The Manufacturing
Scheduling Summit 2026

FAQ's about the Manufacturing Scheduling Summit.

Q. What is The Manufacturing Scheduling Summit?

The On Time Edge Manufacturing Scheduling Summit is an annual two-day working session for manufacturing operators, planners, and executives focused on advanced production scheduling, planning, and execution. The 2026 summit takes place September 22–23 in Chicago and is the second annual edition. It covers schedule stability, the integration of ERP/APS/MES systems, AI as decision support in scheduling, and the practical methodology for moving from spreadsheet-based scheduling into purpose-built APS environments.

Q. How is AI changing manufacturing scheduling?

AI is changing manufacturing scheduling primarily as a decision-support tool, not as a replacement for human planners. Production schedules require predictable, auditable outcomes; probabilistic AI models cannot reliably guarantee that a given order will ship on time. What AI does well today: surface constraint conflicts before they become firefights, run scenario simulations faster than human planners alone, accelerate planner workflows with natural-language queries against the schedule, and detect anomalies in master data. What AI does not yet do reliably: generate production schedules autonomously.

Q. What is the difference between APS and MES?

APS stands for Advanced Planning and Scheduling — software that generates the production plan by sequencing orders, balancing capacity, and producing the schedule that defines what to make and when. MES stands for Manufacturing Execution System — software that runs the plan on the shop floor, captures real-time production data, manages work instructions, and tracks performance against the schedule. APS plans the work; MES executes and reports it. The two systems must integrate tightly for the schedule to hold during execution.

Q. What is schedule stability?

Schedule stability is the degree to which a published production schedule remains intact between release and execution. Unstable schedules force constant rework — order resequencing, expediting, last-minute substitutions — that consumes planner time and erodes shop floor trust. Stable schedules hold long enough for the floor to execute against them. Schedule stability is increasingly tracked as a leading indicator of overall operational performance.

Q. Why aren't ERP systems enough for production scheduling?

ERP systems were built to manage transactions — orders, inventory, costs — not the granular execution decisions that determine whether a schedule holds. ERP can tell you what should be made; it cannot tell you whether the line that's supposed to make it is up, what the current changeover state is, or how to resequence around an unplanned event. Most manufacturers operating at scale layer APS or scheduling-specific tools on top of ERP, integrated through MES and shop floor systems.

Q. What is PlanetTogether and how does it fit into manufacturing scheduling?

PlanetTogether is an Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) platform built on decades of operations research originating from Cornell University. It is the foundational entry point for most manufacturers moving out of Excel-based scheduling — purpose-built to handle finite capacity, multi-constraint sequencing, and real-time schedule visibility. PlanetTogether integrates with ERP systems including SAP, NetSuite, and Kinaxis Maestro, and is widely used across food and beverage, automotive, industrial equipment, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. It is featured at the 2026 summit alongside customer use cases and an AI capabilities discussion.

Q. What is the difference between PlanetTogether and Kinaxis?

PlanetTogether and Kinaxis serve different scales of manufacturing operation. PlanetTogether is the right fit for most mid-market and large-mid-market manufacturers — purpose-built APS at a price most operations can justify, focused on plant-level scheduling and finite capacity sequencing. Kinaxis is enterprise-tier supply chain orchestration designed for global operations coordinating across multiple plants, geographies, and complex multi-tier supply networks. Most manufacturers benefit from getting plant-level scheduling stable first; the question of whether enterprise-tier orchestration is needed depends on the scale and complexity of the operation.

Q. When and where is the 2026 summit?

The 2026 Manufacturing Scheduling Summit takes place Tuesday September 22 and Wednesday September 23, 2026, at The Wade Hotel, 644 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL.

Q. What does it cost to attend?

Registration is $700 per attendee. The fee covers all sessions, breakfast and lunch both days, the networking dinner, optional 1:1 sessions with solution experts, and post-summit takeaway materials. Travel and lodging are not included; a discounted room block at The Wade Hotel is available at $199 per night, plus tax.

Q. How do I register?

Register and pay directly through the registration page. You'll receive an immediate confirmation by email.

Q. What is the cancellation and transfer policy?

Registrations are transferable to a colleague within your organization at any time — email events@ontimeedge.com with the new attendee's details. Refunds are available up to 14 days before the summit, by September 8, 2026. After September 8, registrations are non-refundable but remain transferable.

Q. Who should attend?

Manufacturing professionals directly accountable for production outcomes — including operations leaders, planners and schedulers, supply chain leaders, manufacturing IT leaders, and executives sponsoring operational initiatives.

Q. How does the summit differ from a trade show?

The summit is structured as a working session, not an exhibition. There is no expo floor and no vendor-driven keynotes. Sessions are led by practitioners, customers, and solution partners chosen to address real implementation challenges.

Q. Who is the keynote?

The 2026 keynote is delivered by John Dyck, CEO of CESMII — The Smart Manufacturing Institute. John has been recognized as one of SME's “30 Leaders Transforming Manufacturing in the USA” and holds patents in AI and analytics applied to production environments.

Q. Will sessions be recorded?

Select sessions may be recorded for post-summit reference materials. Customer use cases and small-group discussions are not recorded to protect candid conversation.

Q. What's included in registration?

All sessions, breakfast and lunch both days, the networking dinner Tuesday evening, optional 1:1 sessions with solution experts, and post-summit takeaway materials. Travel and lodging are not included.

Q. Where do I stay?

The Wade Hotel offers a negotiated group rate of $199 USD per night, plus tax. Book by August 31, 2026, to secure the rate.

Q. Where was the 2025 summit held?

The 2025 Manufacturing Scheduling Summit was held in Philadelphia at the Old City Marriott.

Q. Who is On Time Edge?

On Time Edge is the world's leader in manufacturing planning and scheduling implementation. We work across more than 15 solutions — including PlanetTogether, Kinaxis, Siemens Opcenter, AVEVA, Fuuz, Zontal, and Boomi — and evaluate what's best for each manufacturer based on their data, their environment, their industry, their regulations, and their constraints.

Q. How do I contact the summit team?

Email events@ontimeedge.com.