New feature helps pharma manufacturing teams streamline daily production planning, reduce manual work and improve on time batch execution.
BOSTON, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- eschbach today announced the release of its new Shiftconnector Activity Scheduler, a feature designed to replace the spread sheet driven planning still common in pharmaceutical production environments with real time, equipment level scheduling and automated coordination.
The Activity Scheduler addresses one of the most persistent challenges in pharma plants: connecting long range planning from systems such as SAP or OMP with the detailed, hour by hour scheduling required on the shop floor. As production complexity increases, manual planning approaches are becoming a growing bottleneck for efficiency, collaboration, and real-time visibility of batch execution. Many teams still rely on Excel files to coordinate staging, CIP/SIP steps, changeovers, and other activities that support batch execution.
"With the Activity Scheduler, we are giving production teams a clear and practical way to coordinate the most important hours of their day," said Andreas Eschbach, CEO of eschbach. "Enterprise systems handle long-term planning well, but it's the daily, shift level decisions that determine whether a plant stays on schedule. This feature brings structure and transparency to a space that has relied on manual tools for far too long."
The new tool enables planners to build and adjust schedules through a drag and drop interface, with dependent tasks automatically rescheduled when delays occur. As schedules evolve, enhanced transparency keeps teams aligned and allows them to respond to deviations in real time, significantly reducing the manual status updates via email, phone, or meetings that often slow decision making.
The software also detects equipment conflicts, supports reassignment to alternate equipment, and provides operators with a clear, task focused view of their shift. Through integration with MES and OT systems, actual start and end times are captured automatically, ensuring accurate execution data without additional manual effort.
The Activity Scheduler includes an administrative area for managing templates and approvals. Templates can contain SOP links, durations, labor times, FTE requirements, triggers, dependencies, and lag times, ensuring consistent planning and controlled deployment across the plant. Managers can also use built-in reporting tools to track delays, cycle times, and performance trends, giving teams deeper insight into delay drivers, lifecycle patterns, and opportunities for continuous improvement based on real execution data.
As part of the launch, Pharma Industry Principal Zen‑Zen Yen will present a live demonstration of the new Activity Scheduler at Pharma MES USA 2026, held at the Encore Boston Harbor. The session will take place today at 8:55 a.m. in Picasso 5 & 6.
The Activity Scheduler is available to Shiftconnector cloud customers beginning this month.
About eschbach
With global headquarters in Germany and North American headquarters in Boston, MA, eschbach is the premier developer of Intelligent Operations Platforms for pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing. Shiftconnector®, eschbach's award-winning solution, incorporates AI technology to help manufacturing teams take charge of facility operations, process safety, asset performance, and production quality. Developed in collaboration with industry leaders, Shiftconnector transforms digital manufacturing operations by enabling managers, operators, and technicians to achieve the highest level of team communication and operational excellence. Trusted worldwide by leading companies such as Merck, BASF, and Bayer, eschbach empowers process industries to drive efficiency and compliance across the globe.
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SOURCE eschbach
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