What is APS (Advanced Planning & Scheduling)?
Software that optimizes production scheduling by considering capacity constraints, materials, and delivery deadlines simultaneously.
Definition
Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) is manufacturing software that goes beyond basic MRP by simultaneously considering material availability, machine capacity, labor availability, tooling constraints, and delivery deadlines to create optimized production schedules. APS uses algorithms and constraint-based logic to generate feasible, optimized schedules that minimize lead times, maximize throughput, and improve on-time delivery. APS is essential for job shops and manufacturers with complex scheduling requirements.
How APS Works in ERP
APS either runs as an integrated module within ERP (like Epicor Kinetic's built-in APS or SAP PP/DS) or as a standalone system integrated with ERP. It reads demand and supply data from ERP, generates optimized schedules considering all constraints, and pushes the schedule back to the ERP shop floor module for execution.
ERP Vendors with Strong APS
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between MRP and APS?
MRP calculates material requirements with infinite capacity assumptions. APS considers both materials AND capacity constraints (machines, labor, tools) simultaneously to generate realistic, optimized schedules.