As the business expanded, so did the complexity of its operations and the expectations of its customers. The existing manufacturing development team, focused on small-scale factory applications, found it increasingly difficult to keep up with the pace. The data was often locked in silos or other systems. To address this, Howdens set out to automate and collect data from multiple points across its supply chain. 

Considering off-the-shelf solutions that could be tailored to its needs, Howdens Joinery needed a solution that would continue to evolve with the company. Through a detailed assessment of several manufacturing execution systems (MES), Howdens Joinery decided to replace all outdated manufacturing execution systems with the  solution, making it the heartbeat of its production processes with the help of a featured partner, . 

Reinventing kitchens with an innovative and customer-centric process 

The kitchen has evolved from a simple cooking space into the heart of the home. Knowing this, Howdens Joinery has adapted its offerings to meet the changing needs of its customers. 鈥淭he kitchen market has changed a lot over the years,鈥� says David Peacock, IS Manufacturing System technical lead at Howdens Joinery. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 sell a kitchen; we provide a living space, the central part of their homes.鈥� 

Howdens expanded its range beyond the standard kitchen colors and styles. This approach enables customers to experiment with various colors and styles before making a final decision. 鈥淚t鈥檚 almost like a trial run,鈥� Peacock explains. 鈥淲e can see if a new color is worth adding to our main range. If it鈥檚 popular, we can roll it out on a larger scale.鈥� 

This strategy not only helps customers find the perfect kitchen but also provides Howdens with valuable feedback on what works best. To support this expanded offering, the company invested in a new factory and upgraded paint lines. These improvements enhanced production capacity and equipped the team with new skills and expertise. 

Traditionally, the company made a stock model, but now customers can visit depots and order kitchens in any color and style they want. 鈥淲e have a fast turnaround, with manufacturing and shipping taking just five days,鈥� Peacock says. 鈥淭o make this possible, we updated our entire order strategy and implemented the new system in less than 12 months.鈥� 

By embracing innovation and listening to customer needs, Howdens Joinery has successfully transformed its business to stay ahead in a competitive market, making it easier than ever for customers to get the kitchen they truly want. 

鈥淗aving our own homegrown MES provided us a clear view of what needed to be produced on each production line,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n real time, operators could start or stop orders and receive confirmations. And we continued to add more features and functionalities to our MES.鈥�

Reducing order production lead time from 21 days to 14 days 

Howdens Joinery faced two major challenges as it transformed its approach to kitchen manufacturing. The company sells the individual pieces of a kitchen, such as cabinet doors or shelves, that are ordered separately.听

Highlighting that the company is聽sales order-driven, Peacock further adds,聽鈥淲hen you convert the sales orders into production orders, you get a sort of production order per piece. Tracking this is easier said than done.鈥� Each聽piece follows a specific route through the factory, depending on its shape and the machinery it needs to pass through. Since the company isn鈥檛 selling finished panels that are simply waiting on a shelf, tracking each part and keeping everything together was a great challenge.听

Another major hurdle was managing the concept of process lots. Because of the specific routing required for different components, orders often needed to be split and sent down two separate production routes. These production orders would then be grouped into SFCs (shop floor controls), but this sometimes made the process more complicated rather than simpler. 

鈥淲e are potentially in a one-for-one relationship with the production order, so the SFC number became a bit redundant,鈥澛燩eacock explains. The complexity increased when multiple orders were launched simultaneously.听He adds: 鈥淲e might be launching different production orders at a time, but we did not want in [麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing] the guys on the shop floor to press start 40 times.鈥澛燭his led the company to create a mechanism for efficiently grouping orders, allowing, for example, all orders of a certain color to be processed together on the same production line.听

鈥淲hen you purchase [麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing], you鈥檙e not just buying manufacturing, but you’re buying the ability to build a manufacturing landscape. So you can do your own customizations,鈥� he adds. 

With 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing, Howdens Joinery enhanced operational efficiency and achieved a supporting mechanism to support both make-to-stock and make-to-order production models. 

Continuous improvement as a key driver for the future of manufacturing 

Howdens Joinery is leveraging diverse technologies in production systems. Particularly as a company expanding its manufacturing capabilities, this requires the integration of IT and operational technology, as well as seamless communication with machinery and the automation of production workflows鈥攕uch as custom 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform (麻豆原创 BTP) processes and production connectors.听聽

With this integration, Howdens Joinery achieved direct communication with various types of machinery, thereby enhancing production efficiency and reducing the need for manual intervention. 

鈥淲ith 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing, we gained operational excellence in our supply chain processes, leading to more efficient planning and an enormous increase in production. We reduced order production lead time from 21 days to 14 days in 2023 to 2024, contributing to faster customer fulfillment,” Peacock says.

Moreover, Howdens achieved a 99.98% service level from primary sites to depots in 2024, demonstrating near-perfect product availability. “We will continue this journey of continuous improvement to deliver the best products for our customers,鈥� he says. 

The innovative manufacturer plans to replace its legacy MES systems with a fully digital manufacturing solution, ensuring streamlined and efficient operations. With robust data quality and a flexible approach to integrating new technologies, Howdens Joinery is planning to integrate AI into its manufacturing processes as the next step. Its proactive approach to utilizing new technology for operational excellence is a great industry example for the broader manufacturing community.  

To learn more about Howdens Joinery’s transformation story, check out the full customer story .听

Oyku Ilgar is part of 麻豆原创 Supply Chain Management Thought Leadership & Awareness.

The innovations we unveiled represent a fundamental shift in how businesses can approach their operations in an increasingly complex global landscape. The positive energy from our customers and partners reinforces my belief that we鈥檙e on the right path with our AI-first, suite-first, network-centric strategy.

Unifying the supply chain ecosystem

The cornerstone of 麻豆原创鈥檚 latest offerings is the significant enhancement to the and solutions. These improvements create a more unified and intelligent ecosystem for supply chain management, addressing the multifaceted challenges businesses face today.

Key innovations strengthen end-to-end business processes in . The simple handover of complex product data — such as bill of materials, recipes, or material price estimations — streamline the transition from product development to production with . Additionally, the integration of service orders into enables advanced manufacturing processes for service and repair processes. Changes in production orders are seamlessly synchronized with the shop-floor execution for highly adaptive processes.

Launched in February, 麻豆原创 Business Suite is a comprehensive set of integrated solutions, combining cloud ERP, business applications, , and 鈥� powered by the . At Sapphire, 麻豆原创 introduced cloud suite packages designed to align with specific line-of-business needs. The 麻豆原创 Business Suite package for 麻豆原创 Supply Chain Management offers a comprehensive, AI-driven, and network-enabled solution to help customers integrate data, operational processes, and supply chain functions, delivering greater flexibility, transparency, and responsiveness while supporting sustainability initiatives and metrics.

The introduction of smart guided execution in 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing supports compliant manufacturing in life sciences, chemicals, and regulated fast-moving consumer goods businesses, through intelligent process guidance and a new electronic batch record system. This helps ensure traceability and compliance while reducing errors and improving overall production quality.

Customers in asset-intensive industries, such as utilities, travel and transportation, and energy and/or natural resources, benefit from advanced asset health monitoring capabilities in . 聽An enhanced management of time series data 聽and Internet of Things (IoT) device integration is enabled based on . This allows businesses to leverage real-time data for predictive maintenance and asset optimization, potentially reducing downtime and maintenance costs.

By introducing connected supply chain processes that bridge various 麻豆原创 applications and cloud ERP, 麻豆原创 is offering improved data flow, AI-driven insights, and end-to-end process optimization across supply chain and core business functions. This integration is not just about connecting the dots, but creating a seamless flow of information and actions that can transform business operations.

