Opcenter APS

Advanced Planning
and Scheduling
Introduction

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Table of Contents

▪ Introduction to Opcenter APS

▪ Solution Features

▪ Success Stories

© Siemens 2025 | Siemens Digital Industries Software

Introduction to Opcenter
APS

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Expectations from the production planning team..
Meeting following .. Taking following .. While optimizing
customer constraints into the following KPIs
expectations consideration

• Planned downtimes • On time deliveries (

• Committed order • Machine OTIF %age)
due dates breakdowns • Capacity utilization
• Order re- • Raw material • RM & WIP
prioritization by availability Inventory
customer/ sales • Labor availability • Set up changes
• Labor skill
• Capacity constraints

On time Productivity Cost,

deliveries Inventory

Sales Manufacturing Finance

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Opcenter APS
Production Planning & Scheduling

Planning
• What to make
• When to make it
• How much to make
• Mid to long Term
• Where to make it
• Often Aggregated
• Materials Required
• Bucketed
Low • Resources Required
Details
• More Abstract
• Short Term
• Real World Resources
Planning • Multiple constraints
• Sequencing Scheduling
• How best to make it
• Sequencing
• Synchronisation
• Priorities, Constraints and
Scheduling Conflicts
High • Monitoring
Details • Managing Change
Years Months Weeks Days Hours Minutes

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Opcenter APS
Advanced Planning and Scheduling Forecast Demand Opcenter Planning period
Starting Stock Orders Stock control parameters
Planning Capacity
Opcenter Planning

A Strategic Decision Tool

Considers forecast and long term orders to
decide feasibility and set general direction of
production;
ERP
Dynamically sets target stock levels to meet
future demand;
Load balance across multiple resources
considering constraints, materials shelf life; Shift Patterns
Detailed constraints
Supports major decisions of production Sequencing Rules
capacity:
• Extend work force
• Extend resource capacity
• Extend factories
Opcenter
Scheduling

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Opcenter APS
Advanced Planning and Scheduling Forecast Demand Opcenter Planning period
Starting Stock Orders Stock control parameters
Planning Capacity
Opcenter Scheduling

A Tactical Decision Support Tool

Considers detailed production demand to
provide production sequence, work to list;
Predicts effects of change in production,
ERP
interruptions, machine breakdown, scrap;
Reacts to real time production efficiency;
Supports decisions:
• Overtime Shift Patterns
Detailed constraints
• Order prioritization Sequencing Rules
• Split production batches
• Due Date Negotiation
• Order Promising (CTP/ATP)

Opcenter
Scheduling

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Solution Features

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Opcenter Planning - General features

You can choose to plan in finite or infinite capacity mode and your planning time periods can be days, weeks,
months or a combination of all three. Parameters can be set against each of your item codes, which allow you to
perform different calculations for each item. For example some of your products may be in ‘make to stock’ mode
whilst others are in ‘make to order’ mode.

Infinite MPS Finite MPS

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Opcenter Planning - Stock Plots

When a change in demand occurs whether that be in

terms of quantity or delivery dates you need to be able
to quickly assess if you are able to meet the new
requirements.

You can import your demand changes into Opcenter

Planning and create a new ‘what if’ plan. Your
planning BoM will be exploded and Opcenter
Planning will show you if you have any capacity
issues. If there are issues you can work interactively to
create an acceptable MPS.

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Opcenter Scheduling
Gantt view

Overview
The Sequencer is the heart of the scheduling system and contains the
Calendar Editor, Schedule Overview, Editor, Plots, Trace Chart, and Hot
Spots Grid windows. It establishes the shift calendar patterns for both
primary and secondary resources, provides automatic and manual
scheduling functions and carries out all finite capacity calculations.

