Winter Update from Kudos Solutions
The nights have drawn in, temperatures have dropped, and winter is well and truly here — but at Kudos Solutions, momentum hasn’t slowed. From welcoming new expertise into the team to pushing forward with next-generation scheduling innovation, the past few months have been focused on progress, insight, and preparing manufacturers for what’s next. As we step into the new year, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the highlights from the season and share a quick snapshot of what we’ve been working on behind the scenes
In this winter update, we’re sharing the latest product developments and team news from across Kudos — including what’s new in the Opcenter APS 2510 release, insights into the future of scheduling with EvoAPS, a welcome to new expertise within the team, and ways our maintenance packages can help you keep your systems performing at their best.
What’s New in Opcenter APS 2510?
This winter also saw the latest Opcenter APS 2510 release, bringing a series of practical enhancements designed to give planners greater visibility, faster responses to disruption, and tighter alignment between planning and execution.
The update focuses on helping teams stay in control of day-to-day operations while improving resource utilisation, protecting service levels, and reducing unnecessary inventory and waste.
- A configurable Alerts Window for faster issue identification
- Performance improvements and usability upgrades within Material Explorer
- Secondary Constraint event handling for more realistic scheduling
- Enhanced OpenID flexibility for modern identity management
- Integration with Opcenter IPL for improved material availability visibility
- Integration with Opcenter X MES Essentials to better connect planning with the shop floor
As always, Opcenter APS remains a highly configurable capacity planning and scheduling solution, enabling manufacturers to react quickly to changing shop floor conditions and make confident, data-driven decisions.
👉 Read the full breakdown of what’s included in 2510 here: What’s new in Opcenter APS 2510: – Kudos Solutions
The Future of Scheduling for Manufacturers
This winter, we explored what’s next for manufacturing scheduling — and why traditional, rule-based approaches are increasingly reaching their limits. As production environments become more complex and less predictable, fixed logic struggles to respond effectively to real-world change.
In a recent blog, we shared early testing insights behind EvoAPS, our next-generation scheduling engine designed to evolve and adapt rather than remain static. EvoAPS doesn’t just generate a schedule; it continuously explores alternatives, learns from outcomes, and improves plan quality over time. This leads to more stable schedules, less firefighting, and better use of existing resources.
EvoAPS represents a different way of thinking about scheduling. Rather than relying on fixed rules and static logic, it continuously evolves, adapts to change, and uncovers opportunities that traditional systems simply cannot see. Designed as an AI-driven scheduling engine, EvoAPS learns from each iteration and improves production plans in real time.
Early testing results have been compelling:
- Schedules generated up to 11 hours and 38 minutes faster compared to baseline approaches
- 70% reduction in setup time, cutting changeovers and boosting throughput
- Zero late orders, where traditional logic previously introduced delays
- A continuously learning algorithm capable of exploring 7,500+ schedules per minute
At its core, EvoAPS is about helping manufacturers achieve more with what they already have.
Why It Matters for Manufacturers
By improving schedule quality and stability, EvoAPS enables organisations to increase output without adding extra shifts, reduce operational costs, and strengthen predictability across their operations. More stable schedules mean better performance on critical assets, fewer last-minute compromises, and greater confidence in delivery commitments.
At the same time, planners spend less time firefighting and rebuilding plans, freeing them to focus on higher-value decisions that support continuous improvement and long-term business goals. Over time, this shift helps manufacturers operate with greater control, resilience, and confidence — even as complexity and change continue to increase.
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Welcoming Stephen Corner to Kudos Solutions
We were delighted to welcome Stephen Corner to the Kudos Solutions team as our new Business Development Manager.
Stephen brings over 25 years of experience working with Opcenter APS and Preactor, alongside a deep understanding of the real-world pressures faced by manufacturing teams every day. Throughout his career, he has helped organisations get more value from their planning and scheduling systems, supporting smarter decision-making and more resilient operations.
His knowledge and experience are already proving invaluable, and we’re excited about the impact he will have for both our customers and the wider Kudos team. Welcome to Kudos, Stephen — it’s great to have you on board.
Stay Up to Date with Our Platinum and Gold Maintenance Packages
Keeping your planning and scheduling systems performing at their best is just as important as choosing the right software in the first place. That’s why we continue to offer our Platinum and Gold Maintenance Packages — designed to help customers stay current, supported, and confident in their Opcenter environment, without unexpected costs or last-minute upgrades.
Both packages are built to ensure you remain on the latest version of Opcenter APS, giving you access to ongoing improvements, enhancements, and long-term stability, all while working within an agreed annual budget.
Platinum Package
Our Platinum package provides a complete upgrade path, including both software and services updates to keep your system fully up to date. It also includes an annual health check per site, offering a structured review of your configuration, performance, and opportunities for optimisation — helping you proactively address risks before they impact operations.
Gold Package
The Gold package offers software and services upgrades, ensuring you continue to benefit from the latest features and system improvements while maintaining a streamlined, cost-effective support structure.
If you’d like to explore which package is the right fit for your organisation or review the available options in more detail, please contact Steve Ward at steve.ward@kudossolutions.co.uk.
Are you making the most of Opcenter APS?
Whether you’ve got new users, have been using the software for years, or want to ensure your planning and scheduling tools are running at their best, an Opcenter Health Check can help.
Our health checks are designed to review your current setup, identify opportunities for improvement, and make sure your system is delivering maximum value.
They provide a structured review of your planning logic, data quality, and system configuration, highlighting any risks, inefficiencies, or training gaps that may be limiting performance.
You’ll receive clear, expert recommendations tailored to your operation, along with a concise report outlining findings and next steps.
The outcome is a clear set of recommendations to help improve stability, efficiency, and confidence in your planning process — ensuring your system continues to support the evolving needs of your operation.
To schedule a health check or learn more, contact Steve Ward at: steve.ward@kudossolutions.co.uk or click the link below:
Stay ahead with Kudos Solutions—because great planning starts with great tools.
Looking Ahead…
As we move into the new year, our focus remains on helping manufacturers plan with greater confidence, visibility, and control — whether through proven solutions like Opcenter APS or emerging innovations such as EvoAPS.
The challenges facing manufacturing aren’t standing still, and neither are we. From improving day-to-day operational performance to supporting longer-term strategic decision-making, we’re committed to helping our customers get more value from their planning and scheduling processes.
We’re looking forward to continuing these conversations, sharing further insights, and working alongside manufacturers as they navigate the year ahead.
