Opcenter (Preactor) AS is a Siemens product that extends the functionalities of the ERP systems and is used for optimal production planning and scheduling in real time, based on predefined rules and taking into account constraints.

The Opcenter AS system works by building a schedule into the future – for today’s shift, the annual production forecast, or anything in between – that takes into account the fact that all manner of resources are not infinite, as we might like, but constrained. Thus raw material availability, the number, type and capabilities of machines on the shop-floor, the time available and even the available personnel and their skill sets can all be factored into the equation to produce a realistic and credible plan. The scenarios such as ‘what if’ within Opcenter AS enable companies to explore the effects of different production schedules.

Opcenter AS provides functionality to solve complex problems in production planning, focusing on material and resource constraints. Many ERP systems create purchase orders and production orders for each Bill of Materials (BoM) level. By using a built-in tool, these orders can be pegged as links are used in the process of creating production schedules so that dependent orders are only scheduled after the necessary materials / semi-finished ; products are provided for their execution.

Opcenter AS provides multiple functionalities related to the management of material flows. Materials Explorer is a powerful tool that serves as an interactive overview of production schedules. The diagram of material flow (Material Flow Diagram) presents in graphic form the order and shows the materials used in manufacturing and the related orders that supply or consume materials. Since the generated diagram is interactive, the planner can quickly and easily navigate through the links between materials from order to order to trace material flow in the production process and to deal with problems such as shortage, changes in the priorities of orders, etc. in order to prevent problems with the supply of production.

Opcenter AS offers additional rules for optimization that can be specified for a particular deployment. These rules can be based on specific events or orders. Standard Rules on the sequence include minimizing setup time, minimizing order delays, use of a preferred sequence for each resource, bottleneck planning (Theory of constraints) or campaigns.

Specific rules can be set for a particular client, product or resource since virtually any logic can be embedded in special rules for graphical planning. This can be done with the built-in script language PESP or using a programming language such as VB.NET or C #.

SMARTAPPS develops and implements for the needs of its clients a bi-directional integration solution between Opcenter AS and the ERP systems of the leading software vendors – SAP, Microsoft, Infor, etc, as well as other solutions for production automation, for supply chain management, for mobile acquisition of manufacturing data.