Opcenter APS

Digitalization is changing everything, and manufacturers must react quickly and intelligently to unexpected changes, while being able to respond to shorter lead times and satisfy customer demands. These challenges are faced not only by large enterprises, but also small and medium businesses. Opcenter APS (formerly known as "Preactor APS) Advanced Planning and Scheduling software solutions have been specifically developed to meet this need, using advanced algorithms that balance demand and capacity to generate achievable production schedules.

Opcenter APS products can be used for long-term strategic planning covering months and years, medium-term tactical planning with a few weeks planning horizon and for detailed sequencing and scheduling.

Opcenter APS can be installed out of the box, and can be customized and configured where necessary. It can be used standalone to manage planning and scheduling, and is also designed for integration with other software such as ERP, MES, Data collection, Forecasting, Demand Planning and OEE applications.

Opcenter APS is a family of production planning and scheduling software products that improve the synchronization of your manufacturing processes, giving you greater visibility and control to increase utilization and on-time delivery, while reducing inventory levels and waste. Opcenter APS is a highly customizable capacity planning and scheduling package.

Opcenter APS products are designed to work alongside and facilitate, rather than replace, existing systems. They can be tightly integrated with enterprise resource planning (ERP), manufacturing execution system (MES), accounting and forecasting software, shop floor data collection and spreadsheets

Opcenter APS is not a single point solution. It is a family of products that have different levels of functionality and pricing so you can select the system that satisfies both your needs and budget. Upgrading to another product as your needs change is simple and easy. Products from the Opcenter APS range can be used for long-term strategic planning covering months and years ahead, medium-term tactical planning with a few weeks planning horizon and for detailed sequencing and scheduling.

Opcenter APS is a strategic decision support tool that combines forecast and long-term orders that target stock levels and bucketed resource capacities to ensure that future demand is met. It is an essential planning tool for companies that want to enhance competitiveness, increase profits and improve customer service. Effective purchasing of economic quantities of raw materials and timely use of this raw material is key to reducing one of the greatest production problems – unnecessarily high stock levels of both finished product and raw material and the possibility of this stock reaching its sell-by date before being consumed.

Who uses Opcenter APS?
Many companies, ranging from small and medium-sized businesses to large corporations, employ Opcenter APS as part of their global supply chain solution. These companies are located around the world. The software’s flexibility means that it is used by companies in almost every sector of manufacturing, services and logistics.
• Automotive and aerospace
• Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
• Electronics and electrical equipment
• Food and beverage
• Furniture and wood products
• Glass and ceramics
• Machinery and precision engineering
• Metals and metal fabricated products
• Oil and gas
• Packaging, printing and publishing
• Rubber and plastics
• Textiles and apparel
• Transport and logistics

• Better forward visibility of production
• Improved utilization and efficiency
• Reduction of inventory and work-in-progress (WIP)
• Easier impact analysis and change management
• Better customer service