Integrations / ERP / proALPHA ERP
proALPHA Integration Guide for Production Scheduling with SkyPlanner APS
This Proalpha integration guide shows partners and IT teams how to connect Proalpha ERP to SkyPlanner APS. SkyPlanner integrates with Proalpha in both directions:
- Parts, work orders with operations, resources, calendars, stock and purchase orders flow in.
- Planned start and end per operation go back through setWorkOrderOperationDates.
- Resource changes go back through changeWorkOrderOperationResource.
- Operator confirmations go back through operationDataEntry.
- SkyPlanner webhooks push schedule changes as they happen.
The SkyPlanner team configures the integration to your Proalpha setup during onboarding and supports it after go-live. This guide is for partners and developers who want to take part, or to build on SkyPlanner’s documented REST API (API reference) themselves.
The Proalpha interfaces
Proalpha ERP runs on Progress OpenEdge, and Release 9 moved the platform to OpenEdge 12. (Proalpha) Four interfaces matter for scheduling.
- Proalpha ERP REST APIs. The public Proalpha API Portal lists 108 OpenAPI 3.0 specifications under
api/web/v1. This is the write-back route and the read route for parts and stock. - Integration Workbench (INWB). In Proalpha’s words, INWB “is a central platform which connects different IT systems, machines, sites” and “converts the data into the format of the target system.” (Proalpha) It receives pAX messages through
POST /api/web/v1/inwb/message. Use it for work order flows out of and into Proalpha. - Proalpha Integration Platform. Announced in April 2026 and powered by n8n, it “will be available to customers either on-premises or in the cloud.” Proalpha “will rely on an API-centric reference architecture and REST interfaces.” (Proalpha)
- EDI and file exports. INWB handles industry-specific file formats, and file exports cover the SkyPlanner trial.
The production endpoints
| Proalpha API | Endpoint | Use in the integration |
|---|---|---|
| Production Workorder Operation Dates API V1 | POST /api/web/v1/pps/prod/setWorkOrderOperationDates | Planned start and end per operation (guid, startTimePoint, endTimePoint) |
| Production Workorder Operation Resource API V1 | POST /api/web/v1/pps/prod/changeWorkOrderOperationResource | Resource the schedule chose (guid, resourceGUID) |
| Production Workorder Operation API V1 | POST /api/web/v1/pps/prod/operationDataEntry/{combined, setup, process} | Confirmations: postingQty, scrapQty, finishOperation, employeeID, resourceTime |
| Part API | GET/POST /api/web/v1/master/part | Parts with partNumber, partType, quantityUnitCode |
| Material API V1 | GET /api/web/v1/mawi/MRPArea/{mrpAreaGuid}/part/{partGuid}/stock | Stock per MRP area |
Authentication
The published Proalpha specs use HTTP Basic authentication. Endpoints are environment-specific, {schema}://{host}:{port}/api/web/v1/..., on your Proalpha server or Proalpha Cloud. Create a dedicated technical user with rights limited to the objects in the mapping table. Plan network access from SkyPlanner’s cloud to that endpoint with your IT team.
On the SkyPlanner side, the REST API authenticates with an API token (SkyPlanner Settings > API) and is documented in Swagger/OpenAPI. An API token is enough to start. The integration tutorial walks through the first calls.
Events and polling
The Proalpha API Portal lists no webhook subscription API. Outbound changes come from:
- an INWB message flow that sends new and changed work orders with their operations
- an n8n workflow on the Proalpha Integration Platform
- scheduled polling of the Material API for stock
SkyPlanner sends webhooks when state or the schedule changes, so the write-back to Proalpha is event-driven.
Data mapping
| Proalpha object or API | SkyPlanner object | Direction | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part (Part API) | Products and materials | Proalpha → SkyPlanner | Initial load, then on change |
| Product process model: process, activities; work order BOM lines | Product structure, subproducts, process steps | Proalpha → SkyPlanner | Initial load, then on change |
| Work order (Fertigungsauftrag) with quantity and due date | Order and jobs with due date and priority | Proalpha → SkyPlanner | INWB or n8n push, or every few minutes |
| Work order operations: targetSetupTime, targetProcessTime, resource | Process steps with setup times and durations | Proalpha → SkyPlanner | With the work order |
| Resources, resource groups, alternative resource groups | Workstations, workstation groups, alternative workstations | Proalpha → SkyPlanner | Initial load |
| Resource calendar blocks with intensity and overloadIntensity | Shifts and workstation efficiencies | Proalpha → SkyPlanner | Initial load; daily or kept in SkyPlanner |
| Stock per MRP area | Material stock | Proalpha → SkyPlanner | Hourly or before each schedule run |
| Purchase orders with delivery date | Incoming material on its delivery date | Proalpha → SkyPlanner | Hourly or before each schedule run |
| setWorkOrderOperationDates | Scheduled start and end per operation | SkyPlanner → Proalpha | On schedule change, via SkyPlanner webhook |
| changeWorkOrderOperationResource | Workstation chosen by the engine | SkyPlanner → Proalpha | On schedule change |
| operationDataEntry (setup, process, combined) | Timelogs and quantities from Mobile Confirmations | SkyPlanner → Proalpha | Per confirmation or per shift |
| SkyPlanner scheduling rules | Setting time matrix, tools as finite resources, operator counts | Maintained in SkyPlanner | Set up during onboarding |
Integration patterns
1. Initial master data load. Read parts through the Part API and load resources, resource groups and calendars once through INWB or a file export. Map each Proalpha resource to a SkyPlanner workstation deliberately. Alternative resource groups become alternative workstations.
