FAQ 1: What is APS scheduling (and how is it different from ERP/MRP scheduling)?

APS (Advanced Planning & Scheduling) creates feasible schedules using real constraints (capacity, materials, changeovers, labor). ERP/MRP often plans “in buckets” and can ignore shop-floor realities, which is why schedules can fail in execution.

FAQ 2: Why does APS scheduling look different by industry?

Because the dominant constraints differ: perishability and sanitation in food & beverage, validation and traceability in life sciences, complex routings in aerospace & defense, and high-changeover sequencing in packaging and metal fabrication.

FAQ 3: What are the most common industry APS use cases?

Typical use cases include finite capacity scheduling, changeover optimization, campaign/lot scheduling, constraint-based sequencing, and rapid re-planning when demand or materials change.