We involve users in all stages of the project because the customer’s planners are still integral to using an automated planning and scheduling solution efficiently. We provide extensive training for the involved operational staff, covering daily operations, troubleshooting, and basic maintenance procedures. Users therefore become skilled in APS before the project ends and support begins, so that they can hit the ground running. Along with that, the procedures specific to each customer’s implementation of APS are thoroughly documented and explained, so users are empowered for long-term independence in using the system.
APS is usually closely integrated with parallel systems of MES and ERP. The quality of data in these systems closely dictates the implementation time of APS, since all data flows need to be properly connected and thoroughly tested. If the customer has a well-structured ERP in place already, the implementation time can be as low as two months; conversely, if a lot of data must be prepared from scratch, implementation can take up to one year. In our experience, most projects take around six months to complete.
We provide top-of-the-line post-implementation support, where engineers are already available as Tier 1 support, able to answer complex queries without going through a customer service representative. Depending on the support plan, we can troubleshoot remotely to resolve any issues that arise in the software. Maintenance and regular version updates are also available and handled by us.
Opcenter APS has its own MS SQL database, therefore SQL Server (Express or higher) is needed. The detailed list of hardware requirements is quite standard and available on demand.
Planning and scheduling data is available to other users using customised reports and to other systems via import / export functions or a direct database connection. For proactive energy management, such as with inGenious Flex, it is quite crucial that energy consumption peaks and important energy flows are already taken into account when we plan and schedule production operations.