World's Leading Planning & Scheduling Platform

Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) is a state-of-the-art IT system designed for planning and scheduling. It is used across various areas such as manufacturing, logistics, supply chain management, and services. The primary aim of APS is to streamline and optimize planning and scheduling processes. 

An APS collects, analyzes, and processes manufacturing data. Then, based on this data, it enables us to generate optimal plans and schedules regarding various factors and limitations. 

An APS facilitates optimal production planning and scheduling, considering resource availability, order completion deadlines, and other crucial factors. It empowers manufacturers to create schedules based on priorities. Moreover, it provides support in supply chain management, optimization of assets such as machines, people, and materials, and solving logistic issues. 

Implementing an APS yields significant benefits, including increased production efficiency, improved customer service, and enhanced resource management. 

An APS provides invaluable support to managers and planners responsible for advanced production scheduling and optimizing order handling scenarios. APS implementation should be considered for companies with complex processes dependent on numerous variables, high production volumes, diverse product lines, operating in dynamic environments, or grappling with frequent scheduling errors. 

Through efficient APS algorithms, optimal schedules are generated, minimizing downtimes and delays, facilitating rapid response to changes, effective resource management, and process automation. All these features make it possible to plan orders with the shortest possible completion time. 

Through integration with systems like ERP, the APS constantly analyzes data on material consumption, delivery times, inventory levels, and raw material demand. In this way, APS systems can provide valuable assistance in inventory optimization, while minimizing excess inventory risks. 

An APS facilitates efficient production planning by minimizing unnecessary downtimes, optimizing resource utilization, improving inventory management, and more. As a result, its implementation can significantly contribute to cost reduction. 

When generating schedules, APS systems analyze a number of factors such as inventory and order management, and thanks to specialized algorithms, they prioritize the execution of tasks. This allows the user not only to estimate order completion time but also significantly reduce delays. 

The production process is most commonly visualized graphically, in tabular format, or as a form. The production process is visualized as a series of interconnected operations which can be viewed in different configurations, each with its own properties and limitations. 

APS systems stand out for their sophistication and ability to address more complex factors. Plans generated by APS systems not only outline subsequent steps but also help optimize production processes. 

Assessing user-friendliness of an APS is subjective – much depends on the user’s experience and process complexity. APS by PlanetTogether offers intuitive interfaces and transparent access to all necessary data. Personnel training is a crucial element of the system’s implementation, serving to familiarize the employees with all its functionalities in practice. 

While the technical requirements for APS implementation may vary depending on a specific solution and the company’s nature, they generally encompass several key areas such as hardware infrastructure (servers with the proper power, storage space, proper amount of RAM), compatible software (the equipment needs to be compliant with the operating system supported by APS; for integration with other systems, it might be necessary to use ESB as middleware), high-speed internet connection, and network security measures. 

APS implementation costs may range from several to several hundred thousand zlotys. The final price comprises numerous factors like functional scope, configuration to the specific needs of an enterprise, personnel training, and integration with pre-existing systems. These costs, depending on the industry, the size and the general condition of a company, are recouped within a few months or years. For a precise cost calculation, it is best to consult APS implementation specialists. 

APS implementation requires careful consideration and planning. Firstly, it is crucial to identify what specific needs of a company will have to be answered. Management support is equally important, along with forming a dedicated team focused on the work related to the APS implementation. Leveraging the expertise of professionals experienced in such implementations can provide great assistance to your company during every step of the process. 

ImFactory’s APS system by PlanetTogether can be integrated with various enterprise management systems like ERP or MES. This integration ensures data coherence and smooth information flow across different areas of an organization. 

Currently, there are few planning and scheduling solutions fully leveraging AI. However, some APS systems use heuristic methods and can generate alternative scenarios, which are then compared to determine the optimal solution. This automated process is simpler and more efficient than manual work. 

While ERP systems are excellent for enterprise management and can also provide assistance in planning some of the processes, their features are not as advanced as in the case of APS. More complex and dynamic manufacturing processes require equally advanced solutions. The APS proves more efficient and effective in scheduling in such environments. 

Spreadsheets, along with other similar tools for planning and scheduling of manufacturing processes, are useful for visualizing schedules but lack easy optimization capabilities. Moreover, manual data handling in spreadsheets is extremely time-consuming and error-prone. For this reason, planning models created in spreadsheets are usually simplified (ignoring some data and dependencies) and they fail to reflect reality right from the start. An APS eliminates human error and significantly reduces planning time. It provides precise and accurate planning models with multiple optimization rules, facilitating easy edits and rapid generation of various schedule versions. 

APS systems are designed to support planners and make their jobs easier, not replace them. Instead of wasting time and energy on tedious scheduling tasks, planners can generate schedules in a few seconds. Therefore, their expertise can be utilized in optimizing schedules by comparing multiple versions generated with different assumptions and optimization rules. It’s crucial to remember that an APS system is a tool, and its effectiveness depends on human input. If necessary, planners can reassign resources, sequences and priorities, to achieve a perfect balance between automation and expert control. 

Planner workshops are meetings that aim to assist companies in assessing APS system suitability for their operations. Through commonly agreed assumptions, an APS model is prepared, enabling users to verify chosen functionalities. 

AVEVA has established a strategic partnership with PlanetTogether, a provider of Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) platform, to assist clients with even more options on the path to digital transformation. This partnership enriches AVEVA’s portfolio with new capabilities in visual planning, multi-plant production planning, and production schedule optimization. 

APS systems aid various industries and can be implemented in small, medium, and large businesses. Flexible and versatile, they support the management of different resources such as machines, raw materials, inventory, and personnel. Their greatest impact is seen in environments with large numbers of complex operations. 

APS systems excel in dynamic environments with multiple variables. Their advanced algorithms ensure rapid response to demand fluctuations and other unpredictable events, generating subsequent scenarios based on updated guidelines. 

APS systems enable users to develop comprehensive plans and schedules taking account of different departments and their tasks. This facilitates process optimization, more efficient resource utilization, and faster execution of multiple tasks. With plans accounting for multiple variables and easily verifiable alternative scenarios, we can foresee many events in advance and set realistic deadlines, which contributes to better communication and cooperation. 

An APS system offers tools for conducting analyses and generating reports on various manufacturing operations, such as the performance of individual processes, the efficiency of resource utilization, execution time, available resources, and many others. This allows production process monitoring, better identification of areas for improvement, and informed decision-making. 

When selecting an APS solution, it is worth considering its development capabilities. Most options on the market are scalable, capable of expanding alongside the company both in terms of data volume and manufacturing complexity.