How Joule and agentic AI are revolutionizing supply chain management

Our commitment to AI-driven solutions was evident in several key innovations. 麻豆原创鈥檚 AI copilot, , is poised to transform supply chain operations. By the end of the year, Joule will enable supply chain planners — for example, demand or supply planners — to quickly and easily interpret supply planning results through intelligent analysis of demand, inventory, and supply planning in 麻豆原创 Integrated Business Planning. This capability will significantly enhance decision-making processes in supply chain planning.

Simultaneously, 麻豆原创鈥檚 expansion of agentic AI across 麻豆原创 Business Suite marks a significant leap toward autonomous supply chain operations.

Key agents announced include:

• Maintenance Planner Agent: Streamlines maintenance planning and coordination
• Shopfloor Supervisor Agent: Proactively manages shop-floor disruptions, such as machine failures, and performs necessary rescheduling to maintain productivity
• Field Service Dispatcher Agent: Autonomously schedules and optimizes service orders in 麻豆原创 Field Service Management

These agents, set for general availability in the fourth quarter of 2025, promise to transform planning into a proactive, continuous process by monitoring various data sources, surfacing relevant context, and recommending actions.

Enhanced 麻豆原创 Business Network capabilities for supply chain orchestration and sustainability

麻豆原创 announced significant enhancements to , the world鈥檚 largest B2B platform facilitating over US$6.3 trillion in annual commerce across 190 countries. These new capabilities are designed to revolutionize supply chain orchestration by providing unprecedented visibility, efficiency, and compliance in supply chain processes.

New improvements include more streamlined compliance and quality control for mass upload of certificate documents for suppliers and buyer-controlled document mandates for specific certifications.

To enhance supply chain efficiency and sustainability, new advanced logistics collaboration features offer enhanced greenhouse gas emissions tracking with actual transportation data integration and extended ocean freight support with new tendering and dispute handling functionalities.

Another key improvement focuses on enhanced asset management, with cloud-based ERP integration for better synchronization control, bi-directional integration of materials and models, and automated equipment creation through AAS file uploads and integration of quality inspection checklists.

All enhancements are scheduled to be available by the end of 2025, offering businesses across industries the opportunity to simplify tracking of critical certifications, improve compliance, reduce delays, and support regulatory adherence and sustainability goals across the supply chain.

By integrating actual transportation emissions data, businesses gain more accurate carbon footprint analysis, empowering them to better balance operational efficiency with environmental responsibility.

, with data federation, is planned to be available in Europe and KSA by the end of the third quarter of 2025. Additionally, , with data federation, is scheduled to be available in Europe and KSA by the end of the fourth quarter of 2025.

The road ahead

As we continue to roll out these new capabilities throughout 2025, I鈥檓 more convinced than ever of 麻豆原创鈥檚 commitment to ongoing innovation to drive value for our customers. In a world where global uncertainties, risks, and disruptions require a delicate balancing act between adaptability and productivity, 麻豆原创 Business Suite for supply chain management stands out. It leverages intelligence and all relevant internal and external data to provide the insights needed to make the right decisions, enabling business to adapt and thrive.

Our vision is clear: a future where supply chains are not just reactive systems but proactive, intelligent networks that can anticipate disruptions, optimize operations, and drive business growth.

I鈥檓 excited about the journey ahead and look forward to seeing how these innovations will transform businesses across industries.

For those who couldn鈥檛 join us at 麻豆原创 Sapphire, I encourage you to join us at , where we鈥檒l dive deeper into these innovations and showcase even more exciting developments in our innovation road map.

Dominik Metzger is president and chief product officer of 麻豆原创 Supply Chain Management.

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Raumedic has big plans for its global network of production facilities, including a rollout of 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing to all of its plants worldwide by 2028.

鈥淭ry out new innovative software and implement them quickly,鈥� Raumedic鈥檚 Christian Vogler shared. 鈥淪o, if they fail, they should fail fast; and if they succeed, they can benefit from them for a longer time.鈥� For the German medical product manufacturer, technology is a key factor in reducing daily workloads, which frees time for more important tasks. Learn more.

Based in Germany, Raumedic designs, develops, and produces polymer- and silicone-based solutions for customer-specific medical and pharmaceutical applications, as well as products for intensive care. It offers a variety of products ranging from a single medicine tube to more complex systems such as kits for liver transplants or infusions. This diversity brings about very complex production and assembly processes. The company has over 70 years of experience in the industry; its more than 1,300 employees work in five locations in Europe and the U.S.

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Making the Shop Floor More Efficient

A manufacturing execution system (MES) is a comprehensive, dynamic software system that monitors, tracks, documents, and controls the process of manufacturing goods from raw materials to finished products. Providing a functional layer between enterprise resource planning (ERP) and process control systems, an MES gives decision-makers the data they need to optimize production and make manufacturing plants more efficient. This is especially relevant in the highly regulated market Raumedic operates in.

The company’s MES strategy stagnated due to the old MES reaching the end of its life cycle. 鈥淲e could not plan any further rollouts in our plants in the U.S. and Estonia. We had no support to get new change requests for innovation in our system, no usability improvements, and finally no AI scenarios could be implemented,鈥� Vogler said.

Avoiding Wrong Decisions

When evaluating and choosing the right software partner for its new MES, Raumedic needed to avoid the wrong decisions of the past, Vogler explained. 鈥淲e wanted a strong provider with a future-proof solution and an excellent partner network in the background,鈥� he said. The company鈥檚 vision was to set up a basis with its new MES solution and develop it toward a digital production platform. For its five production plants, it was also important to work with a global template approach.

Raumedic鈥檚 project team opted to rigorously test the cloud-based 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing solution and, in March 2023, started the proof-of-concept phase. The team began with a small, discrete industry and assembly scope for the pilot plant in Germany and planned to use this blueprint as an accelerator for the worldwide rollouts and implementations.

The employees in the pilot plant were very motivated because the new solution could not only relieve them of time-consuming routine tasks, but also help ensure compliance both now and in the future. With their previous system, employees still had to document on paper every quality management and GxP compliance process 鈥� GxP refers to the many “good practice” guidelines and regulations that apply to organizations that manufacture products consumed or used by humans or animals. The new 麻豆原创 system could handle all this digitally, saving time and increasing compliance. In Raumedic鈥檚 regulated market environment, regulatory compliance is a strategic advantage that enhances market access, builds trust, mitigates risks, and attracts investment.

Concept for Long-Term Success

After rigorous testing, the team concluded that the solution was ready for the company鈥檚 complex production processes. 鈥淲e collected over 300 requirements and evaluated them for possible usage in 2024,鈥� Vogler said. 鈥淚 am very proud that we implemented 75 requirements into a demo landscape.鈥� He said that the team carried out the end-to-end manufacturing execution process with an integration of one use case from the shop floor. They got the confirmation for the production planning with all relevant production values back to the system. 鈥淭he result was very convincing, and so at the end of last year our top management confirmed 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing as our new MES solution.鈥�

As a next step, a global template will be set up and implemented in a process-oriented manner via 麻豆原创 ERP Central Component (麻豆原创 ECC). The go-live is planned for Q1 2025. In parallel, 麻豆原创 ECC will be transformed to 麻豆原创 S/4HANA by 2026, using the Cloud Integration capability within 麻豆原创 Integration Suite, and rolled out to the other plants.

鈥溌槎乖� Digital Manufacturing is our central, future-proof, state-of-the-art MES solution. It forms the basis for securing Raumedic鈥檚 strategic goals in the production environment and adds value to all our business processes,鈥� Vogler concluded.

Manufacturing-X was launched as part of the Industry 4.0 platform, with the aim of promoting digital ecosystems and establishing an international standard for data exchange. It is an industry-wide initiative of the German government with various projects for different industrial sectors.

“The realization that the digitalization of industry is inevitable has become the norm over the past few years,” says Georg Kube, head of Industry Data Ecosystems at 麻豆原创 SE. “A variety of use cases for different industries and new business models have been developed. They are successful 鈥� but only as long as companies work with other companies with which they already have a close partnership.”

