Integrations / ERP / ProShop ERP
Does ProShop Have Finite Capacity Scheduling? Work Cells and SkyPlanner APS Explained
Yes. ProShop ERP schedules work orders against finite work cells. Each work cell, a machine, bench, piece of equipment or a person, has its own available hours and shifts, and job duration comes from estimated setup and cycle times. The shop sets the order of priority on each machine, and ProShop forecasts whether every job will ship on time. Shops that need the sequence itself optimized across machines, operators, tools and material run SkyPlanner APS beside ProShop.
This article walks through ProShop’s scheduling in its own terms, from work cells to on-time forecasts, and shows where a finite capacity scheduler adds to it.
How ProShop schedules, step by step
1. Work Cells
Capacity starts with Work Cells. ProShop’s module flyer is clear: “Any machine tool, workbench, equipment, or even person can be assigned as a workcell. Once assigned as a workcell, the number and timing of available hours per day can be managed using the schedule to allow unlimited work shift schedules.” (module flyer)
The shop floor page adds that you can “assign machines or personnel as work cells with custom schedules embedded with linked records.” Setup instructions and tool data sit on the work cell too. (ProShop shop floor)
2. Operations and target times
Each Work Order carries its operations, and each operation runs on a work cell. Duration on the schedule comes from the estimate: “Estimated set-up and cycle times are used to calculate job duration on the schedule.” Programmers update target times from CAM simulation, and machinists can change the target time based on actual times on the first part. (ProShop blog)
That loop matters. The schedule is only as good as the target times, and ProShop builds the habit of correcting them on the floor.
3. The machine schedule and priority
Work orders land on each work cell’s schedule. ProShop describes the machine schedule as “a view into your existing pipeline, order of priority for active jobs, job status, and capacity planning features.” (ProShop blog)
The order of priority is the shop’s call. ProShop’s own customer story puts it plainly: “we prioritize work on every machine and see when it will be done.” (Coastal Machine case study) A ProShop user on Capterra describes reordering jobs with drag and drop.
4. Finite, not infinite
ProShop loads work cells only up to their hours. The same case study describes the move from infinite scheduling in E2 to finite scheduling in ProShop: “Finite made sense, but we were nervous. Now, we’d never go back!” (Coastal Machine case study)
5. Forecasts, phantom jobs and purchasing flags
Scheduling “forecasts if you will be on time for all future jobs based on your scheduled hours and available staff. Updated in real-time as staff completes work on jobs.” (module flyer)
For quoting, phantom job placement shows the effect of a new job “alongside other jobs in the pipeline.” The schedule also carries “color-coded indicators for purchasing requirements and on-time delivery status.” (ProShop shop floor)
6. Progress from the floor
Time Tracking records setup, running, programming and troubleshooting time. “As operators clock time and complete jobs, ProShop’s scheduling automatically updates to reflect actual progress. Adjust priorities and manage bottlenecks proactively, not reactively.” (ProShop MES) Chip, ProShop’s AI layer, “flags expedited jobs, overloaded machines, late materials, and shrinking margins.” (Chip)
Scheduling is a ProShop module, not a separate APS product. ProShop prices the platform per shop, based on users.
What stays with the planner
ProShop’s scheduling gives the shop live visibility. These decisions stay with people:
- The order on each machine. ProShop shows the “order of priority for active jobs” that the shop sets. Choosing which job runs first, across every machine at once, is the planner’s job.
- Setups that depend on sequence. Duration comes from “estimated set-up and cycle times” per job. The time a changeover takes after a particular previous job is not part of the calculation.
- Machine and machinist together. A work cell is a machine, a bench, equipment “or even person”. An operation that needs a specific machine and a setup machinist at the same time is coordinated by the planner.
- Tools and fixtures. ProShop tracks Tools, Fixtures and RTAs in detail. Keeping a shared fixture from being planned on two machines at once is a planning decision.
- Replanning. ProShop flags overloads and late material, and asks people to “adjust priorities and manage bottlenecks.” After a breakdown or a hot job, the planner rebuilds the order.
ProShop is open about this philosophy. Its own article on scheduling software argues: “When nearly everything is a variable, a software program can’t possibly account for that.” (ProShop blog) ProShop puts the weight on process and accurate targets. A finite capacity scheduler puts the variables into the model.
When ProShop’s scheduling is enough
ProShop’s own scheduling does the job when:
- A planner can set priorities on every machine in minutes, and they hold for days.
- Setups are short or do not depend on the job that ran before.
- Each machine has its own operator, or people are scheduled as their own work cells.
- Fixtures and tools are rarely shared between machines at the same time.
