every job operation on a work center at a set time, in seconds. Real shifts, absences and overtime set the capacity. Your planner reviews the plan instead of building it by hand.
Breakdowns and rush jobs replanned automatically.
When a press stops, a rush release lands or material is late, Autopilot reschedules. Your locks and priorities stay in control, and Running Time Lock keeps running jobs where they are.
Changeovers cost less.
SkyPlanner holds the changeover time between each pair of products, in both directions. Switching from a light color to a dark one can take 30 minutes, and back again 60. The engine runs jobs in the order that loses the least time to setups.
People and tools are finite too.
A job that needs three operators gets three people with free shifts. A die or mold in use on one press is never booked on another. When a work center is busy, work moves to an alternative work center or person.
Material checked before the job starts.
SkyPlanner checks Plex inventory and open purchase orders. A job waiting for a supplier delivery is planned after that delivery date, not started and then stopped on the floor.
Operators drive the schedule from the floor.
Each operator sees the next jobs on a phone or tablet and logs starts, quantities and stoppages as they happen. The schedule updates with every confirmation, and the logged work goes back to Plex.
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.
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.
1,000swork orders scheduled automatically
“Production is under control in a different way, and our understanding of capacity is on a completely different level.”
Hannu Ryynänen, CEO
Mamec · Industrial mixers, pumps and high-tech contract manufacturing
Thousands of work orders are scheduled automatically, with a real-time view of production for the whole organization.
How the Plex integration works
- Plex sends the work. Jobs with their operations, parts, routings, work centers, inventory and purchase orders flow into SkyPlanner.
- SkyPlanner builds the schedule and keeps it current. The Arcturus engine plans every operation in seconds and replans as production changes.
- Times and logged work go back. Planned start and end times per operation return to Plex, and operator confirmations feed Plex production reporting.
Plex stays your system of record. Parts, bills of materials, MRP, purchasing, inventory, quality and finance stay where they are. SkyPlanner owns one thing: the sequence and timing of every operation on every resource.
| Plex | SkyPlanner | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Part, Bill of Materials (BOM) | Products, materials, subproducts | Plex → SkyPlanner |
| Routing and part operations with standard times | Process steps with setup and run times | Plex → SkyPlanner |
| Work center (machine, cell or area) | Workstation or workstation group | Plex → SkyPlanner |
| Job with quantity and due date | Order with jobs | Plex → SkyPlanner |
| Inventory and containers, purchase orders | Stock and incoming material | Plex → SkyPlanner |
| Planned start and end per operation | Schedule | SkyPlanner → Plex |
| Production records from operator confirmations | Timelogs and quantities | SkyPlanner → Plex |
SkyPlanner reads Plex through the Plex Connect REST APIs and Plex Data Sources, with access set up in the Plex Developer Portal. SkyPlanner webhooks push every schedule change as it happens, and the Plex sync frequency is set per plant. Every plant runs Plex differently, so the SkyPlanner team configures the integration to your PCN during onboarding and supports it after go-live.
The integration is quoted up front for your process and needs. Your Plex partner or your own developers can also build on SkyPlanner’s documented API (API reference). Data sources, mapping and write-back rules are in the Plex integration guide for production scheduling.
Plex Finite Scheduling and SkyPlanner APS
Plex schedules finitely. Finite Scheduling is part of Plex MES, and Plex describes it in its own words:
- A finite engine for work centers. Plex MES uses “a finite scheduling engine to determine which jobs to schedule to which work centers.”
- Automated scheduling with planner control. The Finite Scheduling datasheet promises to “Automate Scheduling” by evaluating “materials, tooling, and labor while scheduling.” The planner adjusts the result on the Schedule Board with drag and drop.
- What-if runs off-line. “Plex allows you to explore what-if scheduling scenarios ‘off-line'” before the schedule is published.
- Deeper optimization is a separate product. Rockwell markets Finite Scheduler as “An Adaptive Plex MES Integration.” It automates the generation of optimized schedules, with setup, cycle and teardown steps, labor pools and changeover minimization. Its pricing is not published.
So the question is not whether Plex can schedule. It is how fast a mid-sized plant gets every constraint into one schedule. SkyPlanner plans machines, people, tools, material and changeovers at once, in one engine, without specialist configuration. Autopilot keeps the plan current. You see a finite schedule of your own jobs within the 30-day trial, and plans start from 199 € per month. It runs beside Plex ERP with or without the MES suite.
The full walk-through is in Does Plex have finite capacity scheduling?