Main Features
• Gantt view
• Operations dependencies display
• Filtered view per resource group
• Dynamic locating option through the Gantt chart
• Locking capabilities
• Highlight late operations, critical operations
• Automatic scheduling and drag & drop capabilities
• Built-in filtering with cross-table and user based configuration for
improved efficiency and personalization

Value Propositions
• Gantt view
• Operations dependencies display

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Opcenter Scheduling
Tools, Staff and other constraints management

Overview
Staff and tooling (as other constraints such as space
limitations, power constraint or tank/vessels capacities) can be Equipment
define thanks to secondary resources within Opcenter SC. Availability

• Opcenter SC can manage allocation of multiple constraint

on a single operation.

• Each constraint can enable or disable for simulation

purpose Labour
Availability

Power
Main Features Constraints
• Finite capacity management of staff and tools
• Possibility to disable constraint for team or tool pool sizing
simulation
• Possibility to allocate in calendar model for staff availability
• Possibility to allocate multiple staff to an operation
• Possibility to define staff usage on partial time for an
operation

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Opcenter Scheduling
Material Constraint

Overview
When materials from one order are used by another, they are defined as
dependent. It is quite common for ERP systems to generate an order for each Material
part of the BoM structure for a product. To ensure that this dependency is Requirement
Visibility
utilised when generating a plan or schedule they must be connected in some
of
way. The simplest way to do this is to make the start date of the dependent shortages
order the same as the due date of the producing order. However this does not
work very well where the real constraints of the facility must be taken into
account or delays occur. Inventory
Plots

Opcenter SC has features to connect orders together so it can take into account
real constraints and unexpected delays automatically. SMC or 'Standard Material
Control' is a function that creates links between orders (pegging of materials).
These links can then be used by Opcenter SC to ensure that only when
materials are available from one or more producing orders can the consuming
orders connected to them by SMC start.

Main Features
• Automatic pegging (links creation) with locking options
• Graphical user interface for material consumption/production analysis
• Display provisional shortages and unused materials
• Display links between production orders and customers’ orders
• Projected stocks plots and stocks movements for all BOM levels

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Opcenter Scheduling
Sequencing Optimization

Overview
Opcenter SC has enhanced functionality to deal with complex scheduling
problems. It offers additional optimizations rules that can be further
customized for each application. Standard dispatching rules include those
that attempt to Minimize Setup time, Minimize Late Orders, use a Preferred
Sequence at each resource, Bottleneck Scheduling (Theory of Constraints)
and Campaigning.

Rules can be made to be customer, product or resource specific and virtually

any logic can be built into a customized scheduling rule. These can be built
using PESP tool, a scripting language with standard building blocks, or by
using a programming language such as VB.NET thanks to Opcenter SC API.

Main Features
• Event based or order based sequencing rules
• Set of predefined APS rules available from standard configuration
• Possibility to built any logic within a customized sequencing rule
• Possibility to create multi pass sequencing rules thanks to PESP tool
• Possibility to apply different logic and constraint model to each resources,
work centers or shop floors.

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Opcenter Scheduling
What if simulations

Overview
Opcenter SC the user has access to a number of reports that help him
analyze a schedule or compare one saved schedule with another. These
include: Order Analysis data, Order Comparison Data, Order Make span
bar chart, and Order Net Change Summary.

Opcenter SC also contains comparison reports on a number of different

indicators such as utilization by day and week by resource, by resource
group and by secondary constraint.

Graphic comparison from Gantt chart display or comparison reports are

available.

Main Features
• Possibility to display in parallel 2 scenarios on the same Gantt chart
• Comparison reports on orders, resources and scenarios
• No limitations in the number of scenarios which could be simulated
• Possibility to release a new scenario as live schedule at any time
• Possibility to upload any scenario to SaaS Viewer for stakeholder
approval

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Opcenter Scheduling
Distributed Scheduling – Multi Factory/Shop Floor synchronization

Overview
We understand the nature of modern business means operations are
often split over several sites. Whether it is the complexity of the work or
the specific knowledge of processes or customers held by individuals,
or even basic organizational or geographic issues, the responsibility for
making scheduling decisions is often divided.

