APS software for your planning
Advanced Planning and Scheduling Software: The end-to-end planning instance in the area of detailed planning
The Germanedge APS software is used to optimize your detailed production planning under SAP. For example, you can use the various modules of this software to transform your make-to-order production into a just-in-time production regime and optimize capital-intensive production processes.
Advantages of our APS software
2-5% higher capacity utilization and cost reduction
Use our Advanced Planning & Scheduling software to plan your capacities and define different prioritization and possible order positions. This allows you to reduce the costs of capacity planning and production.
Simultaneous material and capacity planning
With Germanedge’s APS software, you can combine production planning and purchasing to create complete transparency across the entire supply chain.
1-5% higher service level
When you use our APS system, you are able to compare different production scenarios – such as production plans and capacities – so that you are supported in optimal and faster decision-making processes.
Complex setup time calculation (setup optimization)
Sequencing using the Advanced Planning & Scheduling software allows you to reduce set-up times, thereby increasing the entire value chain and achieving shorter throughput times in planning and production.
Campaign planning
With the ASP software, you can combine different productions across several production stages. This allows you to visualize interrelationships in production and create feasible plans and campaigns.
Durability
You can use the software to take into account the expiry of finished and intermediate products and thus avoid spoilage and the associated costs and unavailability of materials.
10% -30% less effort in operational planning
With our APS software, you can create digitization projects that help to reduce the risk of personnel planning due to retirement, pensions or long-term illnesses. This results in less effort in operational planning.
Modules of our APS software
Campaign planning
Campaign planning is an essential component of advanced planning and scheduling software. This is because the use of production campaigns as a discipline of sequencing (production) is playing an increasingly important role, particularly in the process industry – for example in the chemical, pharmaceutical and food industries.
A so-called production campaign (a group, a collective order, an aggregated cascade) is a link between production orders from the ERP (e.g. SAP production and/or process orders) with the same and/or different material numbers.
Shelf life planning
Shelf life planning simplifies the management of material and product groups sustainably and efficiently. This is because the planning, scheduling and control of multi-layered logistics networks in connection with perishable materials, raw materials and products and large assortment widths and depths is associated with enormous effort. With the Shelf Life Planning module, you can reduce this effort enormously.
Leveling & smoothing
Leveling & smoothing within the Advanced & Planning Scheduling software describes measures aimed at balancing out input (delivery times, procurement quantities, delivery dates) and output (demand, sales campaigns, seasonality) fluctuations caused by market requirements – such as the desire for a wide range of variants and customer-specific production – while at the same time ensuring that customer requirements can be met at all times.
This avoids overproduction and allows inventories and capital commitment costs to be reduced.
Capable to Promise (CTP)
With the Online Capable to Promise (CTP) model from APS Software, you can process unplanned ad hoc deliveries quickly and in a customer-oriented manner. The Capable to Promise (CTP) check is an availability check by date and quantity, taking into account and evaluating existing stocks, semi-finished goods, planned production, production capacities and external suppliers.
Silo and tank planning
The silo and tank planning function of our software is used to monitor and plan complex tank and storage relationships. In the case of tank capacities, a distinction is made between single-product and multi-product tanks, as well as mixing tanks. The more diverse the use of tanks, the more complex their planning. Tank planning allows you to control these relationships between the tanks and thus counteract costs.
Maintenance planning
The maintenance planning module ensures that you can always guarantee optimum availability of your products and have a perfect overview of the condition of your systems at all times. This increases customer satisfaction.
Due to the increasing complexity of plants (including their automation) and the launch of process control systems, maintenance has often developed as an independent discipline alongside production. Conflicts of interest included. However, these are of no interest to the customer. All that matters to them is that their orders are processed on time and to the highest quality. The planning of maintenance measures within the framework of Advanced Planning & Scheduling (detailed production planning) should therefore be aimed for.
Blending Optimization
Blending optimization can be carried out efficiently with our A&PS software. Blends are often produced and/or further processed in the production processes of the process industry. In this blending process step, intermediate or end products are produced from a sum of input materials. The optimum use of the necessary input materials determines the contribution margin of each order. And this must be maximized. This is possible with the Blending Optimization module, allowing you to reduce your production costs.
Integration of the APS software
Step-by-step guide to integrating the Advanced Planning and Scheduling software at your company:
- Contact us
- We show you the solution in a live demo
- We discuss the requirements and technical integration with you
- We support you with the integration and onboarding
Book your demo appointment now.
You can use our Advanced Planning and Scheduling software as an add-on to SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA. Without the launch of complex additional IT infrastructures or a separate parallel SCM system, SAP ERP is extended thanks to the solution, for example with an interactive planning board, planning functions and functions for SCM business processes and thus integrated at your company.
What is Advanced Planning & Scheduling?
Definition
Advanced Planning & Scheduling Software (APS) is a specialized software solution that helps companies optimize complex production processes. APS systems use advanced algorithms and data analysis to create production plans, use resources efficiently, manage supply chains and maximize production capacity.
Why is an APS system relevant for your company?
An APS system is relevant for companies that have complex production environments or whose products have a high number of variants. It helps to optimize production processes, minimize bottlenecks, shorten delivery times and increase overall efficiency.
What are the main components of Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS)?
The main components of an APS include
- Planning: Creation of production plans taking into account resources, capacities and orders.
- Scheduling: Timing of tasks and resource utilization.
- Optimization: Use of algorithms to optimize production processes.
- Simulation: Possibility to simulate different scenarios and their effects on production.
How does an APS differ from an MES or ERP system?
- MES (Manufacturing Execution System): An MES focuses on the execution and control of actual production processes in real time, such as production order management, quality management and production monitoring.
- ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning): An ERP system manages a company’s entire operational processes, including finance, human resources, purchasing and inventory management.
- An APS, on the other hand, is specifically designed to plan and optimize production processes and often complements both an MES and an ERP system by providing detailed planning functions.
What are the advantages of launching an APS system?
- Improved production planning and control: Optimization of production processes, reduction of throughput times and bottlenecks.
- More efficient use of resources: Better utilization of machines, personnel and other resources.
- Greater flexibility and responsiveness: faster adaptation to changes in demand or production.
- Reduced costs and improved on-time delivery: through optimized planning and reduction of errors.
What functions do APS systems have?
The functions of APS systems typically include
- Detailed planning and scheduling: creating detailed production plans and schedules.
- Capacity planning and management: Monitoring and optimizing the use of resources.
- Order prioritization: Determining the order in which orders are to be processed.
- Inventory management: Management of stock levels and material flows.
- Simulation and scenario analysis: testing different planning scenarios to identify optimal solutions.
APS systems are therefore crucial for companies that want to optimize their production processes and increase their competitiveness, especially in dynamic and demanding environments.
Get in touch!
Would you like to know more about our solutions? Then please write us using the contact form. My colleagues and I look forward to exchanging ideas with you.
Dominik Weggler
Head of Sales Germanedge