APS next to your ERP
Production scheduling software for mid-sized manufacturers
SkyPlanner APS gives a mid-sized factory finite-capacity scheduling next to the ERP it already has. Orders come in from the ERP, the Arcturus AI engine schedules every workstation to its real capacity, and planned times flow back. Planners, operators and managers each work with the access their role needs.
- Finite-capacity scheduling
- REST API to any ERP or MES
- Role-based access
- From 199 € / month
Why mid-sized factories need a scheduler
The ERP holds the orders, not the schedule
A mid-sized manufacturer usually has an ERP, a production planner and several departments. The orders are in the ERP, but the plan for each machine still lives in spreadsheets, on whiteboards and in phone calls.
The ERP plans every machine as free
Most ERP systems calculate lead times and material needs, but they do not place each job on a machine with free time in its shift calendar. The dates they give ignore the real load.
Several planners, several versions
Each department keeps its own spreadsheet, so nobody sees the whole plan and every change has to be copied by hand.
Rush orders break the week
A rush order, a breakdown or a late delivery means hours of replanning, and the plan is out of date before it is finished.
Sales cannot see the load
Delivery dates are promised without seeing which workstations are already full, and the shop floor pays for it with overtime.
Missing materials found too late
When the schedule is not linked to stock and purchasing, a missing part is found when the job should already be running.
Enterprise suites are too heavy
Planning suites built for corporations come with long projects and budgets that a mid-sized factory does not need for a working schedule.
SkyPlanner adds the scheduling layer the ERP does not have. Every workstation is loaded to its real capacity, and the whole plan is rebuilt in seconds when something changes.
APS next to your ERP
Advanced planning and scheduling next to your ERP
Keep the ERP you have. SkyPlanner takes the orders, products and routings from it, schedules every process step to finite capacity and sends planned times and material need dates back.
Orders in from the ERP
Sales and production orders, products, routings, materials and stock come in through the open REST API, or from CSV and Excel files.
Every job on a workstation that is free
Each process step is placed on a workstation with free time in its shift calendar, in the right order, with setting time included.
Planned times back to the ERP
Planned start and end times, progress and material need dates flow back, so purchasing and sales work from the same plan.
How a mid-sized factory works in SkyPlanner
Several planners, one schedule
Departments, shifts and roles are set up once, and everyone works from the same schedule.
A role for every user
SkyPlanner uses role-based access. Head users manage settings, planners build and change the schedule, operators confirm their own work and managers can follow the plan with read-only access.
- Head user, planner, operator and read-only roles
- Operators see only the workstations they work on
Departments, shifts and people
Enter each machine or work centre as a workstation with its own shift calendar, group workstations by department and plan by operator or by plain capacity. Employee groups make it easy to plan the people who can run each machine.
- Operator-based or capacity-based planning
- Several shifts per workstation
Shop-floor reporting
Operators see their own work queue in the worker view or the SkyPlanner shop-floor app. They start, pause and complete jobs as they go, and the progress can flow back to the ERP.
Rush orders and breakdowns
A customer pulls an order forward. The new schedule is ready in seconds.
When an order moves or a machine stops, the Arcturus AI engine rebuilds the schedule in seconds. Lock jobs that must not move and raise the priority of the urgent order.
- Add a quote as a sales prospect scheduled as a simulated order and see the earliest realistic delivery date, without disturbing confirmed orders.
- See what accepting a rush order does to every other promise.
- Quote dates from the real load on your workstations.
Onboarding
Onboarding with ERP integration
Mid-sized manufacturers usually connect SkyPlanner to their ERP. The onboarding is built for that.
Five days of expert work
The 5-day onboarding package covers workshops on your production process, example data import and configuration, and training. It also includes a review of the API of the software to be integrated, the definition, plan and cost estimate of the integration, a proof of concept and a roadmap to deployment.
- Integration plan and cost estimate
- Proof of concept before rollout
Integration by Skycode or your own developers
SkyPlanner connects to any ERP or MES that provides an API. The integration can be built by Skycode or by your own developers or ERP partner using the public REST API documentation.
- Two-way flow between ERP and SkyPlanner
- Public API documentation
Schedule before the integration is ready
SkyPlanner also runs on its own. Import workstations, products and orders from Excel or CSV files, start scheduling, and switch to the ERP connection when it is in place.
Integrates with any ERP or MES
Connect the ERP you already have
SkyPlanner connects to all ERP and MES systems through its open REST API, including in-house systems. Orders and products flow in, planned times and material need dates flow back. It also runs standalone, so you can start scheduling before an integration is in place.
