What is APS Detailed Scheduling?
APS (Advanced Planning and Scheduling) refers to capacity-based detailed scheduling in manufacturing. While traditional ERP systems merely manage orders and provide rough scheduling, APS goes a decisive step further: It plans the exact sequence and assignment of every single operation on every machine — taking into account machine capacities, setup times, material availability and delivery dates.
For CNC manufacturing shops, APS detailed scheduling is particularly valuable because workpieces typically pass through multiple processing steps on different machines: From raw material through CNC milling and CNC turning to surface treatment and quality control. Without visual detailed scheduling, shops quickly lose track of dependencies, bottlenecks and realistic delivery dates.
GanttWork makes APS detailed scheduling accessible — without months of implementation, without six-figure license costs and without ERP dependency. You see your entire production on an interactive Gantt planning board and schedule via drag & drop.
Which Manufacturing Processes is GanttWork Suited For?
GanttWork was developed for job shops and specialty manufacturers that produce individual parts and small batches. The software maps the typical workflow of machining and forming operations:
CNC Milling
3-axis, 4-axis and 5-axis machining. Plan milling jobs with exact processing times per workpiece, account for setup times during program changes and see the utilization of each individual CNC milling machine on the planning board.
CNC Turning
Turned parts, Swiss-type turned parts and turn-milled parts. Plan operations on your CNC lathes and turning centers. GanttWork shows you when each lathe becomes available and where the next job can be scheduled.
Laser Cutting
Flatbed laser, tube laser and 3D laser cutting. Plan cutting jobs with material allocation, nesting plans and post-processing steps. Chain laser cutting with subsequent bending or welding operations.
Waterjet Cutting
Pure waterjet and abrasive waterjet for metal, stone, glass and composite materials. Plan waterjet cutting jobs together with CNC post-processing as chained operations on the Gantt planning board.
Grinding & EDM
Surface grinding, cylindrical grinding, jig grinding and sinker/wire EDM. These precision processes often have long run times — GanttWork helps you optimally utilize machine capacity and minimize idle times.
Sheet Metal Fabrication
Punching, bending, folding, welding and surface treatment. Plan multi-step sheet metal fabrication jobs with dependencies between individual operations — from cutting to final assembly.
Additional Processes
GanttWork is also suitable for plasma cutting, spark erosion, coating (anodizing, chrome plating, hardening), assembly, quality control and all other manufacturing processes that you want to map as a resource in your production. Every machine, every workstation and every external processing step is displayed as its own resource on the planning board.
The Typical Manufacturing Workflow with GanttWork
A CNC specialty shop receives new orders daily with different workpieces, materials and delivery dates. Each order consists of multiple operations that must be executed in a specific sequence on different machines. This is exactly where GanttWork comes in:
Order Entry via Excel Import
Copy your order data directly from Excel, your ERP system or any spreadsheet and paste it into GanttWork. The software automatically recognizes columns, assigns materials and creates operations (e.g. milling → turning → grinding → QC) automatically. No complicated file upload, no ERP integration required.
Visual Detailed Scheduling on the Gantt Planning Board
On the interactive Gantt planning board, you see all machines as rows and time as the axis. Each operation is displayed as a colored bar. Via drag & drop, you move jobs, change the sequence and optimally schedule your CNC mills, lathes, lasers and waterjet cutting systems. Dependent operations cascade automatically — move the milling operation and the turning operation follows automatically.
Real-Time Feedback via Worker Terminals
At every machine there is a worker terminal (tablet, touch monitor or PC). The machine operator sees their current job, reports start and end times and enters completed quantities. The planning board updates in real time: You instantly see which job is in progress, which is finished and where there are delays.
Planned vs. Actual Analysis and Time Evaluation
After completing an order, GanttWork automatically compares the planned processing times (target) with the actual times (actual). This way you identify which operations take longer than estimated, can calculate future quotes more precisely and identify bottlenecks in your production.
