Glossary
What is APS?
Advanced Planning and Scheduling
Definition
APS — advanced planning and scheduling — considers materials and capacity together and produces a feasible, finite-capacity schedule, usually with the ability to simulate different scenarios.
How it differs from MRP
MRP assumes unlimited capacity and only calculates materials. APS knows each machine’s capacity per hour, which order should go first and how long changeovers take — and builds a schedule that can actually be executed.
Common uses
- Scheduling work orders on machines with a Gantt chart
- Answering “if order X becomes urgent, which orders slip?”
- Reducing changeover time through smart sequencing
Example
An injection-moulding plant uses APS to run same-colour orders back to back, cutting the number of machine purges.
APS in Fidar
Finite-capacity scheduling and scenario simulation are among the advanced industrial capabilities on Fidar’s roadmap.
Updated: