The Best Production Scheduling Software

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Visual Planning Screenshot

Visual Planning

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Visual Planning is a resource scheduling software designed to increase the productivity levels of your business. The scheduling tool grabs your data in real time to plan jobs, projects, and tasks. This is accomplished by looking at current capacity, available time, and the costs involved, and determining the best course of action for your business. Visual Planning can be used by a variety of industries or for a wide range of uses, such as for the HR department, construction project management,
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Starting Price
$55/user/month
Client OS
Windows, macOS, Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
MaxScheduler Screenshot
MaxScheduler is a web based scheduling software that lets you import jobs from spreadsheets, accounting software, or MRP/ERP systems. The software lets you assign jobs to available workers or machines. The web-based layout of MaxSchedule means that your company can have real-time information on the status of your production from wherever you may be. Ease of use; Always up to date; No reliance on spreadsheets; and Integration with ERP, MRP, MIS, Job Shop, Accounting, and spreadsheet solutions..
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Starting Price
$60/month
Client OS
Windows, Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
Resource Manager-DB Screenshot

Resource Manager-DB

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The Resource Manager-DB is designed for busy people who need immediate help in planning and scheduling their operations. With a unique adaptable design, Resource Manager-DB represents the best value available for Manufacturing & Operations Management Software — guaranteed. This software can be configured to meet your specific needs, easily and affordably. Now you can quit struggling with time consuming decisions such as: what to buy, make, or do AND when to buy, make, or do it. Resource
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Starting Price
$5,000/user (perpetual license)
Client OS
Windows, Linux
Deployment
On-Premises
TACTIC Screenshot

TACTIC

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Waterloo Manufacturing Software’s TACTIC system is designed to be used as both production scheduling software, and advanced planning and scheduling software (APS software).
Client OS
Windows
Deployment
On-Premises
JobPack Screenshot
JobPack is a scheduling and machine monitoring software designed to improve your manufacturing shop. JobPack helps improve metal cutting manufacturing companies in aerospace, automotive, and job-shop industries. JobPack lets your business rely less on spreadsheets and have more of a visual understanding of your scheduling process. The planning board lets you view potential impacts of productions schedule adjustments so you can test multiple out (“what-if” scheduling). JobPack also lets you view
Client OS
Windows, iOS, Android
Deployment
On-Premises
MRPEasy Screenshot

MRPEasy

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MRPeasy is a cloud-based and user-friendly production planning software for small manufacturers. The tool helps manage production scheduling, inventory, sales, procurement and shop-floor in one place. MRPeasy allows you to select the features plan that meets your requirements and access additional functionality as you grow your business. @youtube Production planning and scheduling; CRM with manufacturing cost and lead time estimating and quoting; Inventory management; BOM management; Supply
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Starting Price
$49/user/month
Client OS
Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
Monday.com Screenshot

Monday.com

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Monday.com lets you plan, organize, and track in one visual space. Monday.com lets you create a custom workflow so any team in your company can work on what they need the way that is easiest for them. With Monday.com, you can create dashboards to gain insights into your company and track progress of work in process. Views available include: Calendar View; Chart View; Files View; Kanban View; Map View; and Timeline View. Templates; Customizations; Team sharing; Team collaboration; and Project
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Starting Price
$8/user/month
Client OS
Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
EnterpriseIQ Screenshot

EnterpriseIQ

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EnterpriseIQ by IQMS provides a wealth of business management functionality from a single source, on a single database. Only EnterpriseIQ totally integrates manufacturing and accounting with a complete suite of modules, eliminating the need for interfacing third-party add-ons. EnterpriseIQ natively integrates the front office and the plant floor with real-time production monitoring, accounting, scheduling, inventory control and reporting, as well as enabling manufacturers to manage additional
Client OS
Windows
Optessa Screenshot

Optessa

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Optessa provides the only planning, sequencing, and scheduling software that guarantees results using patented algorithms that adapt to any challenge without extra coding. Optessa’s AI-driven solutions provide its clients with real-time optimization that can handle the most complex sequencing and flow line challenges, maximizing their average line speed and throughput. Optessa comes in three main forms: Optessa MLP; Optessa MLS; and Optessa RTS. Optessa offers the industry’s most comprehensive
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Starting Price
$5,000/month
Client OS
Windows, Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
Plex Cloud ERP Screenshot
Plex Cloud ERP is a cloud manufacturing ERP software that helps lower costs while scaling seamlessly with your business. In a time when manufacturers are beset by an uncertain economy rising steel prices, and global competition, Plexus Online is a critical tool for growth, profitability and continuous improvement. Plexus Online boosts productivity, improves quality, streamlines operations and reduces costs by providing manufacturers with the crucial information and control mechanisms they need
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Starting Price
$3,000/month
Client OS
Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
FactoryFour Screenshot
FactoryFour is a manufacturing management tool providing real-time production tracking and execution. As the name implies, FactoryFour has four main features: Workflows, Forms, Dashboards, and Rules. @youtube Track production processes in real-time. Customize workflows and establish tasks for employees. Track batch processes; Gather GA data; Submit quotes; and Review designs. Capture order and production data. Ensure critical data is capture with digital forms that are easy to set up.
Client OS
iOS, Android, Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
Global Shop Solutions ERP Software Screenshot

Global Shop Solutions ERP Software

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(4)
Global Shop Solutions simplifies your manufacturing. Global Shop Solutions ERP software provides the applications needed to deliver a quality part on time, every time from quote to cash and everything in between including shop management, scheduling, inventory, accounting, quality control, CRM and 25 more. Available in the cloud or on premise, manufacturing customers benefit from real-time inventory accuracy, improved on-time delivery, lower administrative costs, increased sales and improved
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Client OS
Windows, iOS, Android, Web
Deployment
Cloud or On-Premises
Smartsheet Screenshot

Smartsheet

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Smartsheet is a work execution platform that helps increase the speed of your business so you can make better decisions faster. Configure, adapt, and improve work processes; Speed up execution of repetitive tasks; Share information with stakeholders; Engage your teams; Real-time visibility; and Accelerate execution and process innovation. Projects; Grids; Calendars; Dashboards; Cards; Portals; Forms; Automations; Integrations; Connectors; and Control Center. Standard Individual plan starts at
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Starting Price
$14/month
Client OS
Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
Katana Manufacturing ERP Screenshot

Katana Manufacturing ERP

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(7)
Katana is a manufacturing ERP to help get inventory control over materials and products in real time. Manage orders, raw materials, finished products, production recipes, manufacturing, sales, and stock. The solution integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Xero, Quickbooks Online, and more via Zapier, Integromat, and Katana’s open API. @youtube Live inventory management; Real-time master planning; Shop floor control; Omnichannel order management; End-to-end traceability; Production planning;
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Starting Price
$99/month
Client OS
Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
Simio Scheduling Screenshot

Simio Scheduling

Simio Scheduling software is a production scheduling for manufactures that performs risk analysis in real-time. Simio Scheduling includes a full simulation model that lets you perform “what-if” analysis so you can run variants of your manufacturing process to see what risks may be involved with changing your schedule. Rescheduling when the unexpected happens; Solve your scheduling dilemmas; Control your risk; Manage critical constraints; Improve production schedule performance; and Add
Client OS
Windows, Web
PlanetTogether Screenshot

PlanetTogether

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PlanetTogether is an advanced planning and schedule platform (APS) for manufacturers to integrate in with their existing ERP software. The software aims to better your supply chain planning through faster delivery, higher efficiency, and accelerated cash flow. PlanetTogether enables capacity planning, production scheduling, and MRP (material requriements planning) to be linked to your ERP software. Real-time visualizations; Alerts and KPIs; Bottleneck and materials management; and “What-if”
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Starting Price
$250/user/month
Client OS
Windows, Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
Smart Manager MOM/MES Screenshot

Smart Manager MOM/MES

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(3)
Smart Manager MOM/MES provides material availability and resource utilization for fast, efficient delivery. Once you have determined what you need, you need to make it in the most efficient way while providing your customers with delivery dates they can rely on. Using Planning Manager, customers are able to simplify their planning process. Being able to save time and accurately plan, provides customers with realistic promise dates quickly, reduces overtime, provides greater visibility of work in
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Starting Price
$20,000 (perpetual license)
Client OS
Windows, Web
Deployment
Cloud or On-Premises
frePPLe Screenshot

frePPLe

frePPLe is an open source supply chain planning software providing inventory planning and production planning in the cloud. frePPLe lets you better plan your supply chain proess and improve your scheduling. frePPLe will provide you with forecasts, production plans, and inventory plans to ensure your company is delivering on time, controling stock levels, boosting productivity, increasing service levels, and satisfying your customers. Adjust schedules; Visualize jobs on a GANTT chart.; Identify
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Starting Price
$899/month
Client OS
Windows, Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
Avercast Screenshot

