Flexible advanced planning and scheduling (APS) tools continue to gain ground over older, traditional manufacturing resource planning (MRP) software.
MRP software, traditionally used for manufacturing planning and scheduling, works well only in a simple, unchanging production environment. Unlike MRP, emerging APS tools can function in an adaptable way, responding to quickly changing demand and resource or production capacity. In an age of the demand-driven supply chain, where manufacturing is based on actual orders instead of forecasting, APS could offer an integrative solution for many enterprises. The future of APS depends on tight ERP integration and a dose of management philosophy to change plants to the new model.
APS software can facilitate material and capacity requirement planning simultaneously in a constraint-based way. It uses intelligent decision techniques to allocate raw materials and production capacity to balance customer demand with plant capacity. Advanced planning and scheduling might include different levels of planning: transportation, supply chain collaboration, network design, global availability and more. Products also provide broader visibility, and can result in lower raw material levels and faster product delivery.
Best-in-Class Advanced Planning & Scheduling Features:
- Ability to handle frequent schedule changes and a large number of components or manufacturing tasks
- Can perform multiple modeling scenarios and other simulations
- Measures multiple KPIs
Top Considerations before Buying Advanced Planning & Scheduling Products:
Advanced planning and scheduling software should offer flexibility so manufacturers can modify software to meet their unique needs, not the other way around. APS systems must work with demand planning tools, and continue moving toward integration with ERP systems in real or near-real time. Interesting trends around APS include tools that incorporate data from retail point-of-sale and production cycles to do more accurate forecasting. Advanced planning and scheduling may also help in building green or ethical supply chains by capturing very detailed information about the costs and carbon footprint of each component. Improved visibility and reduced work in progress should be key features of any APS software.
Key Products:
1. Jada Management Systems makes the SCP software solution for supply chain forecasting, planning, scheduling, and vendor managed inventory (VMI). The SCP Constraint Control Center handles the realities of resource constraints: capacity planning, raw material availability, and minimum run or load requirements. SCP Forecasting and Planning, the SCP planning engine, presents the supply chain accurately, including plants supplying distribution centers (DCs), central warehouses supplying remote locations, store point-of-sale data and more. The SCP Optimized Scheduling module provides attribute-based job sequencing capabilities.
2. Taylor Scheduling Software develops and markets advanced planning and production scheduling (APS) software for manufacturers around the world. They also offer ongoing consulting and support services, including process modeling, new application development, custom reports and integration with a variety of other systems (ERP, CRM, MRP, MES). Taylor Scheduling’s Batch Allocator uses the ERP production plan and decision techniques to match the packaging or customer. The Capacity Planner helps manufacturers meet excess demand with limited capacity.
3. Pelyco Systems provides adaptable supply chain intelligence software that empowers organizations to quickly make the right decisions and gain a competitive advantage by reducing costs, shrinking cycle times and increasing customer service. Their webPUBLISH for Advanced Planning and Scheduling tool is one part of the webPUBLISH suite, which manages change, facilitates reporting and improve operational intelligence. Their collaborative solutions can be updated and shared anywhere, in real time.
4. Infor offers supply chain solutions for planning and scheduling, along with other enterprise software, global consulting services and more. The Infor SCM Manufacturing Planning tool is a constraint-based advanced planning system for engineering, assembly, and repetitive manufacturing environments. It can optimize production, model manufacturing strategies and help keep delivery commitments. The Production Scheduling module provides finite capacity scheduling for engineering, assembly, and repetitive environments, as well as batch-process production.
5. nMetric develops suites for production and physical logistics, using the company's patented Smart Job™ technology, which are distributed software objects rather than a central system. Suites use applications developed to help complex physical and production logistics environments achieve true performance optimization. nMetric for Physical Logistics and nMetric for Production Logistics both optimize the manufacturing process, transforming a complex environment into a demand-driven operation.
Advanced Planning and Scheduling
Definition: APS accounts for changes and demands from retail operations to dictate manufacturing execution. Solutions are designed to help in the planning, sourcing of materials, and shipping of product. The solution is designed to help address customer demands to ensure availability of product without excess inventory.