“The most well-known of the [Manufacturing-X] projects is certainly Catena-X for the automotive sector,” Kube says. “The common aim of all these projects is to establish a new form of data exchange.”

For example, an automaker that wants to digitally integrate its direct suppliers typically requests all the data about the supplied parts from its partners, and the suppliers usually feel comfortable providing this data because of the trust that has grown over the years between the partners.

But it鈥檚 different when data is needed from companies without a direct business relationship. “A typical example is the determination of a vehicle’s CO2 footprint,” Kube says. “Suddenly, information about the CO2 footprint of the smallest plastic parts is needed, which may come from companies in the supply chain with which a company has never had direct contact. It’s not easy to access that data.”

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Trust Is the Catalyst

Companies are often very hesitant to share data freely. And for good reason: potential inferences about their cost structure or the nature of their production can be drawn from the data.

“On the one hand, as companies, we hesitate to give out our data. But on the other hand, we rely on the data of others in order for digitalization scenarios to be successfully implemented,” Kube explains. “We want to address this problem within the framework of Manufacturing-X through a new [approach to] industrial data sharing.”

“The promise,” Kube continues, “is that the digitalization, which we can currently complete up to 70%, can be fully implemented.”

Information Transfer 鈥� But Secure

“What companies lack the most today is knowledge,” Kube says. “We constantly hear from 麻豆原创 customers that they would pay to find out what their own customers are doing with the products they have sold to them.”

For example, a manufacturer of robot grippers receives few insights after selling its product about where the grippers are located and what they are used for. If this were not the case, the manufacturer could make much more informed decisions about which generation of products the market needs, or whether a completely new model needs to be developed.

However, customers have concerns that this information could lead to inferences about the nature of their production and the finished product, or that this type of application might be prohibited.

With Manufacturing-X, a scenario has been created in which data sovereignty remains with the owner of the data, but the data can be provided within a narrow framework with a legal and technical structure that prevents abuse. This is the essence of a whole range of use cases in areas such as manufacturing-as-a-service, sustainability, and others.

“These use cases basically exist independently of Manufacturing-X,” Kube explains. “Most of them are neither new nor original. They just could never be fully implemented because trust in data exchange was lacking 鈥� and Manufacturing-X finally creates the conditions for this.”

麻豆原创鈥檚 Role

As an enterprise software company, 麻豆原创 has a strong interest in completing the digitization of its customers.

“The digitalization of industry works very well with 麻豆原创 products,” says Heiko Flohr, head of Product Management, 麻豆原创 for Discrete Industries & Industry Networks, at 麻豆原创 SE. “Most of the world鈥檚 leading companies use 麻豆原创 in some way to digitize its next-generation processes. Therefore, it is clear from our perspective that we must support and drive this emerging industry standard for data exchange.”

Kube notes that medium-sized companies in particular often suffer from the unavailability of data. “For this customer group, we offer a comprehensive, easily consumable application portfolio with ,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he goal is to establish industrial data sharing according to Manufacturing-X standards as a solid part of this portfolio and enable our customers to collaborate more effectively and trustfully with their supply chains.”

Within Manufacturing-X, new sovereign data exchange formats are to be created for the industry, based on European Union values such as transparency, controllability, portability, and interoperability. “We work very collaboratively and with a focus on implementation in various industry-specific initiatives to make this vision a reality,” says Mirko Paul, head of Industry Cloud Architecture at 麻豆原创. “Based on state-of-the-art, cloud-based architectures and the scalable technology standard of 麻豆原创 Business Technology Platform, we ensure that these new standards are compatible with 麻豆原创 applications from the outset and pre-integrated for relevant business processes.”

At the same time, 麻豆原创 opens its own products and applications that are already on the market. Products and solutions such as and products in the areas of supply chain and sustainability are to be equipped with connectors that will allow them to work with this new standard.

Based in Germany, aquatherm is a global manufacturer of polypropylene pipe systems for plant construction and building services. Polypropylene is a material known for its ecological properties and high temperature and pressure resistance.

Climate protection, green energy, and clean water: with all these, wants to contribute to preserving the natural foundations of life everywhere in the world. Its sustainable products, comprehensive service, and expert knowledge are part of its commitment to a climate-neutral life. The production line covers 17,000 articles across six lines for various applications, such as connection to heating and cooling, heating and cooling networks, and potable water.

With about 500 employees, the company operates in 70 countries via a strong partner network.

In 2022, aquatherm implemented as its core business system and integrated a legacy solution to manage its production processes. But it heavily relied on manual data input, resulting in poor data quality and a high risk of human error. To meet increasing demand for its products and keep up with the company’s growth, aquatherm aimed to optimize its production processes by incorporating the latest technology.

Streamlining Operations and Automating Processes

Patrick Keller, 麻豆原创 technical consultant, Digital Manufacturing, aquatherm, explained: “We wanted to streamline operations across nine manufacturing divisions and six production lines, minimize manual input, reduce interfaces, and track performance on the production floor. Our objective was also to gain visibility into machine activities, comparing key performance indicators across machines, workers, and production areas. In addition, we wanted to establish comprehensive traceability throughout the production process to swiftly address any issues.鈥�

The solution was to implement a cutting-edge manufacturing execution system that was adaptable for the future and able to eliminate any manufacturing errors quickly by leveraging real-time machine data and KPIs. “After careful consideration, we decided to utilize 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing for collecting machine data to automate processes. Overall, our intention is to utilize as many products as possible within the 麻豆原创 cosmos,鈥� Keller said.

is a manufacturing execution system (MES) provided as a cloud solution that can support sustainable, risk-resilient manufacturing operations through a resource-efficient, Industry 4.0 approach. It helps optimize production processes by connecting the business systems with the shop floor equipment and can enable execution, visibility, and analysis.

Establishing a Single Source of Truth to Improve Visibility

麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing is currently implemented at one of the production areas, providing aquatherm with insight into machine performance and any issues that arise. It allows the company to check indicators from machines, like production times, and helps reduce downtime. As 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud is integrated with 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing, information is pulled from 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud and transferred back from 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing, enabling real-time insights to help improve decision-making.

鈥淲e appreciate the benefits of this cloud-based solution, as we get quarterly software updates and new features,鈥� Keller said.

One of the challenges aquatherm faced was obtaining necessary and correct machine data from various machine manufacturers with different standards. By working with 麻豆原创 and its partner , it developed a standard machine template to use for each machine. 鈥淏y utilizing the , we avoided custom development and stayed within our existing processes without the need for significant change to production processes,鈥� Keller said. 鈥淲ith support of BA Business Advice, we went live within only six months, after a three-month proof of concept,鈥� he added.

The overall benefits aquatherm achieved include:

• Achieved a 100% unified overview of manufacturing operations
• Experienced 90% less time spent on PC-based tasks through automated data exchange, freeing machine operators to focus on their core role
• Established a single source of truth for manufacturing operations, significantly improving visibility
• Improved data quality and freed up time for machine operators by eliminating manual processes and interfaces
• Empowered key stakeholders with accurate, real-time data for more transparent production management and informed decision-making
• Laid the foundations for enhanced data analytics and AI solutions to support future optimizations, helping to boost overall production efficiency

Future Plans to Boost Overall Production Efficiency

Looking to the future, aquatherm plans to roll out the solution across all production areas. Moreover, it plans to leverage the to even better control production operations and further integrate the 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud data exchange with 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing in both directions. It also plans to utilize and the to help exchange data between 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing and industry-specific standard data sources.  

鈥溌槎乖� Digital Manufacturing has enabled us to digitalize and automate our production processes thanks to a single source of truth. Accurate, real-time data ensures that there are no blind spots, so we can keep our operations running smoothly,鈥� Keller said.