2. Order sync. An INWB message flow or n8n workflow sends open work orders with their operations, target times and resources. Stock comes from the Material API per MRP area, and open purchase orders through INWB. SkyPlanner treats ordered material as available on the PO delivery date and updates stock when the PO is marked Delivered.
3. Schedule write-back. For every operation the engine placed or moved, the integration calls setWorkOrderOperationDates with the operation guid, start and end. If the engine chose another resource, changeWorkOrderOperationResource follows.
4. Shop-floor confirmations. Operators log work with SkyPlanner Mobile Confirmations or the Production Timer. Timelogs keep the schedule current and post to Proalpha through operationDataEntry. If your plant already confirms on PDC terminals, keep one channel to avoid duplicate postings.
5. Ownership and conflict rules. Write them down before go-live:
| Data | Owner |
|---|---|
| Parts, process models, quantities, work order status | Proalpha |
| Operation sequence, start and end times, resource assignment | SkyPlanner |
| Setting time matrix, tools, operator counts | SkyPlanner |
| Shifts and absences | One system, chosen in scoping |
| Confirmations and stock postings | Proalpha, fed by SkyPlanner timelogs or PDC |
If Proalpha APS or Feinplanung is active, decide which system owns operation dates. Two planners writing the same dates overwrite each other. With Autopilot, SkyPlanner reschedules automatically when production changes.
Typical project steps
Implementation is normally completed within weeks after onboarding starts. Before that, the 30-day free trial runs on your own data. Export open work orders, operations and resources from Proalpha to CSV or Excel, import them and validate the schedule.
- Mapping workshop. Fix the mapping table, ownership rules, sync frequencies and the confirmation channel with your Proalpha partner.
- Interface setup. Enable the REST APIs and INWB flows, create the technical user and open network access. Test system first, then production.
- Initial load. Parts, resources, resource groups and calendars.
- Order, stock and purchase order sync. INWB or n8n push for work orders, polling for stock, with retries.
- Constraint setup in SkyPlanner. Setting time matrix, tools, operator counts and alternative workstations.
- Schedule write-back. setWorkOrderOperationDates and changeWorkOrderOperationResource; operationDataEntry added here.
- Parallel run. Compare SkyPlanner’s dates with the current plan and fix master data.
- Go-live. Switch on write-back once the data matches.
What to plan for in a Proalpha integration
- No routing object. Proalpha plans on product process models. Tools copied from SAP or Business Central projects look for routings and miss data. On the work order, read operations and BOM lines.
- Calendar intensity. Calendar blocks carry intensity and overloadIntensity. Map them to SkyPlanner shifts and efficiencies instead of copying raw hours.
- Units of measure. Check quantityUnitCode and whether target setup time is per order or per piece. Wrong units distort every duration.
- Customer-hosted endpoints. The REST layer runs on your Proalpha server. Firewalls, ports and certificates decide the project start date, so open them early.
- Release level. Confirm with your partner which REST APIs your Proalpha release exposes before fixing the mapping.
- Login-gated documentation. Proalpha’s online help sits behind the Documentation Portal. Confirm field names with your partner instead of guessing.
The Proalpha integration: who configures and supports it
- The SkyPlanner team configures it during onboarding and supports it after go-live. Every Proalpha installation is modeled differently, and this is where that know-how goes.
- Your Proalpha partner can take part. The partner knows your process models, INWB flows and release level and can set up API access. SkyPlanner provides the REST API, Swagger/OpenAPI documentation and webhooks.
- Your own developers can build on it against the same REST API with an API token. The SkyPlanner team assists when needed. Product documentation is public at SkyPlanner docs.
SkyPlanner starts 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, so you see the full cost before you start. See how Proalpha plans capacity in Does proALPHA have finite capacity scheduling?, the overview on the proALPHA page, and other systems in the ERP integrations hub.
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.
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.
FAQ
Which Proalpha interfaces does the integration use?
The Proalpha REST APIs for parts, stock and the write-back of dates, resources and confirmations. INWB message flows or the n8n-based Integration Platform carry work orders with their operations. File exports cover the trial and bulk loads.
Where do planned dates land in Proalpha?
On the work order operation, through setWorkOrderOperationDates with start and end time points. If the engine moved the job to another machine, changeWorkOrderOperationResource updates the resource.
Does Proalpha support webhooks?
The Proalpha API Portal lists no webhook subscription API. Changes reach SkyPlanner through INWB message flows, n8n workflows or polling. SkyPlanner’s own webhooks make the write-back event-driven.
Can operator confirmations post to Proalpha?
Yes. Timelogs from SkyPlanner Mobile Confirmations post through operationDataEntry, with quantity, employee and resource time. Keep one confirmation channel if PDC terminals are also in use.
Do we need Proalpha APS, and what if we already run it?
You do not need it. SkyPlanner builds the finite schedule itself from your work orders, operations and resources, and Autopilot keeps it current. If Proalpha APS is active, decide in scoping which system owns operation dates. SkyPlanner then writes only the dates it owns, so the two plans never overwrite each other.
Can we test SkyPlanner before building the integration?
Yes. The 30-day free trial supports up to 20 workstations with a CSV or Excel export of your work orders, no credit card needed. Start the trial, or talk to sales to scope the integration.