- Visibility is the main need: on-time forecasts, phantom jobs for quoting and live status from Time Tracking.
If that fits, keep target times honest and review the schedule in a regular production meeting, as ProShop recommends.
When you need a finite capacity scheduler
You have outgrown planner-set priorities when several of these are true:
- The planner spends hours a week ordering work cell schedules by hand.
- Delivery dates slip although the on-time forecast looked fine at quoting.
- Setup time depends on material, fixture or part family that ran before.
- Machinists, not machines, are the constraint on second shift.
- Fixtures and tool assemblies move between machines.
- Bar stock or outside processing decides which job can start.
- Hot jobs and spindle downtime break the order every day.
What to look for
- Every resource finite at once: machines, operators and tools, at real clock times.
- Automatic sequencing of every operation by due date and priority, not a list ordered by hand.
- A setting time matrix with sequence-dependent, directional changeover times.
- Multi-operator jobs and alternative machines or personnel.
- Material-aware scheduling that checks stock and incoming purchase orders.
- Automatic rescheduling when production progress or orders change, with a lock on the work about to start.
- A clean ProShop data path. Reads through the ProShop GraphQL API, change detection through the Recently Updated Records API, and dates back to the work order. Ask every vendor whether they write back or only read, and who supports it after go-live.
The options fall into four groups:
- ProShop Scheduling keeps priorities and forecasts inside ProShop.
- Machine monitoring platforms add spindle data and a schedule view of ProShop work orders.
- Desktop finite schedulers take Excel or CSV exports from ProShop into an installed planning tool.
- Cloud APS with shop-floor execution, where SkyPlanner sits, schedules every resource automatically, two-way with ProShop, and puts the plan in operators’ hands.
Where SkyPlanner fits
SkyPlanner APS takes over each decision listed above. Every machine, person and tool is finite, at real clock times. The Arcturus engine optimizes the whole plan in seconds, sequenced by job priority, completion date, customer priority, Fast Track and Dynamic Priorities.
Its setting time matrix holds the changeover time between each pair of jobs in both directions, for example 30 minutes one way and 60 minutes the other, and the engine picks the order with the least total setup. Tools are finite shared resources. A job that needs three operators gets three people with free shifts, and work moves to an alternative machine or person when the primary one is busy.
Material-driven scheduling checks stock and incoming purchase orders, so a job is planned when its material is there. Autopilot reschedules automatically when production changes, and Running Time Lock freezes the next hours of work so the floor is not disrupted. Operators log work on phone or tablet with Mobile Confirmations, Production Timer and Quick Log Mode.
Choose SkyPlanner over ProShop’s scheduling when:
- Sequencing takes hours. ProShop shows the order of priority the shop sets. Arcturus builds and rebuilds the whole sequence in seconds.
- Changeovers decide your output. ProShop uses one estimated setup per job. The setting time matrix plans changeovers by sequence.
- Machines, machinists and fixtures limit you together. SkyPlanner books all three for the same operation and staffs multi-operator jobs.
- The plan breaks daily. ProShop asks planners to adjust priorities. Autopilot replans automatically within your rules and locks.
Start with an Excel export of open ProShop work orders in the 30-day free trial (up to 20 workstations, no credit card). After that, 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.
SkyPlanner integrates with ProShop in both directions through the ProShop GraphQL API. The SkyPlanner team configures it during onboarding, and your developers can work on the documented REST API. See the SkyPlanner for ProShop ERP page, the ProShop integration guide, SkyPlanner features or all ERP integrations.
SkyPlanner reviews from manufacturers
2 hsaved every week
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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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FAQ
Does ProShop have a scheduling module?
Yes. Scheduling is part of ProShop’s Shop Floor Management & Scheduling, built on Work Cells with available hours and shift schedules. It shows the order of priority per machine, on-time forecasts, phantom jobs and purchasing indicators.
Is ProShop scheduling finite or infinite?
Finite at the work cell level. Work cells are loaded up to their available hours, and duration comes from estimated setup and cycle times. The shop sets the order of priority on each machine.
Does ProShop handle sequence-dependent setup times?
ProShop calculates duration from an estimated setup time per job. SkyPlanner’s setting time matrix stores changeover times between job pairs in both directions and sequences work to minimize them.
Can ProShop schedule a machine and an operator together?
In ProShop a work cell is a machine, a bench, equipment or a person. SkyPlanner schedules machines, operators and tools together for the same operation, including jobs that need several operators.
Can I test SkyPlanner before integrating it with ProShop?
Yes. Import open work orders, operations and work cells from ProShop as Excel or CSV during the 30-day trial and compare the schedule with your current plan. See pricing, start the trial or talk to sales.