Karin Fent is senior director of Global Customer Success Digital Supply Chain at 麻豆原创.

Top photo courtesy of aquatherm.

The glass bottles on the high-speed filling line made quiet clinking sounds as they sped around the bend of the track. The visitors to the 麻豆原创 booth at the internationally renowned industrial trade fair were waiting for the moment when an optical sensor, using AI support, spotted the bottle that was only three-quarters full and kicked it out of the line and into a defects bay. 鈥淭his system has a capacity of 6,400 bottles per hour,鈥� said a grinning Ben Hughes from 麻豆原创鈥檚 Solution & Innovation Experience team. 鈥淚n comparison, the original system from our partner can fill 50,000 bottles, but that would be much too loud here at the trade fair booth.鈥�

The showcase demonstrated how the cloud-based 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing solution could serve as the process order management system for 麻豆原创 customers, whether they typically work with a lot size of one or with continuous manufacturing at higher speeds. The purchase order could have come from an 麻豆原创 S/4HANA system, for instance, and ended here with execution in production. 鈥淲e can see the hardware integration with our own eyes,鈥� said Hughes.

AI was also involved: a camera captured the fill level of each bottle. If it was outside the defined tolerance, the bottle was rejected and this information was sent to the 麻豆原创 system. A manufacturer could use this data to calculate the production costs for the system and the profitability of every work center, all with AI support. The data from all systems would give experts and management insights into how well the production process was working. This, in turn, would help improve planning.

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Complete Portfolio from the Industry鈥檚 Point of View

Hannover Messe 2024 took place from April 22-26. Muhammad Alam paid a visit for the first time in his role as leader of the 麻豆原创 Product Engineering Board area. At the 麻豆原创 booth, which featured the motto 鈥淏ring out new manufacturing excellence,鈥� he emphasized the importance of AI as an integral part of 麻豆原创 solutions: 鈥淎I has the opportunity to fundamentally create significant value for our customers, particularly in the industrial space, with an ability to create resiliency from a supply chain perspective that just wouldn’t be possible without the application of AI.鈥�

麻豆原创 demonstrated nearly its entire portfolio in an industrial context in Hannover. 鈥溌槎乖� uses what we call 鈥榚nd-to-end scenarios鈥� to do this,鈥� said Georg Kube, head of Industry Data Ecosystems. To reflect this, the booth was set up in line with this logic. The 鈥渄esign to operate鈥� graphical element, which maps all steps of the manufacturing process, showed the corresponding step in the value chain at each station of the booth. 鈥淲e integrate our solutions with the specific process that manufacturers have,鈥� Kube said. 鈥淭hey design a product, then it鈥檚 manufactured, then it鈥檚 bought by a customer, and in the end it is being used and maintained. We offer integrated solutions for every step in this process.鈥�

Working Together for Success

Darcy MacClaren, global CRO for Digital Supply Chain, acknowledged the challenges faced by 麻豆原创, its customers, and its partners: 鈥淲e are facing environmental and geopolitical disruptions and we want to be sustainable.鈥� She said collaboration is the key to achieving these daunting goals, a message that was echoed in many presentations and podium discussions at the booth.

For example, experts from , , and 麻豆原创 discussed how the automotive industry network is creating a standard that enables collaboration, data interchange, and transparency to support decarbonization along the value chain. Catena-X serves as a blueprint for other industrial networks under the umbrella, such as Factory-X for factory equipment suppliers and operators.

The showcases at the trade fair booth wouldn鈥檛 be possible without partners, which also play a decisive role in 麻豆原创鈥檚 competitiveness and future viability. 鈥淭he partner ecosystem is a key success factor for 麻豆原创,鈥� said Andreas Markus Thon, head of Digital Supply Chain MEE. 鈥淭hey are enriching our suite with their applications and solutions and are critical for high quality and successful adoption and use of our solutions.鈥�

A Fleet of Robots Delivers Materials

麻豆原创鈥檚 鈥淢odular Manufacturing鈥� showcase let visitors witness examples of successful partner collaboration for themselves. It demonstrated a fleet of autonomous transport robots that delivered a variety of parts for a valve from storage to assembly stations. Thanks to the fleet control software with embedded AI from 麻豆原创 partner , the robots from different manufacturers worked together seamlessly, making autonomous, situational decisions as to which station should assemble or disassemble the parts. The scenario demonstrated that 麻豆原创 systems can also implement modular production, which is typically used in manufacturing scenarios involving many variants and low to medium product volumes. 麻豆原创 S/4HANA, 麻豆原创 Extended Warehouse Management, and 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing were deployed here.

The 鈥淚ndustrial Metaverse鈥� showcase was another big draw. It let visitors to the 麻豆原创 booth put themselves in the shoes of a systems operator, using VR (virtual reality) glasses to inspect a system virtually, even if the manufacturing was taking place on the opposite side of the globe. The 鈥淚njection Molding Machine鈥� scenario vividly demonstrated how planning and manufacturing dovetail in integrated, agile, made-to-order production, as the machine produced colorful recycled plastic cups for guests at the end of the process.

Other topics at the trade fair included potential uses of digital twin solutions, such as virtual models and real-time simulations, as well as collaboration between people and machines. A summary description of all the presented scenarios is available .

The World鈥檚 Largest Industrial Trade Fair

The guiding theme of Hannover Messe 2024 was 鈥淓nergizing a sustainable industry.鈥� Nearly 4,000 exhibitors from 60 countries presented solutions for a high-performance, sustainable industry. As part of an industrial ecosystem, they showed how carbon neutrality can be achieved through electrification, digitalization, and automation.

Companies from Germany, China, Turkey, the U.S., Italy, and France booked the largest exhibition spaces. Around 1,600 speakers appeared on the venue鈥檚 11 conference stages. This year鈥檚 partner country was Norway.

Under its motto 鈥淏ring out new manufacturing excellence,鈥� 麻豆原创 demonstrated how it is using AI to advance manufacturing processes, among other solutions, at its more than 1,000-square-meter booth in Hall 15. Visitors to 麻豆原创鈥檚 booth had the opportunity to see 27 product demonstrations and nine interactive showcases. More than 25 麻豆原创 partners showed the collaboration and variety of potential uses of their solutions, and 35 presentations by experts and customers were featured at the booth.

Photo 漏nottebrock.

Jowat SE鈥檚 annual production amounts to 100,000 tons of industrial adhesives. Production is complex and requires high volumes of specialized chemicals and a tremendous amount of power. With raw materials and energy costs skyrocketing, premium manufacturer Jowat looked to get a tighter grip on its inventory management and production processes.听聽

To ensure maximum efficiency, Jowat requires enough raw materials to fulfill orders while minimizing waste and inventory costs. Moreover, the company needs smooth workflows, as any delay in order placement, production, or the delivery of raw materials can have huge cost implications for the company.听As a result, Jowat works hard to ensure that its 24/7 manufacturing processes always run like clockwork.

With demand for industrial adhesives surging, the company was eager to ensure that its production processes could scale to meet increasing order numbers and still deliver optimum efficiency.

Targeting Seamless Digital Workflows

Originally established in 1919, Jowat is no stranger to innovation. Leaders at Jowat identified that the next stage of the company鈥檚 evolution would require a radical digital transformation of its production and inventory management processes. 

