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Assessment of IS Integration Efforts to Implement the Internet of Production Reference Architecture
(2018)
As part of a collaborative network, manufacturing companies are required to be agile and accelerate their decision making. To do so, a high amount of data is available and needs to be utilized. To enable this from a company internal information system perspective, the Internet of Production (IoP) describes a future information system (IS) architecture. Core element of the IoP is a digital platform building the basis for a network of cognitive systems. To implement and continuously further develop the IoP, manufacturing companies need to make architecture-related decisions concerning the accessibility of data, the processing of the data as well as the visualization of the information. The goal of this research is the development of a decision-support methodology to make those decisions, taking under consideration the evaluated IS integration effort. Therefore, this paper describes the allocation of IS functions and identifies the effort drivers for the respective IS integration by analyzing the integration possibilities. Conclusively this approach will be validated in a case study.
Management of information and the IT systems it is stored in becomes a crucial capability for the industry. However, companies are struggling with the management of the various requirements and frequent changes of technology. Thus, IT complexity has become a major challenge for companies. At the same time, especially manufacturing companies are striving to implement Industrie 4.0 concepts. Many of these even have developed an Industrie 4.0 roadmap including various projects to change the company. Companies can develop such roadmaps by applying the Industrie 4.0 Maturity Index that gives a broad view on necessary capabilities for Industrie 4.0.
In our research, we analyzed data sets from over 10 manufacturing companies that have performed an Industrie 4.0 maturity assessment. Our hypothesis was that IT complexity challenges are hindering the implementation of Industrie 4.0 roadmaps significantly. We could prove this hypothesis at least for the companies analyzed and give insights on the specific challenges. Based on our analysis, we conclude our article by giving concrete recommendations on how to tackle IT complexity.
Thanks to the challenges of the imminent energy turnaround, the power market faces a revolution regarding the energy distribution. In future, energy will not only be distributed from a limited number of large, centralized power plants but also from small, decentralized power generators, e.g. households. This also affects manufacturing companies, which are confronted with developing an energy management strategy. As those companies usually have not set high priorities on their energy management, there is a lack of a structured procedure to build an energy management strategy. Consequently, this creates the need for supporting methods to develop and implement an energy management strategy. This paper tackles the first step in the development of an energy management strategy. For this purpose, a target map is developed and possible use cases are systematized. The next steps of the implementation are presented using the example of load management.
Industrie 4.0 is all around us today: in politics, in the media, and on the agendas of researchers and entrepreneurs. Smarter, faster, more personalized, more efficient, more integrated – those are just some of the promises of this new industrial era. The potential, especially for Germany ́s mechanical
engineering industry and plant engineering sector, is indeed great, both for providers and for users of technologies across the spectrum of Industrie 4.0.
But there are still many unresolved questions, uncertainties, and challenges. Our readiness study seeks to address this need and offer insight. Because Industrie 4.0 will not happen on its own.
This study is intended to bring the grand vision closer to the business reality. We also highlight the challenging milestones that many companies must still pass on the road to Industrie 4.0 readiness.
The study examines where companies in the fields of mechanical and plant engineering currently stand, focusing on what motivates them and what holds them back, and on the differences that emerge between small and medium enterprises on the one hand and large enterprises on the other.
The results make it possible for the first time to develop a detailed, systematic picture of Industrie 4.0 readiness in the engineering sector.
The study concludes with recommendations for action in the business community, complementing the diverse suite of programs and activities offered by VDMA’s Forum Industrie 4.0. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the two sponsors of this project from the VDMA Forum, Dietmar Goericke and Dr. Christian Mosch, whose efforts played a critical role in making this study a success.
We are convinced that Industrie 4.0 can become a success story for Germany’s engineering sector. May our “Industrie 4.0 Readiness” study do its part in this effort.
Industrie 4.0 ist in Politik, Medien, Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft derzeit omnipräsent. Intelligenter, individueller, effizienter, schneller, vernetzter – so lauten nur einige Versprechen dieses neuen industriellen Zeitalters. Tatsächlich sind die Potenziale gerade für den deutschen Maschinen- und Anlagenbau gewaltig: Sowohl für Anbieter als auch für Anwender von Technologien rund um das Thema Industrie 4.0. Aber noch existieren viele ungelöste Fragen, Unsicherheiten und Aufgaben. Hier wollen wir mit unserer Readiness-Studie ansetzen und Hilfestellung leisten. Denn ein Selbstläufer wird Industrie 4.0 nicht. Mit der vorliegenden Studie soll die große Vision näher an die betriebliche Realität gebracht werden. Auch zeigen wir die anspruchsvollen Wegmarken auf, die für viele Unternehmen hinsichtlich ihrer Industrie 4.0-Fähigkeit noch zu passieren sind. Die Studie untersucht, an welcher Stelle der Maschinen- und Anlagenbau aktuell bei der Umsetzung steht. Motivation und Hemmnisse der Unternehmen werden ebenso in den Blick genommen wie die Unterschiede, die sich zwischen Mittelstand und großen Unternehmen ergeben. Im Ergebnis ist es erstmals möglich, die „Industrie 4.0-Readiness“ der Maschinenbau-Industrie detailliert und systematisch abzubilden.