That’s why APS is equally at home scheduling with multiple planners

as it is with a single user.

Main Features
• A single application can standardize the shop floor and extend well
into the supply chain execution model for a diversified corporation
• Reduce uncertainty, conflict, error & misunderstanding in coordinating
tasks across the organization
• Knowledge rises from individual level to the group level minimizing
risk of single point of failure in complex scheduling while improving
dynamic decision making
• Schedulers communicate with common purpose

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Companies using APS in place of spreadsheets and ERP outperform in:

Spreadsheet ERP

Scenario analysis
Finite Capacities not managed
Customers and suppliers inputs
handling Not capable to predict

Seasoning, trends, campaigns and Not suitable for MTO

low sales

ERP and APS systems together are synergic to provide competitive edge to manufacturers

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Why an Advanced Planning and Scheduling system?

Resource allocation
Opcenter APS brings Resource/ and tool utilization increase
process
tangible benefits Service/ Asset
Aftersales utilization Easy bottleneck detection
to your value
drivers Fast and frequent reschedule
to meet production deviation
Quality
Value Labor
Drivers
WIP reduction

Improvement Raw Material Inventory

in customer service Time to Reduction
Inventories
market
Supply/
Improvement demand Knowledge sharing and
match
in productivity collaborative environment

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The APS system in a Digital Factory
Logistic
Operations
Production Supply
Opcenter Orders (1) Opcenter
Planning Scheduling Stock
Level
Forecasts
Production Orders(3)
Sales Orders
MPS Purchase Order Scheduled Production
Warehouse
BOM
Results Resource Model Operations Snapshot(2)
Stocks
Purchase orders Production
Production Feedback
Performance
Requirements
ERP MES Shop Floor
Production
Part
Request
Program &
Component Component Instructions (1) applies to selected
List Availability industries/customers only and as
an alternative to ERP import
Engineering Process (2) It may include new Production
Customer Feedback Definition Orders, and Resource Model if
(BoP) not already imported by ERP
(3) Production Orders may
PLM include BOM and Routing, or
Purchase they may be imported
separately.

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Opcenter APS value proposition

Fast Adaptable License

Smart Mature and Stable

Effective Flexible

Scalable Worldwide adopted

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Tight integration with both ERP and MES solutions allows rapid response to
changes

Demand
Best-in-class use real-time
New
production data to predict and Order Update
synchronize
Analyse

Those companies connect APS Constraints Sequence Schedule

systems to their ERP, MES and Generate

shop-floor data collection, so

they are able to monitor the state Update Release

of execution against plan.

Execute

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Opcenter APS
Advanced Planning and Scheduling

Global competition forces companies to

find ways to optimize production
operations by reducing or eliminating
non-value-added activities such as setup
or waiting time.

Opcenter APS is a range of Advanced Planning and Scheduling tools for the manufacturing industry. It uses
algorithms to analyse and calculate achievable production schedules, taking into account a range of constraints
and business rules, allowing the planner to generate and evaluate multiple possible scenarios. Highlighting
potential problems allows action to be taken to balance demand and capacity.

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Opcenter APS provides fast ROI!

Fast integration
Built in Reporting
I/O module with standard
More than 25 reports
import scripts and
available
sources (files, DB, xls)

Predefined data
ROI Efficient Partner
Network
Easily adapt the
model solution, getting
Immediately start
using APS
<6 quickly the
expertise you
need, where you
months! (*) need it.

Easy configuration Language support

Standard widgets can be Adopt your own language
configured by users and terminology for a
(position, visibility, filter faster change
on data, colors, labels) management

(*) selected customer previousvly adopting spreadhsheet based solutions

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Success Stories

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Proform

Tubular parts manufacturer uses Opcenter APS to increase administrative efficiency of work centers by 87%

BUSINESS CHALLENGES KEY TO SUCCESS OUTCOME

Implement a scheduling Anticipate spikes or lulls in Increased administrative
solution that can keep pace workflow efficiency of work centers by
with the company’s growth 87%
Optimize the use of raw
Manage diverse materials, materials
part types and deadlines
Improved the ability to meet
Improve project management deadlines and achieved a 96%
Increase manufacturing capabilities on-time delivery rate
capacity
Multiplied workload by 20X
Reduced the number or people
administering work centers
from three to one

“In the past, three people within the planning department dealt with 30 work centers running eight hours a day, whereas now one person in the department deals with 260
work centers running 24 hours a day.”