Avercast

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(3)
Avercast is a forecasting software used by demand planners meant to improve your supply chain performance. Avercast offers over 200 forecasting algorithms capable of working at any level of hierarchy and is always up to date with the latest ERP integrations. Avercast software products cover: Demand forecasting; Inventory planning; S & OP; Capacity planning; and Supplier connection. Avercast has a direct output to excel to allow your data to be easily transferred among your staff. With this
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Starting Price
$1,000/user/month
Client OS
Windows, Web
Deployment
Cloud Hosted
Infor CloudSuite Industrial (SyteLine) Screenshot

Infor CloudSuite Industrial (SyteLine)

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(5)
Infor CloudSuite Industrial (SyteLine) is the solution of choice for over 5,000 manufacturers around the world. From repetitive to engineer-to-order, Infor SyteLine enables the processes you need to accelerate production and meet customer demand more quickly. Infor CloudSuite Industrial enables you to: Increase customer satisfaction; Plan and schedule order by order; Increase forecasting speed and accuracy; Minimize error-prone manual steps; Deliver orders on time, every time; Reduce inventory
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Starting Price
$25,000/user (perpetual license)
Client OS
Windows, Web
Deployment
Cloud or On-Premises

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Buyer’s Guide

What Is Production Scheduling Software?

Production scheduling software helps plan production on your shop floor by determining the need for materials and capacity in order to complete a manufacturing production order. Production scheduling software enables manufacturers to create a highly detailed master production schedule that accounts for resource, staffing, and inventory needs in order to complete and optimize production.

Production scheduling software helps you convert customer orders into manufacturing orders. It will look at the bill of materials, purchase orders, and current stock, to ensure you have the proper items reserved or the purchase order generated to complete the order.

Also known as advanced planning and scheduling software (APS), production scheduling software for job shops is used in situations where traditional methods of demand forecasting and production planning (such as MRP software) have fallen short.

Production Schedule Software MRPEasy
A production schedule in MRPEasy shows upcoming operations.

Production Scheduling Software Features

  • Gantt charts: Create bar charts that show a project schedule illustrating the dependency relations between pending jobs, ongoing jobs, and the employees scheduled to work during those times.
  • "What-if" analysis: Test out various production schedules by moving orders to different time slots via drag-and-drop functionality. Find the one most efficient for your business by syncing resource availability and any constraints. Find the production window that will push orders out the fastest without strain on your employees or resources.
  • Drag-and-drop capabilities: A visual approach to scheduling lets you drag and drop orders to different time slots throughout your schedule to see if your production team can fit the manufacturing job at that time or what possible effects it may have on your bottom line.
  • Capacity planning: Determine the production capacity needed to meet the demand for your products. Adjust schedules in real-time when unexpected bottlenecks occur.
  • Priority scheduling: Determine the profitability of each manufacturing job in order to establish priority levels and work on the most important jobs first.
Gantt chart PlanetTogether Production Scheduling Software
A Gantt chart in PlanetTogether.

Benefits of Production Scheduling Software

  • On-time delivery: Ensure customers receive products when promised by optimizing your production so there are no interruptions and that new orders don’t bottleneck your production line.
  • Optimized use of resources: Check the availability of workstations, monitor what materials are available, and let the software do the scheduling for you. Ensure you’re getting the maximum value out of your machines by ensuring they are continuously in use and not collecting dust. Prioritize using machinery that has a lower cost to operate to increase profitability over the long-term.
  • Reduced cycle times: Lower the time it takes to perform the manufacturing process and push out more manufacturing orders.

Production Scheduling Software for Small Manufacturers

Small manufacturing businesses will look for production scheduling software that reduces inefficiencies in their production at the most minimal cost possible.

As small businesses generally have less IT infrastructure, such as a dedicated employee to manage the software, they may be better suited to consider a cloud-based or online tool that can meet their needs. Generally, these solutions are priced on a subscription-based pricing model, whose monthly charges make them easier to afford over-time instead of requiring an upfront investment.

Small manufacturers may be coming over from manual methods, such as spreadsheets. While spreadsheets are a great tool to use when you’re first starting to become organized, overall they can be:

  • Slow
  • Error-prone
  • Not reflect real-time statuses of orders on your plant floor

This is due to the level of manual data-entry that is required, your staff can be spending more time keying in information (and potentially committing errors).