Plex today and with SkyPlanner
| Plex | Plex with SkyPlanner APS | |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduling | Automated finite scheduling in Plex MES; Finite Scheduler marketed as a separate integration for optimized schedules | AI schedule for every operation in seconds, beside any Plex package |
| Changes | Planner regenerates the schedule or edits it on the Schedule Board | Autopilot reschedules automatically within your priorities |
| Changeovers | Attribute-based sequencing; setup steps and changeover minimization in Finite Scheduler | Setting time matrix: changeover time per product pair, both directions |
| Tools and people | Tooling and labor as scheduling inputs; labor pools in Finite Scheduler | Tools and operators are finite; multi-operator jobs; alternatives when busy |
| Material | Materials evaluated while scheduling; MRP refreshed on the schedule you define | Jobs start when stock or incoming purchase orders are there |
| Shop floor | Dispatch List and Control Panel | Operators see their queue and log work on phone or tablet |
| Time to value | Plex MES suite, plus the Finite Scheduler integration for deeper optimization | Your own finite schedule in the 30-day trial, live within weeks |
How to choose a scheduler for Plex
For a mid-sized plant moving off spreadsheets, the choice is Plex’s own scheduling or SkyPlanner. Choose SkyPlanner over Plex Finite Scheduling and Finite Scheduler when:
- You run Plex ERP without the MES suite. Plex lists finite scheduling under its “Plex MES/MOM Production Scheduling Capabilities” (source), sells MES as the Plex Manufacturing Execution Suite (source), and markets Finite Scheduler as “An Adaptive Plex MES Integration” (source). SkyPlanner runs beside Plex ERP alone or beside the full MES suite.
- The plan changes every day. In Plex, the planner edits the Schedule Board with drag and drop, and Finite Scheduler generates and regenerates schedules for review. SkyPlanner’s Autopilot replans automatically on every meaningful change and sends the new times back to Plex.
- Changeovers decide your capacity. The setting time matrix holds the changeover time for every product pair, in both directions, and the engine orders jobs for the least total setup.
- Shared tools and crews decide what can run next. Every tool and operator is finite, multi-operator jobs get all their people, and work moves to alternative workstations when one is busy.
- Material arrival decides which job starts. Jobs start when stock or incoming purchase orders are there.
- You want proof in weeks. The 30-day free trial runs on your own Plex data, plans start from 199 € per month, and you are live within weeks after onboarding starts.
How to get started
- Start the free trial. 30 days, up to 20 workstations, all Basic features, no credit card.
- Model your production. Create work centers, people and shifts in SkyPlanner, or import them. Assisted onboarding is available.
- Load your jobs. Export open jobs, operations and work centers from Plex to Excel or CSV, import them and compare SkyPlanner’s schedule with your current plan.
- Connect Plex. 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, or browse other systems in the ERP integrations hub.
FAQ
What is the best scheduling add-on for Plex?
SkyPlanner APS is a finite capacity scheduling add-on that integrates with Plex in both directions: jobs, parts, routings, work centers, inventory and purchase orders flow in, and planned operation times and logged work 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 Plex have finite capacity scheduling?
Yes. Finite Scheduling in Plex MES automates scheduling against capacity, materials, tooling and labor, and the planner adjusts the Schedule Board with drag and drop. Rockwell markets Finite Scheduler as a separate Plex MES integration for optimized schedules. SkyPlanner APS schedules every constraint in one engine, and Autopilot reschedules automatically, beside any Plex package.
Should we use Plex Finite Scheduling or SkyPlanner?
Choose SkyPlanner when you want every work center, operator, tool and material scheduled finitely without moving to the Plex MES suite or adding the Finite Scheduler integration. Plex places finite scheduling in MES and markets Finite Scheduler as a Plex MES integration. SkyPlanner runs beside any Plex package, Autopilot replans automatically, operators confirm work with Mobile Confirmations, and the SkyPlanner team configures and supports the two-way integration. Plans start from 199 € per month, with a 30-day free trial on your own data.
Do we need Plex MES or Finite Scheduler to use SkyPlanner?
No. SkyPlanner schedules the jobs, routings and work centers you already keep in Plex. It works beside Plex ERP alone or beside the full Plex MES suite.
Do we need to install anything in Plex?
No. SkyPlanner runs in the cloud beside Plex and connects through the Plex Connect REST APIs and Plex Data Sources.
Does SkyPlanner replace Plex?
No, it works on top of it. Plex keeps parts, BOMs, routings, MRP, purchasing, inventory, quality and finance. SkyPlanner schedules your jobs against real capacity and sends the times back.
How much does SkyPlanner cost for a Plex plant?
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 work centers and routings, connects jobs and purchase orders, and sends planned times back. Everything is tested against your current plan before go-live.
Can we test SkyPlanner before integrating with Plex?
Yes. The 30-day trial runs on an Excel or CSV export from Plex. You see a finite capacity schedule of your own production before any integration work starts.
