LEAP Feature Updates for Smarter Production Planning

In today’s complex manufacturing environments, production planners must coordinate machines, materials, people, and delivery deadlines while dealing with constant changes on the shop floor. To support more realistic and reliable production planning, we have introduced several new capabilities in Qlector LEAP. These updates improve how production plans are created, how delivery deadlines are met, and […]
Workforce Scheduling in 2026: Four Trends Reshaping How People and Production Connect

Last time, we shared the five trends we see shaping the shop floor in 2026, and why planning is moving to the centre of competitiveness. This time, we’re zooming in on one specific area that’s quietly becoming a major differentiator: workforce scheduling. On paper, schedules often look fine. But when the clock strikes 6:00 AM, […]
Why Production Plans Still Fail and What 2026 Is Teaching Us About It

If you walk into a modern factory today, you’ll see smart machines, sensors everywhere, and a flood of data. And yet, production plans still break. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. According to a recent industry survey*, 70% of manufacturers still collect data manually, creating a bottleneck that slows decision-making and exposes the limits of […]
Four Steps to Implementing AI in Production Planning and Scheduling

Qlector Research (Jun–Sep 2025)Qlector interviewed several of Slovenia’s largest, high-performing manufacturing companies between June and September this year. We wanted to understand their day-to-day approach to production planning, what the real challenges are, how they are solved, and what they intend to invest in next. The results are relevant to plant and operations leaders responsible […]
How Leading Manufacturers Plan Production: 50% Still Depend on Excel and Paper

Qlector Research (Jun–Sep 2025)Qlector interviewed several of Slovenia’s largest, high-performing manufacturing companies between June and September this year. We wanted to understand their day-to-day approach to production planning, what the real challenges are, how they are solved, and what they intend to invest in next. The results are relevant to plant and operations leaders responsible […]
Why Manufacturers Lose Millions Every Year: The Illusion of ERP Normatives in Production Planning

While manufacturing companies lose millions due to static, outdated ERP normatives, Qlector LEAP brings together actual, historical, and normative data in real time to deliver realistic production time predictions and reliable production plans. When we meet potential users at events or sales presentations, we almost always get the same question: What makes Qlector LEAP truly […]
How AI Is Quietly Revolutionizing Downtime Management in Manufacturing

Downtime is one of the most expensive and stubborn challenges in modern manufacturing. But unlike traditional methods for production planning and scheduling, new industrial AI-based solutions are not fighting it with guesswork. By leveraging Machine Learning and Digital Twin technologies through advanced planning and scheduling (APS) systems, manufacturers are now able to simulate thousands of […]
The ‘Reality Gap’ – A Silent Killer of Your Manufacturing Operations

An hour of unplanned downtime can cost up to $2.3 million for large manufacturing companies operating in the automotive sector. For small and medium-sized enterprises, the cost can reach $150,000 per hour. These staggering figures underscore the critical importance of addressing the Reality Gap – the disconnect between production plans and actual shop floor operations. […]
AI Agents Are Coming to the Shop Floor – Here’s Why It Matters

Have you wondered what’s next in production planning? While AI continues to dominate the conversation, two terms are quickly rising: AI Agents and Agentic Workflows. In this blog, we’ll explain them in simple terms—what they are, how they work on the shop floor, and why they matter to you. If you’re still juggling multiple systems […]
What Production Planners Need to Know About LLMs, Machine Learning, and AI Agents

AI is a hot topic in manufacturing, but it’s easy to get lost in the buzzwords or even easier to wonder, ‘What’s in it for me?’ Although many production planners have likely experimented with ChatGPT or similar tools powered by Large Language Models (LLMs), they often aren’t sure how this kind of technology can be […]