When looking for functionality in a production scheduling software, small manufacturers should focus the most on organizing tasks for your staff and having a visual interface. Each employee will have a better idea of what is expected from them, and know what orders need to be prioritized.

Some of the best production scheduling software for small manufacturers will know when orders are being prepared and instruct employees to complete tasks further down their list, so idle time is reduced and no time is lost.

Katana MRP Operations Screen Production Scheduling Software
The operations screen in Katana MRP shows pending (gray), in progress (yellow), and completed (green) orders.

Best Production Scheduling Software

While not an extensive list, here are some of the top production scheduling software we’ve helped recommended to manufacturers over the years:

1 Fishbowl Inventory

Fishbowl is often thought of as just an inventory solution but has strong manufacturing and warehousing capabilities. Specifically, Fishbowl has a production scheduling system that can automate the inventory process and lead to overall production forecasting, resource planning, and order fulfillment.

Fishbowl aims to improve your production scheduling process through priority assignment and automated job tracking and production reporting.

Price: Fishbowl starts at $4,395 upfront which gives you permanent access to the software (no ongoing service costs). Annual renewals include continued support and software updates.

Calendar view Fishbowl Inventory Production Scheduling Software
The calendar view in Fishbowl Inventory.

2 Plex Cloud ERP

Plex Systems has a robust APS (advanced planning and scheduling) module found within its manufacturing ERP system. The production scheduling module enables production resource planning and extends into finite scheduling and a production dispatch that goes down to your work centers.

The resource planning feature means that Plex can create jobs for forecasts or customer releases. Finite scheduling helps you manage the finite resources of material, equipment capacity, and other resource constraints. The production dispatch feature keeps jobs linked to the control panel for job management.

Price: Plex Cloud ERP starts at $3,000/month and is meant to be used as a complete manufacturing system.

Advanced Planning and Scheduling in Plex Cloud ERP Production Scheduling Software
The job manager in Plex Cloud ERP.

3 IQMS Manufacturing Scheduling and Production Planning

A subset of EnterpriseIQ, IQMS provides a manufacturing scheduling and production planning tool within their popular manufacturing ERP solution. As the application goes hand in hand with their ERP system, the production scheduling module updates in real time due to events that occur during the supply chain process.

IQMS promises to improve production scheduling by looking at all the resources and costs needed in order to meet the demand levels. It dives into any generated forecasts, current and expected future sales orders, and work orders.

Price: Pricing has not been provided by the vendor.

EnterpriseIQ Production Scheduling Software
The scheduling portion of EnterpriseIQ.

Free Production Scheduling Software

The best free production scheduling software can be hard to find, just because there are so few truly free software options out there. Many production scheduling software solutions will offer a free trial of their solution to get started, but this is only in the form of a 7-day or 30-day trial. Some software vendors may not even provide free trials, and instead, require you to sit through a guided walkthrough in order to see if their solution is the best fit.

While free trials are great to test the ins and outs of a program before making the commitment, many small businesses will desire a free software to be the first step in moving away from their reliance on spreadsheets.

1 Preactor Express

Preactor Express is a free to download production scheduling software that lets your business still an unlimited amount of products and scheduled operations. You can create custom fields for whatever order and production operational attributes are needed for your manufacturing business.

Many manufacturers getting started with production scheduling software will enjoy the integration with Microsoft Excel. Preactor Express lets you import spreadsheets so you can easily import your order data. Preactor Express an also create reports by exporting production schedules back into Excel, which takes advantage of the report building features in Excel.

Preactor Express Production Scheduling Software
An overview screen in Preactor Express.

2 Efficient Software

Efficient Software is a free production scheduling software that lets you plan and manage tasks from your desktop. The solution includes to-do lists, a task manager, and the combination of project management tools that can help you get a better grasp on your calendar and scheduling needs.

3 DYNAMIC 3i Production Planning

DYNAMIC 3i from System Dynamics Corporation is a free ERP/MRP software that provides master scheduling, rough-cut capacity planning, and links with other functionalities your business may be using such as inventory, MRP, and order processing. The solution can help you forecast sales and production levels while making updates to your master schedule whenever necessary. The free version of DYNAMIC 3i provides access for up to 2 users.