Production planning (APS)

APS 4FACTORY: Advanced production planning and scheduling

APS 4FACTORY is one of the elements of DSR 4FACTORY solutions supporting effective production management in the era of digital transformation and Industry 4.0. It is a unique combination of modern IT tools and comprehensive DSR services enabling production companies to reduce costs and increase productivity. APS 4FACTORY is a solution that allows you to quickly analyze the availability of resources and better work organization as well as effective planning and scheduling of production. The APS 4FACTORY solution includes DSR services (including consulting, implementation, service) and Siemens Opcenter Advanced Planning and Scheduling (formerly Preactor APS) software.

Siemens Opcenter Advanced Planning and Scheduling (former Preactor APS) is a family of products for advanced production planning and scheduling. With more than 5,000 applications sold worldwide, Siemens Opcenter APS (Preactor) is a leading solution by its automation. Siemens Opcenter APS (Preactor) has enormous flexibility and configurability. This makes adaptation to variety of business needs easier. All products are available in over 20 languages (including Polish). DSR S.A. is a partner of Siemens Digital Industries Software company and authorized supplier and implementation partner Siemens Opcenter APS systems.

Product features of Siemens Opcenter APS Systems (Preactor)

  • Accurate modelling of the limitations of manufacturing processes of enterprises.
  • Supplementing existing enterprise software with the possibility of integration due to its open architecture.
  • Delivering planners an easy-to-use tool that supports decision making process and conducting the “what if?” analysis. 

Increasingly  customers expect faster deadlines and precise determination of delivery dates, thereby requiring the following documented benefits derived by users of Preactor:

  • 15-20 % increase productivity,
  • 40-50 % reduction of the raw materials,
  • 40-50% reduction of work in progress,
  • 50-90% improve the timeliness of deliveries

those benefits allowed production companies to meet market requirements, while achieving  a rapid return on investment in a matter of weeks, not years.

The Siemens Opcenter APS (Preactor) gives planners a tool to support decision-making  process  helping them to provide quick and correct answers while performing  “what if?” analysis in case of an unexpected event (e.g. failure, delayed delivery of materials or arrival of new materials, urgent orders), the planner can immediately see the impact of such events on the other orders and test solution to the problems before making the actual decision.

Description of solution

Modern ERP software is a key tool in any manufacturing industry. Adding the Siemens Opcenter APS (Preactor)system can help the ERP system gain much greater benefits without interfering with its original features. ERP system typically do not have data necessary to model the system at the sufficient level of detail to manage the processes in the production hall. They are based on long term plans that does not provide management details of daily production. It may appear that Siemens Opcenter APS (Preactor) system doubles-up some functions of the ERP system, but in fact it provides complementary functions. The ERP system is good for costing, inventory control and control of operations in key business processes. Siemens Openter APS (Preactor), on the other hand, works in reaching to production hall in order to manage individual orders or resources in real time. With its use it is possible to generate realistic production schedules while taking into account all potential or current limitations in the production area. This system is able to increase efficiently throughout, reduce work in progress and inventories of raw materials.

Many companies selling ERP systems, instead of developing their own systems, provide Siemens Opcenter APS (d. Preactor)as the best  APS solution (Advanced Planning and Scheduling) in class , rather than creating their own system. These companies sell Siemens Opcenter APS (d. Preactor)because it has been operating on the market for many years and it is installed  in a large number of companies, which is a good indicator of product’s ability to meet the needs of diverse end users.

Siemens Opcenter APS (Preactor) product is a complete solution used for Advanced Planning and Scheduling.

Each version of the product is fully compatible with previous versions, allowing our customers to install a basic version and with the development of the company upgrade to higher version. This way our customers only pay for what you need.This way our customers only pay for what they need.

See also:

APS for QAD ERP

DSR has extensive experience of additional systems integration with QAD Applications (MFG/PRO) and can offer products and service including:

  • Siemens Opcenter APS (d. Preactor) APS (Advance Planning and Scheduling) with full interface to work with different version of QAD system ,
  • Business consulting provided by long term QAD system consultants and business practitioners,
  • Data collection system in the production area and warehouses management based on Eagle’s ADC (Automated Data Collection) system RF Express for QAD,
  • MES system (Manufacturing Execution System) to control the implementation of production,
  • QAD system implementation based on predefined industry processes, shortening time and costs of implementation,
  • Product Lifecycle Management,
  • Service management of QAD application (AMS),
  • First line support of QAD (extension of standard QAD service).