鈥淥ur factory workers relied heavily on paper-based processes,鈥� explained Dirk-Alexander Segger, Detmold plant manager at Jowat. 鈥淔or instance, when employees had finished mixing and decanting adhesives, they handwrote notes to track the volume and type of raw materials that they used during the process. Shortly after decanting, workers would then input the information from their notes into our inventory management and manufacturing execution systems, adding to their workload and increasing the risk of errors.鈥� 

Tracking materials usage manually created time delays, potential for human errors, and discrepancies between the stock numbers recorded in Jowat鈥檚 inventory system and the actual volume of raw materials available on the factory floor. Moreover, with information stored across multiple systems and in different formats, plant managers had no clarity to identify process bottlenecks or potential enhancements.听聽

Annette Podleschny-Borchardt, project lead at Jowat, commented: 鈥淭o enhance efficiency, improve transparency, and prepare for growth, we decided it was time to go entirely paperless. Building digital processes would give us a more detailed, up-to-date picture of our stock position, which would help drive smarter raw materials purchasing decisions and production improvements.鈥澛�

鈥淲e aimed to take a more proactive approach to our manufacturing processes. Developing robust, reliable, end-to-end digital workflows was the perfect way to achieve this goal,鈥� explained Christine K眉nne, head of IT and Business Process Services at Jowat SE. 

Embracing Digital Transformation

To find the best solution to support its digital transformation initiative, Jowat invited multiple technology vendors to outline the strengths of their solutions. To keep customization low, Jowat targeted a solution that it could easily adapt to meet the highly specialized nature of just-in-time chemicals manufacturing.  

After reviewing 15 different solutions, Jowat selected . In addition to providing a solid foundation for digitalization, 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing can also integrate seamlessly with Jowat鈥檚 existing 麻豆原创 solutions, including , , and (麻豆原创 BTP). 

“We were immediately interested in 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing because it is a cloud-native solution,鈥� commented Segger. 鈥淧reviously, we used on-premise solutions that required us to carry out extensive and disruptive updates. With 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing, we get instant access to the latest features thanks to the quarterly release schedule.鈥� 

Jowat also valued 麻豆原创鈥檚 proactive engagement with the chemicals manufacturing industry. 鈥淲e really appreciate that 麻豆原创 is eager to co-innovate with industry leaders like Jowat to develop next-generation manufacturing solutions,鈥� said Podleschny-Borchardt. 鈥淭hrough the 麻豆原创 Customer Engagement Initiative, we can help expert developers at 麻豆原创 build smart factory solutions that meet the needs of our sector down to the finest detail.鈥� 

Sticking with the Experts 

To ensure a smooth implementation of 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing, Jowat relied on support from 麻豆原创 Services and Support.

鈥淲henever we hit a stumbling block, the experts helped us work through the issues. For instance, we wanted to develop a dedicated production operation dashboard, which would give plant managers fast access to key production metrics. As this was uncharted territory, it naturally took a lot of time and energy to work through and 麻豆原创 was behind us every step of the way,鈥� said Segger.

Currently, Jowat is completing the first phase of the 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing implementation at its Detmold factory before expanding the solution across all plants. K眉nne explained: 鈥淲ith a phased implementation, we can ensure that the processes we build at our Detmold plant are tried and tested to deliver maximum efficiency. This will give us the best chance of success when we roll out these processes across all our facilities.鈥� 

鈥淐onsultants from 麻豆原创 Services and Support brought not only their expertise to the project, but also the willingness to listen to the needs and the challenges of our industry. Because of this, we were able to collaborate extremely effectively,鈥� added Podleschny-Borchardt.

Driving Efficient Manufacturing with High-Quality Data 

With 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing, Jowat left error-prone, manual processes behind and now benefits from seamless digital workflows with end-to-end transparency. This helps increase quality and ease work for shop floor operators. The activity confirmation is automatically done in the 麻豆原创 system, enabling real-time inventory insight. 

Consequently, Jowat gained the following benefits:

• 100% digitalized manufacturing process
• One source of truth for detailed production information
• Time savings of three person days per week through automated raw material consumption updates allowing employees focus on higher value activities
• 100% accurate inventory

鈥淭oday workers feed consumption information at the point of production. Previously, it would take one full-time employee three days a week to track raw materials consumption,鈥� said Segger. 鈥淲ith 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing, we have a real-time, accurate picture of our raw materials usage and needs. This is helping us optimize usage and reduce costs.鈥� 

Podleschny-Borchardt added: 鈥淧roduction processes are so much faster now that we have built streamlined digital processes. Before, our paper-based ways of working could add up to five days to production timelines. With 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing, we鈥檝e shaved off this time, allowing us to produce and distribute products to our customers much faster, boosting satisfaction.鈥� 

Planning Ahead for an AI-Driven Future 

With reliable, up-to-date information in 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing, plant managers and leaders at Jowat can have full visibility across the entire manufacturing cycle. 鈥溌槎乖� Digital Manufacturing has helped improve the traceability of our products and given us a much more detailed understanding of our manufacturing operations. Ultimately, that helps to enhance planning and provides new insights into potential process improvements,鈥� said K眉nne.  

Jowat鈥檚 plans for 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing go far beyond a global rollout. The company is already exploring the potential to scale and streamline manufacturing processes further with artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. 

鈥淎I holds tremendous potential for us,鈥� reflected Podleschny-Borchardt. 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to explore how it can help us to ensure consistently excellent quality across heavily customized product lines and how we can enhance production uptime with IoT-driven predictive maintenance. Having an AI-ready solution like 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing at the heart of our operations makes taking these next steps in our innovation journey much easier.鈥� 

Summarizing the overall benefits, K眉nne concluded: 鈥淲ith the implementation of 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing through 麻豆原创 Services and Support, we see ourselves on the way to becoming a transparent factory with a reduction in risks, errors, and process costs thanks to optimized processes.鈥� 

, including improved quality with AI-assisted visual inspection. Be sure to listen to the about how a renowned manufacturer revolutionizes manufacturing with Industry 4.0. Also, read this from Oxford Economics about making supply chains more resilient and sustainable.

Karin Fent is senior director of Global Customer Success for Digital Supply Chain at 麻豆原创.

Top image courtesy of Jowat.

Instead, they are recognizing the need to resolve supply chain disruptions in an integrated way, bridging the silos of various functions and going beyond dealing with supply chain disruptions as they occur. 

Taking a macro-view is also something governments have begun doing. Just think of the huge investments to “bring supply chains home”; for example, for semiconductors or for sustainable energy.鈥� At the same time, diversifying supply chains and complying with new regulations keeps increasing their complexity. 聽

Companies take various approaches to these challenges, such as de-coupling their supply chains by building up costly inventories for critical components. Another option is聽reshoring or nearshoring, which brings manufacturing and supplier relationships closer to core markets, ideally in countries with similar political and economic systems. But all of these strategies come with downsides, including the cost of operations in globally competitive markets.听

At 麻豆原创, our vision is to embrace interconnected supply chains and optimize material flows — sustainably — with digital technologies. We believe in intelligent strategies to reduce supply chain uncertainties for the long-term by helping industries redefine their operations and by creating value chains that are more intelligent, connected, and responsive.鈥�

Supply Chain Convergence Increases Agility 

Companies that resolve supply chain disruptions in an integrated manner bridge the silos of various functions such as procurement, logistics, or manufacturing. That鈥檚 how they can truly alleviate the impact to their organizations. Supply chain functions need to work in concert and extend into their ecosystem of suppliers. Even the most accurate supply chain plan is meaningless if material suppliers cannot commit to volumes and lead times. Through integrating supply chain planning, such as demand and supply plans with procurement collaboration, manufacturers have a much stronger strategic lever to avoid downstream shortages.听

At 麻豆原创, we call this approach design-to-operate. Our strategy is to deeply connect all relevant functions in a supply chain along end-to-end value chains and business processes. Going beyond the four walls of your own enterprise, into your ecosystem of suppliers and sub-suppliers — that鈥檚 the ultimate way to tackle supply chain challenges. In the case of supply shortages, for example, it is imperative to analyze the impact to the organization. 聽

With 麻豆原创 Integrated Business Planning, . Impacted customer orders and revenue at risk are visible and informed actions can be taken to mitigate any shortages, for example, by changing production schedules. The 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing system knows immediately about the changed production plan for the next shifts and adjusts labor and resources accordingly. Logistics departments in 麻豆原创 Extended Warehouse Management orchestrate the new material flow, , and asset maintenance activities are re-scheduled to adhere to the new production priorities.听