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Siemens Numerical Control

Floor panel manufacturer improves sales by 10% with advanced planning and scheduling solutions

BUSINESS CHALLENGES KEY TO SUCCESS OUTCOME

Product variety and APS is primordial for Logistics and Production
complexity are increased manufacturing industries to planner’s productivity
keep overview production and increased by 18%
Rapid growth in production shortly times
demand Finish goods inventory
decreased by 10%
Shorter delivery lead time
expected by customers Helping industries to master Finish goods inventory
flexibility and complexity at turnover rate decreased by 5%
High volume of inventory in the same time
shopfloor Production change overtime
reduced by 20%
Poor control of semi-
finished products Daily changeover time
decreased by 40%
“Three major benefits : close the digital gap between ERP – PLM and MES. Secondly, it will schedule our production plan in the most efficient way and thirdly it will
enhance productivity and speed so it is all about efficiency APS.”

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Springfarm Architectural Mouldings

Molding company uses APS to significantly improve system reliability and production

BUSINESS CHALLENGES KEY TO SUCCESS OUTCOME

Ensure efficient customer Use APS to effectively manage Improved system reliability so
delivery schedules and provide SAM can handle more volume
feedback
Optimize production of over Minimized waste by managing
40,000 product variants Facilitate shop floor visibility the way in which cuts are
Enhance flexibility by enabling made
Minimize machine downtime
and material waste schedulers to intervene Reduced the number of
manually machines and job setups and
focused on longer production
runs
Scheduled each job in the
most efficient order

“We spend a lot of time on producing a very good schedule and we rely on Opcenter APS to effectively manage the schedule and provide important feedback throughout
the day.”

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Elmwood

Floor panel manufacturer improves sales by 10% with advanced planning and scheduling solutions

BUSINESS CHALLENGES KEY TO SUCCESS OUTCOME

Implement tight integration
Improve on-time delivery to
between Opcenter APS and ERP
Increased top line
enhance customer
experience systems revenues by 10 percent
Account for shop floor
Eliminate manual scheduling
constraints like material, yield
Increased production
and firefighting due to short-
term visibility
and changeovers in finite output without
capacity schedule (FCS)
increasing headcount
Overcome scheduling Use Opcenter APS to provide
limitations of existing ERP visibility and flexibility for re- Improved on-time
system scheduling throughout the
manufacturing process delivery
Improve responsiveness to
customer demand changes
Opcenter APS exceeded expectations and became the key software that helped us expand our capacity and automation. Opcenter APS moves the manufacturing shop
floor.”

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Narayan Powertech

Transformer device manufacturer uses Opcenter APS to increase capacity utilization and improve response to customers

BUSINESS CHALLENGES KEY TO SUCCESS OUTCOME

Manage dynamic mix of Use Opcenter APS to Increased capacity utilization and
diversified product implement and efficient inventory turns by 15%
developments predictive planning system

Efficiently address dynamic

customer demand and rush Delivered dynamic and proactive
Meet customer delivery response to customers
orders
requirements with existing
Improve productivity and resources and manpower Improved on-time deliveries by 95%
facilitate value chain Reduced customer lead time by an
synchronization average of 4 weeks by 2,5 weeks

Provided improved communication

with internal teams and customers

“By using Opcenter APS, we have improved our on-time deliveries by more than 95 percent. We have used better inventory returns and resource utilization to improve our
productivity by 15 to 20 percent. Our communication with customers and between management and operations has also improved significantly.”

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Thank You!

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