Which is better: planning in MES or ERP?
Our content plan says it’s time to publish an article about the Planner. Here it is. Planning is awesome. And so is the Planner module from the MES SoftLi family. Let’s take a quick look and see how it compares to planning tools in ERP systems.
What is SoftLi Planner? And what does it do?
Planner is one of many additional modules of MES SoftLi designed for clear production planning.
It provides a visual overview of production batches scheduled for each machine, based on your specific production requirements – either those created directly in Planner or imported from a higher-level system, such as an ERP.
You get a visual summary of:
what's running, where and when,
batch progress,
current delays,
and expected completion times based on actual conditions.
When a job includes several steps, you can check them all together and see the final completion time.
You can also see the links between individual production steps – when they were scheduled, when they were started, where delays occurred, and when they’ll be finished.
You’ll also see what happens when the original plan changes – for instance, if a new request comes in during production.
In such cases, you’ll know how the schedule was adjusted and the reason behind it.
Who is the Planner designed for?
For anyone using a MES who wants to optimize their production. Whether you're dealing with custom manufacturing or standard long-batch production, the Planner adapts to your workflow.
All specific needs and planning requirements can be easily configured in the Planner module.
Can Planner help you save money?
The Planner doesn’t generate savings on its own, but it helps companies save in other areas. In sports terms, it’s the assist – someone else may get the credit for scoring, but without the playmaker, the goal wouldn’t happen.
Think of Planner as your number 10 on the field – slicing through the defense with precision passes and setting up easy tap-ins for your production team.
If your operators don’t stay offside, you’re all set to score .
Through savings – like minimizing the time needed for machine changeovers or reducing delays between order confirmation and production start.
Through higher efficiency – you might now complete in four days what used to take five.
Is Planner better than the planning modules in ERP?
Absolutely. But unfortunately, many manufacturing companies – even some of the largest factories – haven’t realized it yet and still rely only on ERP planning tools.
What are the key benefits of Planner over ERP-based planning modules?
ERP planning modules lack real-time data on plan fulfillment. You only receive it, for example, at the end of a shift, when it’s too late to respond to current needs. In our Planner, however, you can see throughout the entire process how the plan is (or isn’t) being fulfilled, allowing you to react to issues like delays or skipped batches promptly.
Scheduled production batches are instantly sent from the Planner to the machine terminals. There’s no need for printed plans to be transferred between the office and the production floor, and supervisors don’t need to inform operators, as they often do in ERP planning. With SoftLi Planner, the plan is immediately available to production and visible to the team.
Planner is a web application available from any location and can be shared with an unlimited number of people throughout the factory. You decide who gets access and how, without affecting the cost. The price is based only on the license, not the number of users.
Connecting with live data not only helps improve production efficiency but also enhances the planning process itself. With ERP planners, you only learn that the plan wasn't fulfilled, but nothing more. Next time, you have to rely on the hope that the reasons for the delay won't repeat, or adjust the plans through trial and error. With Planner, you’ll always know exactly what went wrong and why.
ERP planning isn’t actual planning; it’s more of an announcement of how many things you want to produce on each machine. With Planner, you can specify exact sequences and schedule when things will be finished. We focus on the entire production train, accounting for every stop, break, and planned changeover along the way.
SoftLi Planner allows you to automatically reschedule the plan with single click, taking into account the current status of its (non)completion.
You can also simulate your production planning in Planner. First, you can test everything, make comparisons, and once you’re satisfied, send the final (and thoroughly tested!) plan to the machines.
How does the implementation process work?
It’s very quick. Since Planner is an add-on module to MES SoftLi, all you need to do is buy the license, enter the license key, and then assign access rights to the people you want.
How about integration with third-party systems?
Planning in Planner is based on input requirements, which can also come from other systems, most commonly from ERP. However, the ERP must be allowed to communicate with third-party systems. Once that’s in place, it’s no problem to receive and send data using various communication technologies.
Try the Planner module with no obligations
Ask for a DEMO – seeing is believing. Test MES SoftLi on your own production line and see for yourself why it’s the best on the market, especially with its powerful add-ons. Then decide.