As a result, supply chain leaders who follow a design-to-operate paradigm are highly agile and can take critical actions quickly to deal with supply chain disruptions.听

麻豆原创鈥檚 Industry Business Networks: A New Paradigm鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Entire industries are recognizing the benefits of going beyond the four walls of their own enterprise. Consider a car company investigating faulty engines coming from one of their production lines. Now imagine it can trace the failure not only to a particular batch of components from one supplier but then dig even deeper to identify faulty basic parts from the supplier鈥檚 supplier. Instead of having to recall thousands of vehicles, it needs to recall only a few.鈥�

Solving problems this way requires a mindset for radical collaboration as well as technology for efficient, cross-company data exchange. is an open network that enables just that. It guarantees interoperability by defining common standards. The network is not owned by a single business and data providers keep their data sovereignty. For instance, they define for how long and for which purpose their data can be used. On the other hand, consumers can trust that data comes from a reliable source.鈥�

麻豆原创 is one of the founding members of Catena-X, together with five other companies. Since 2020, the initiative has grown to IT companies. Among them are Germany鈥檚 biggest car companies as well as many small and medium enterprises. Catena-X may soon become the industry鈥檚 standard.鈥�

Naturally, the is ready for Catena-X. It readily connects Catena-X to 麻豆原创鈥檚 broad portfolio of automotive IT solutions to trace parts, measure carbon emissions and manage demand, capacity and quality.鈥疪ecently, 麻豆原创 announced business networks for more industries, including , with more to come.鈥�

Generative AI Adds New Types of Intelligence 

A key tool in solving supply chain complexity challenges is artificial intelligence (AI). Even before the recent groundbreaking advances in large language models (LLMs) and generative AI, our supply chain solutions have been infused with both 鈥渢raditional鈥� and 鈥渁dvanced鈥� AI.

For instance, creates demand forecasts based on historical demand patterns, but it also leverages advanced machine learning capabilities to improve forecast demand with point-of-sales data and improve planning quality using self-healing master data and lead time predictions. In the future, generative AI will enable completely new types of intelligent capabilities like these:

• Facilitating human-machine interaction: Users will soon be able to interact with their system much more naturally via our new embedded generative assistant Joule. For example, they will be able to ask which of customer X’s demands for product Y are still unfilled in Central America. Joule will give the answer, intelligently combining data from various systems and domains because it will be embedded throughout the 麻豆原创 cloud enterprise portfolio.
• Supporting creativity: Much like a sparring partner, generative AI can help designers, engineers, and product managers create new product ideas in an innovation cycle and iterate them with 麻豆原创 Enterprise Product Development.
• Transforming unstructured data: Consider a truck arriving at a warehouse with inbound cargo. The clerk knows what cargo to expect and this is saved in an 麻豆原创 system. However, what is really on the truck is written on a loading list, often in paper form. Making this data available digitally has been possible for quite a while and is known as optical character recognition (OCR). What鈥檚 new is that generative AI tools can now match the unstructured loading list to the structured data already in the system — in a split second.

Leveraging AI for companies to scale and sustain business operations will no longer be optional. Consider the increasing labor shortage facing manufacturing companies, among others. They will have a shortfall of up to 85 million employees by 2030 — roughly the population of Germany!

By automating mundane tasks with advanced AI capabilities, we will bridge the human resources gap and enable experts to focus on what really matters: making data-backed business decisions.

Human and artificial intelligence work hand in hand — it鈥檚 a duet, not a duel.

We already help our customers build risk-resilient supply chains and deeply connect enterprises to run productive, agile and automated operations. Now, by also leveraging the power of generative AI, we will ensure that supply chain resilience doesn鈥檛 have to be something that keeps CEOs up at night.

Thomas Saueressig is a member of the Executive Board of 麻豆原创 SE, 麻豆原创 Product Engineering.

Together with implementation partner, Syntax Systems GmbH & Co. KG, this marks a milestone for Siemens Energy as it paves the way for further rollouts of 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing throughout the company鈥檚 global network of plants over the coming years.

Siemens Energy turned to 麻豆原创 for a single, unified manufacturing execution system landscape that would increase productivity and support standardization across its production plants globally. With Syntax as the implementation partner introducing and moving selected plants to 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing, Siemens Energy will be able to oversee the entire shop floor with fit-for-purpose production dashboards, which provide shop floor operators with guidance and assistance, increasing productivity.

鈥淭he implementation of 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing at our lighthouse plants marks an important milestone in our digital transformation journey,鈥� said Kian Mossanen, Chief Information Officer, Siemens Energy. 鈥淭his collaboration equips us with the tools needed to further enhance our production capabilities and foster a data-driven culture, allowing us to even better support our customers.鈥�

麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing will empower the Siemens Energy sites to make fast and critical production decisions based on real-time manufacturing information. With a harmonized solution, the plants will be able to optimize production processes, while low-code plug-ins support shop floor operators during assembly activities.

鈥淭he rollout of our solutions across the production network of Siemens Energy is aimed at supporting the company on its mission of making energy more reliable, affordable and sustainable,鈥� said Sven Mulder, Managing Director, 麻豆原创 Germany. 鈥淐lean energy is one of the most important assets of our time and this can only be achieved collaboratively using real-time data and analytics.鈥�

Visit the . Follow 麻豆原创 at .

Media Contact:
Lesa Plingen, +49 622 776 9000, lesa.plingen@sap.com, CET
麻豆原创 麻豆原创 Room; press@sap.com

This document contains forward-looking statements, which are predictions, projections, or other statements about future events. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and outcomes to materially differ. Additional information regarding these risks and uncertainties may be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the risk factors section of 麻豆原创鈥檚 2022 Annual Report on Form 20-F.
漏 2023 麻豆原创 SE. All rights reserved.
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The South Korean-based global automotive parts manufacturer began by building a US$42 million factory at Auburn Technology Park West in Auburn, Alabama, to boost output of aluminum parts for its auto customers. That U.S.-based hub underwent a $70 million expansion project two years later, adding high-pressure aluminum die casting and post-processing equipment to its assembly lines. Now, two more years later, Shinhwa is putting the finishing touches on a brand-new $192 million manufacturing facility in Auburn, designed to further increase the company鈥檚 capabilities as it works to meet current and future demands stemming from electric vehicle production.

Amidst all of this ambition and expansion, however, there was one element of Shinhwa鈥檚 business that didn鈥檛 measure up: its IT systems. In other words, while the company was building out all the front-facing manufacturing tools it could ever need to serve customers, its success hinged on strengthening its back-office processes so the business could truly be run efficiently and effectively.

That鈥檚 why Shinhwa chose to work with 麻豆原创.

Start Your 麻豆原创 Engines

Shinhwa specializes in automated production lines, automobile parts, and aluminum casting, serving industry leaders like Tesla, Hyundai, and Kia from its U.S. headquarters. The Auburn factory expansion is specifically intended to meet the needs of additional electric and combustion engine vehicle manufacturing opportunities like this, increasing the capacity of die casting and machining operations, for instance, and further enabling diversification and growth in Shinhwa鈥檚 customer base.

The capabilities of Shinhwa鈥檚 original back-office systems were lacking. Its IT infrastructure was heavily customized and didn鈥檛 integrate between enterprise resourcing planning (ERP), manufacturing execution systems (MES), and accounting software, making it nearly impossible to accurately forecast or plan regular financial checkpoints and processes. This led to an abundance of human error, which made Shinhwa鈥檚 IT systems not only incompatible with its goals for expansion but with growth and success generally.