Why CNC Shops Switch from Excel to GanttWork
Many CNC specialty shops still plan their production with Excel spreadsheets, whiteboards or paper job travelers. This works with 5–10 orders, but with growing order volume, these methods reach their limits:
No real-time overview: In Excel, you cannot see which job is currently running on which CNC machine. When customers call with questions, you first have to walk to the shop floor.
No dependencies: When a milling job is delayed, you must manually reschedule all subsequent operations (turning, grinding, QC). In GanttWork, this cascades automatically.
No machine utilization: In Excel, you cannot see which machine is available in two weeks. New orders are scheduled by gut feeling instead of actual capacity.
No planned vs. actual comparison: Without systematic time tracking at the machine, you don't know if your estimates are accurate. GanttWork provides this data automatically.
Switching is easy: GanttWork works standalone and requires no ERP integration. You import orders via copy & paste from Excel, your ERP or any data source. In less than one hour, you plan your production on the visual planning board — without training, without an IT department.
APS Detailed Scheduling vs. ERP Rough Planning
Many CNC shops already have an ERP system for quotes, invoices and material management. However, most ERP systems only offer rough planning: They know delivery dates and lead times, but not the actual machine utilization. This is where APS detailed scheduling comes in:
| ERP Rough Planning | GanttWork APS | |
|---|---|---|
| Planning Level | Order / Week | Operation / Hour |
| Machine Planning | None or only aggregate | Each machine individually |
| Dependencies | Not considered | Automatic cascading |
| Real-Time Status | No | Yes, via worker terminals |
| Capacity Planning | Manual / Excel | Visual on planning board |
| Planned vs. Actual | Not available | Automatic per operation |
| Implementation | Months, high costs | Ready to use immediately |
GanttWork does not replace an ERP, but complements it with the missing detailed scheduling component. You keep your existing system for quotes, invoices and purchasing — and use GanttWork for what ERP systems cannot do: day-accurate machine scheduling on the shop floor.
Features for CNC Manufacturing
Operation Chaining
Define a sequence of operations for each order: e.g. sawing → CNC milling → CNC turning → grinding → finishing → QC inspection. GanttWork displays this chain visually as connected bars on the planning board. When an operation shifts, all dependent steps automatically follow. This way you maintain overview even with 50+ simultaneous orders across all dependencies.
Shift Planning & Setup Times
Set up individual shift models for each machine (early/late/night shifts, 4-day week, weekend shifts). GanttWork only schedules jobs into available shift windows and accounts for setup times when switching between different orders. This gives you realistic lead times instead of theoretical estimates.
Drawing Management
Attach the corresponding technical drawings (PDF, DXF, STEP) to each order. The worker sees the correct drawing for the current job directly on the terminal — no searching through folder structures, no outdated paper printouts. Especially in CNC manufacturing, where every workpiece has individual dimensions and tolerances, this saves valuable time every day.
Parallel Processing
For batch orders, parts of a lot can already be passed to the next operation while the rest is still being processed. GanttWork supports parallel processing and automatically calculates the effective processing time per piece — including wall-clock time and parallelism factor.
On-Time Delivery
Every order has a delivery date. GanttWork marks overdue orders directly on the planning board with a red deadline flag. This way you see at a glance which orders are critical and can proactively reschedule — before the customer calls. Your on-time delivery rate measurably increases.
Who is GanttWork Made For?
CNC job shops with 3–50 machines that produce individual parts and small batches for industrial customers. Typical industries: mechanical engineering, automotive suppliers, medical technology, aerospace, tool and mold making.
Metalworking companies that combine multiple manufacturing processes: CNC milling, CNC turning, grinding, laser cutting, waterjet cutting, sheet metal fabrication, welding and assembly.
Production managers and work planners who currently plan with Excel, whiteboards or in their head and are looking for a simple, visual solution — without months of ERP implementation.
Companies in Austria, Germany and Switzerland that value EU hosting, German-speaking support and GDPR compliance.
Try GanttWork in Your Production
In less than one hour, you will have your first orders on the planning board. We set up a personal demo instance for you — with your machines, your shifts and, if desired, with real order data.
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