Especially in SMEs of the manufacturing industry, data is not sufficiently used to optimize processes. Some companies have implemented lighthouse “Industrie 4.0 projects”, but struggle with a broader approach. We present the results of a survey we performed that underlines that statement. There are approaches in the literature that propose generic architecture frameworks tackling the mentioned challenge. Still, most of them do not include the existing IT architecture of a company and fail to propose a comprehensive solution delivering a real benefit to companies. Therefore, companies cannot easily use them. For that reason, we developed and tested an Industrie 4.0 software platform architecture companies can use as a blueprint for their own implementation. This architecture is presented in this paper as well as the structured VDI 2221 approach we used to develop it.
In the age of digitalization, IT strategies are becoming increasingly important. This is due to the fact that corporate IT is the key enabler of digitalization. In many companies, however, corporate IT is not well-aligned with the overall organizational strategy, preventing it from providing the best possible value for the different organizational units. A major challenge is posed by what we term IT complexity, which reduces efficiency and generates high costs for the corporate IT department.
This white paper outlines solutions for companies facing this issue. First, we provide an overview of the relevant terms and highlight the challenges confronting enterprises today. Central to this paper, we describe a four-step approach for the design development of an IT strategy. We introduce various tools with which to assess the current situation and identify relevant aspects of the business environment. Subsequently we outline an approach to strategy formulation and describe tools for strategy implementation and monitoring. Finally, an outlook into the future highlights what companies need to do to thrive into the future.
IT-Strategien werden im Digitalisierungszeitalter immer wichtiger, da die Unternehmens-IT die Unternehmen erst für die Digitalisierung befähigt. In vielen Unternehmen steht die Unternehmens-IT jedoch nicht mit der Unternehmensstrategie im Einklang und kann so den Fachbereichen keinen optimalen Mehrwert liefern. Eine große Herausforderung dabei ist die IT-Komplexität, welche Effizienz verhindert und in der Unternehmens-IT mitunter hohe Kosten verursacht.
Dieses Whitepaper enthält hierzu konkrete Lösungen für Unternehmen. Dazu geben wir zuerst einen Überblick über die relevanten Begriffe und legen dar, vor welchen Herausforderungen Unternehmen heute stehen. Zentraler Teil des Whitepapers ist die Beschreibung eines vierschrittigen Vorgehens zur Gestaltung einer IT-Strategie. Wir stellen verschiedene Werkzeuge vor, mit denen der Ist-Stand und relevante Aspekte des Umfeldes erhoben werden können. Es wird ein Vorgehen zur Formulierung der Strategie und Werkzeuge zur Umsetzung der Strategie und Überwachung dieser Umsetzung beschrieben. Ein Blick in die Zukunft zeigt auf, worauf Unternehmen künftig achten müssen.
IT-Strategien gestalten
(2019)
Oft scheitert jene aber schon an einer fehlenden Ausrichtung an der Unternehmensstrategie und an der IT-Komplexität, die Effizienz verhindert und mitunter hohe Kosten verursacht. Um diese Herausforderungen meistern zu können, ist es unabdingbar, eine unternehmensindividuelle IT-Strategie zu entwickeln. Damit dieses Vorhaben leichter und besser gelingen kann, hat das FIR ein Whitepaper zu diesem Thema veröffentlicht.
Der Sondermaschinenbauer HAHN GROUP befindet sich auf internationalem Expansionskurs. Mit Unterstützung des FIR an der RWTH Aachen hat die HAHN GROUP nun ihren IT- und Digitalisierungsbereich, der aufgrund der Expansion eine Reorganisation benötigte, neu aufgestellt und damit eine internationale Standardisierung der internen Prozesse erreicht.
Ziel der Zusammenarbeit war die Schaffung flexibler und gleichzeitig standardisierter, standortunabhängiger IT-Strukturen.