With 96% of Fortune 2000 automotive companies running on 麻豆原创, the choice for the next step of Shinhwa鈥檚 technological evolution was an easy one. Its leadership team decided to embrace , an offering designed for scalable, plug-and-play implementations in the public cloud. With it, the company can operate in a more streamlined manner on a global, standardized scale.

Shinhwa鈥檚 technological goals include the replacement and automation of all manufacturing processes; data collection from shop floor-, finance-, and supply chain-related systems; improved data integration with partner and customer systems; and modular steps forward in its IT architecture. This will enable the company鈥檚 systems to grow with it and ensure it becomes the supplier of choice for the world鈥檚 leading vehicle manufacturers.

鈥淲e want to set the standard for the automotive industry going forward when it comes to IT systems and back-office processes,鈥� said Steven Lee, IT senior manager at Shinhwa.

Ultimately, Shinhwa expects to grow from its current manufacturing plant plus two additional plants, which will be completed by the end of the year, to seven, which will help serve the rising demand the company is expecting to see from U.S.-based auto customers over the next decade.

鈥溌槎乖� S/4HANA and 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing really showed us what鈥檚 possible,鈥� Lee said. 鈥淲e expect this project will help us deepen our American roots and position us for whatever global change is yet to come.鈥�

Shinhwa is following an ambitious migration and implementation schedule, made possible by the agility and flexibility of a public cloud project. The company鈥檚 go-live is expected to be January 1, 2024.

鈥淲e鈥檝e already invested nearly $200 million into the Auburn area, and we鈥檝e created nearly 200 jobs,鈥� said Lee. 鈥淲ith this 麻豆原创 relationship, we are announcing our commitment to much, much more than that. We鈥檙e here to stay and keep creating new global standard.鈥�

Lori Rosano is SVP of Public Cloud at 麻豆原创.

Fast forward two-and-half years to the spring of 2023, and not only has Cogniac found a strong market for its technology, it has earned a place among the vanguard of enterprise-class CV software, having been as a leader in the field alongside the likes of AWS, Google, and Microsoft.

How does a company ascend so far, so fast? In the case of San Jose, California-based Cogniac, it couldn鈥檛 have happened without superior technology, a partnership-driven mindset, and an openness to work with 麻豆原创 to develop an industry cloud solution that readily integrates with the 麻豆原创 portfolio to bring more value to customers.

Cogniac鈥檚 Visual Operations Intelligence platform is one of more than 300 apps and integrated end-to-end solutions developed within 麻豆原创鈥檚 industry cloud and is available to customers across multiple industry verticals in . Cogniac鈥檚 technology also has been integrated into the solution, providing AI-enabled visual inspection capabilities for the shop floor to customers in a range of industries.

Cogniac is among a wave of up-and-coming companies that are blazing a trail for other independent developers to follow, showing how to leverage the expertise and resources of 麻豆原创 and system integrator partners to quickly scale up and monetize their intellectual property and technology. It鈥檚 all part of 麻豆原创鈥檚 鈥渙ne-portfolio鈥� approach, which is rooted in the belief that by working together, companies that are actively engaged in 麻豆原创鈥檚 industry cloud 鈥� including independent developers, global and regional services partners, and others 鈥� can create solutions that generate more value for customers and themselves than they otherwise would working individually. The one-portfolio approach is first and foremost about solving customers鈥� business problems, whether the solution comes from an 麻豆原创 partner, 麻豆原创 itself, or a combination of the two.

In Cogniac鈥檚 case, the solution was born from the 麻豆原创.iO program and, following a , it鈥檚 now fully commercialized for customers in travel and transportation, automotive manufacturing, mill and mining, industrial manufacturing, and other verticals seeking to upgrade and automate their visual inspection capabilities for quality management and maintenance.

Here鈥檚 where the implementation expertise of another industry cloud partner, Montreal-based Syntax, enters the picture. As a system integrator, Syntax is playing a critical role in scaling and implementing Cogniac鈥檚 technology for customer use cases. It鈥檚 yet another example of how combining an independent developer鈥檚 domain expertise 鈥� for Cogniac, its computer vision driven by AI 鈥� with a system integrator鈥檚 expertise 鈥� Syntax is deeply experienced in customer implementations where IT and OT converge 鈥� and 麻豆原创鈥檚 end-to-end business process expertise, resources, reach, and positioning can result in a solution that fills an obvious customer need. Not only can creative industry cloud partnerships like these result in new revenue streams and market opportunities for developers and system integrators but they can bring solutions to market much faster than before.

Speaking of speed, the Cogniac-developed visual inspection capabilities within 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing can be implemented by Syntax at enterprise scale quickly, in a day or two, because they readily integrate with existing camera infrastructure and workflows. The low-code/no-code AI technology behind those capabilities represents a huge step forward in shop floor automation for a wide range of use cases, enabling high-speed inspection with greater accuracy at a lower cost. In this case, AI could also stand for augmented intelligence, for its ability to help customers make better decisions faster, as well as for automated intelligence, for its ability to free human beings from monotonous, repetitive inspection tasks.

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The industry cloud relationship between Cogniac, Syntax, and 麻豆原创 is a great illustration of the innovation mindset driving the one-portfolio approach, where instead of taking it upon ourselves to develop proprietary solutions in areas where we aren鈥檛 necessarily strongest, like computer vision, we combine forces with partners to come up with collaborative solutions that deliver more value to the folks who matter most: our customers. To support that approach, 麻豆原创 has updated its compensation models to make it easier and more attractive for partners to monetize their intellectual property and expertise on industry cloud.

When all this comes together, as it has with Cogniac and Syntax, the result is a win-win-win for customers, partners, and 麻豆原创.

Philipp Raub is product manager for Visual Inspection at 麻豆原创.
Bianca Ruebartsch is global head of Energy and Natural Resources Ecosystem at 麻豆原创.

Speaking on the opening day of the trade show, Saueressig said, 鈥淓xceptions are now the rule. Today’s globally networked supply chains are especially prone to disruptions 鈥� with far-reaching consequences for the manufacturing industry. Flexibility and agility are needed to react quickly to changes.鈥� Adding her impressions of 麻豆原创鈥檚 presence at the event, White said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing collection of both 麻豆原创 technologies and our broad partner ecosystem, and it is us working with our ecosystem that鈥檚 solving our customers鈥� challenges.鈥�

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麻豆原创 Solutions in Action

There was certainly plenty for visitors to take in at 麻豆原创鈥檚 booth, from showcases and guided tours to live sessions and partner stands.

麻豆原创 is striving to help shape digital transformation in manufacturing. And one of the most pressing questions for that industry today is how to make production and supply chain processes resilient and sustainable.

To answer that question, 麻豆原创 gave visitors ample opportunities to try out 麻豆原创 solutions and experience them live in action in a 鈥渄emonstration factory鈥� it had at the trade show. The show booth 鈥渇actory鈥� was a partial sample of 麻豆原创鈥檚 recently opened Industry 4.0 Pop-Up Factory innovation center at the company鈥檚 headquarters in Walldorf, Germany. Attendees were able to view the rest of the factory remotely from 麻豆原创鈥檚 booth or through virtual reality glasses in its 鈥淚ndustrial Metaverse鈥� showcase.

On Display: How 麻豆原创 Solutions Manage Supply Chains and Manufacturing

麻豆原创 also demonstrated systems that support production operators in a part of multi-stage production in which a component is assembled for the end product. In a scenario focusing on in-process quality control, 麻豆原创 showed how operators receive precise visual instructions during the assembly of an electronic control head, guiding them through the process and reducing errors. It also explored the value of embedded artificial intelligence (AI) in quality assurance, showing how image recognition technology can be used to check how likely it is that parts have been assembled correctly and whether they have any defects. A highlight here is a kind of digital birth record, which can be thought of as a finely structured documentation of the production process. All relevant data from machines, as well as input from users, is recorded there and assigned to an individual product.