From your ERP
ERP · MES · CSV · Manual
- Sales & production orders
- Products & routings
- Materials & stock
- Customers & due dates
SkyPlanner APS
Schedules production
- Workstations
- Shifts
- Roles
- Routings
- Materials
- Schedule
Back to your ERP
ERP · Reports · Management
- Planned start & end times
- Material need dates
- Progress & quantities
- Delivery dates
- SAP S/4HANA
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
- Oracle NetSuite
- Infor
- Epicor
- IFS Cloud
- Sage X3
- Odoo
Room to grow
From one plant to several
SkyPlanner is used by manufacturers of every size, and it has customers with tens of thousands of active process steps. When a mid-sized company adds a plant or a subcontractor, the same software follows.
As your company grows
- Add or remove workstations at any time
- Schedule several plants in one SkyPlanner, or give each plant its own
- Add subcontractors as their own workstations
- Give operators their own view in 29 languages
- Add custom features when a setting is not enough
Why SkyPlanner
Why mid-sized manufacturers schedule with SkyPlanner
SkyPlanner APS is AI production scheduling software that adds finite-capacity scheduling to the ERP a mid-sized manufacturer already runs, without an enterprise project.
Any ERP or MES
An open REST API connects SkyPlanner to any ERP or MES that provides an API, including in-house systems.
Configured to your factory
SkyPlanner has more than 1,000 configurable settings in its scheduling logic, user interface and data structure, and custom features can be added when a setting is not enough.
Roles for every user
Head users, planners, operators and read-only viewers each get the access they need.
Replanned in seconds
The Arcturus AI engine rebuilds the finite-capacity schedule in seconds when a machine stops or a rush order arrives.
Published price
From 199 € / month with 5 workstations included, and 20 € per month for each additional workstation.
Free trial
Test SkyPlanner for 30 days with up to 20 workstations and no credit card.
Security and data
SkyPlanner runs in the cloud on AWS. If your data needs to stay in a specific country, a dedicated server there is available by agreement. Data is backed up daily and backups are kept for 30 days. Users can sign in with Google or Microsoft accounts and two-factor authentication. A data processing agreement is available, and customer data is never used to train AI models.
Pricing
From 199 € / month
5 workstations included. Each additional workstation is 20 € per month. There is a free trial, and guided onboarding packages are available if you want help setting up workstations, roles and the ERP integration.
Every industry
Production scheduling software by industry
SkyPlanner is configured to the process of each factory, so manufacturers in every industry schedule with the same software.
- Food manufacturing
- Beverage
- Chemical manufacturing
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing
- Cosmetics and personal care
- Metal fabrication
- Machine shops
- Foundries and metal forming
- Surface treatment
- Machinery manufacturing
- Automotive parts
- Aerospace and defense
- Electronics manufacturing
- Electrical equipment
- Medical devices
- Contract manufacturing
- Plastics manufacturing
- Packaging and printing
- Furniture manufacturing
- Building products
- Textile, apparel and footwear
Questions mid-sized manufacturers ask
Frequently asked questions
What is the best production scheduling software for mid-sized manufacturers?
A mid-sized manufacturer needs scheduling software that plans to real capacity, works next to the existing ERP and can be set up without an enterprise project. SkyPlanner APS does finite-capacity scheduling with the Arcturus AI engine, connects to any ERP or MES through an open REST API and has roles for planners, operators and managers. It costs from 199 € / month with 5 workstations included.
Does SkyPlanner work with our ERP?
SkyPlanner connects to any ERP or MES that provides an API, including SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, Infor, Epicor, IFS and in-house systems, through its open REST API. Orders, products, routings and stock come in, and planned times, progress and material need dates go back.
Do we have to replace our ERP?
No. SkyPlanner works next to your ERP. The ERP keeps orders, materials and finance, and SkyPlanner schedules the work on every workstation.
Can several planners work in SkyPlanner?
Yes. SkyPlanner uses role-based access with head user, planner, operator and read-only roles. Planners in different departments work in the same schedule, and operators see only the workstations they work on.
How does implementation work with an ERP integration?
The 5-day onboarding package is made for companies that want SkyPlanner integrated with another system. It includes workshops, data import and configuration, training, a review of the API of the system to be integrated, an integration plan with a cost estimate, a proof of concept and a roadmap to deployment.
How much does SkyPlanner cost for a mid-sized factory?
SkyPlanner costs 199 € per month including the first 5 workstations, and 20 € per month for each additional workstation. For example, 30 workstations cost 699 € per month. Onboarding packages and integrations are priced separately. See pricing for the details.
Is SkyPlanner a good fit for a mid-size factory with special processes?
Yes. SkyPlanner has more than 1,000 configurable settings in its scheduling logic, user interface and data structure, so factories with very different processes use the same software. Requirements that cannot be configured can be added as customization services.
Does SkyPlanner still fit when we add plants?
Yes. Plants can share one SkyPlanner with a workstation group per plant, or each plant can run its own SkyPlanner. Separate SkyPlanners communicate with each other and can share routings. See multi-site production scheduling and SkyPlanner for large manufacturers.
See your ERP orders scheduled to real capacity
Book a demo and we will show your orders scheduled on your own workstations, or start the free trial with demo data.