Also in the spotlight were applications for digital twin solutions, not just for virtual models and real-time simulations but also for human-machine interaction. Visitors were able to learn more about this from the example of autonomous mobile robots that independently pick up parts from a warehouse and 鈥� rather than placing them on a conventional conveyor belt 鈥� take them straight to a modular station.

麻豆原创 also showcased an augmented reality solution for production operators. Here, personnel wearing smart glasses receive instructions and feedback on whether they have carried out a work step correctly directly in their field of vision.

Digitally Mapping and Managing the Entire Production Process

Hannover Messe attendees could also try their hand at remotely controlling and monitoring the Industry 4.0 Pop-Up Factory in Walldorf, viewing a live, end-to-end production line for mixing and filling liquids as used by the process industry in the manufacturing of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods.

The demonstration showed that one central control room is all that is required to control and monitor production across locations. 麻豆原创 calls this control room a 鈥減roduction control center.鈥� Commenting on this live factory session, Matthias Deindl, head of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Industry 4.0 Center EMEA & India, said, 鈥淭his scenario shows companies how 麻豆原创 can help them have a full overview of everything that is happening on the factory floor 鈥� not just planning, but managing the entire production process for batch manufacturing.鈥� In the future, it might even be possible to create a purely digital version of the control room in the metaverse. Companies could then design and operate it exactly as they wanted. And they would no longer need to house it in a brick-and-mortar space.

In the scenario shown in Hannover, the production line is connected to 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing. All the information needed to fulfill the production order 鈥� including the customer鈥檚 specifications 鈥� is sent seamlessly to the machine. The process is paperless and can incorporate customer requirements without manual intervention. Another function of the production control center is to monitor the production line and key performance indicators, such as process efficiency, scrap rates, and good parts produced, as well as the current condition of the machines and equipment.

Cloud Solutions Enable Vertical and Horizontal Integration

One of the highlights at 麻豆原创鈥檚 booth was the electric CNC injection molding machine that let visitors track the production of their own customized cup 鈥� from top floor to shop floor in the production hall. This pop-up production station, staged in cooperation with 麻豆原创 partners Fanuc and Syntax, demonstrated how 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing can integrate a highly automated machine and control manufacturing.

Starting with order planning, visitors chose from various configuration options on a monitor. They could select a color or color combination for their cup and specify which logo it should have. The 麻豆原创 software then dispatched the order to the machine electronically and production of the cup began using recycled and recyclable plastic. Visitors could take the cups they made home with them.

While visitors were creating their cups, sensors were capturing a range of key information about the machine鈥檚 condition and how many good and defective parts had come off the line. This shows how in a real-life setting, the seamless flow of information also works in reverse, meaning from the machine level back to the office level. Data like this can be analyzed in 麻豆原创 Analytics Cloud, giving customers valuable insights to help them optimize the production process.

Resilient, Efficient, Sustainable 鈥� and Profitable

Visitors to 麻豆原创鈥檚 booth could experience the full product life cycle 鈥� from design and planning, manufacturing, logistics, and installation to operations and maintenance. They learned how the processes at each of these stages can be optimized by, for example, embedding AI to integrate them horizontally.

Vertical integration can also connect all levels inside the company. Linking manufacturing and business processes in this way eliminates data and knowledge silos. 鈥淗ere at Hannover Messe, we鈥檝e brought everything together under one roof to demonstrate realistic end-to-end scenarios,鈥� said Ralf Lehmann, Solutions Management Digital Manufacturing & Industry 4.0 at 麻豆原创.

Businesses want to ensure that their manufacturing and logistics operations are efficient, cost-effective, and reliable. Yet they must also meet profit and sustainability targets. 鈥淢anufacturers are facing two major challenges right now. One is the ongoing disruption to supply chains. The other is sustainability, which has become a top priority for CEOs. If you consider that only 7% of global economic output today is circular, then the opportunities are huge,鈥� says Saueressig.

At its booth, 麻豆原创 showed how it is one of the world鈥檚 leaders not only in enterprise resource planning (ERP) but also in digital supply chain. Industry 4.0 can transform business processes from manufacturing through to supply chain. As an ecosystem that enables companies to connect, 麻豆原创 Business Network also helps improve transparency. These capabilities can be used in a circular economy to foster sustainability and capture carbon emissions data. As White points out, 鈥淥ne of the most important things we see here is the focus on sustainability. Creating a true network around that is how we鈥檙e going to change the game.鈥�

Building on the network theme, 麻豆原创 partners had booths nearby showing Catena-X and , the latest initiative to emerge from an alliance between industry and the German government. Here, too, 麻豆原创 will play a leading role in driving digital transformation in manufacturing supply chains. Like Catena-X, Manufacturing-X will be an open and collaborative data ecosystem. Shared standards will enable data to be exchanged worldwide in compliance with European practices and data protection laws.

This includes artificial intelligence (AI) embedded into the 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing solution, 3D product and operations viewer capabilities in manufacturing, service and maintenance processes, and adherence to sustainable packaging guidelines in the 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production solution.

• Advancements to Supply Chain Software from 麻豆原创 Enable Risk-Resilient and Sustainable Supply Chain Operations

In today’s world, constant disruption has become the new normal. Resilience is essential for businesses to withstand the forces of change. To achieve it, companies are looking to redesign their supply chain and manufacturing processes to consider cost, speed, profit, customer service and risk. According to a global , manufacturing executives are more likely than those in other functions to deploy intelligent technologies at scale to improve predictive analytics capabilities. However, only 36% of the 1,000 survey respondents said they have deployed predictive analytics in any part of their enterprise. To become more resilient, 麻豆原创 customers can employ AI embedded into 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing for AI-driven insights and AI-powered visual inspection processes. Customers can ensure that defective parts are discovered early and are addressed quickly, producing higher yield, ready-to-deliver quality materials. The lower product defect rates result in fewer service claims and improved asset health and maintenance.

鈥淚n recent years, it has become apparent that our global supply chains are vulnerable to disruption,鈥� said Thomas Saueressig, member of the Executive Board of 麻豆原创 SE responsible for 麻豆原创 Product Engineering. 鈥淭his has far-reaching consequences for the manufacturing industry as well. 麻豆原创 is a driving force in many industry-relevant initiatives, such as Catena-X and Manufacturing-X. Open data ecosystems, especially, have their place in the manufacturing industry. What is more, in many of the conversations I鈥檝e had with business leaders, and according to our latest Oxford Economics study, it becomes clear: They see the need of investing in Industry 4.0 principles and AI to increase supply chain resiliency, but many are still in the piloting stage. 麻豆原创 is in a unique position to accelerate the journey to resilient manufacturing because we can embed intelligent capabilities in enterprise software across all end-to-end-processes.鈥�

Smart 麻豆原创 Shop, a joint venture of and , reached a new milestone in automotive production by using AI embedded in 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing. Adapting a cloud-first development strategy, Smart 麻豆原创 Shop enables fully paperless production and a completely automated process for configuring production-line machinery for pressing automotive body parts. With the help of 麻豆原创 software and embedded AI, Smart 麻豆原创 Shop can assess the quality of materials in real time and adjust machine performance to improve downstream processes in logistics and operations.

鈥淲ith the help of 麻豆原创 solutions, we were very quickly able to build a system landscape at the Smart 麻豆原创 Shop based on the principles of Industry 4.0 and covering our requirements, such as self-optimizing production, end-to-end traceability and resource-saving production,鈥� said Hendrik Rothe, CEO, Smart 麻豆原创 Shop GmbH & Co. KG. 鈥淲ithin a few months, our core solutions 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud, public edition as well as 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing were ready for use. Above all, the solutions enable us to process data in real time, to handle our entire production without paper, and ultimately to make all our processes transparent. Thus, we are very flexible and positioned for the future.鈥�

3D Capabilities to Strengthen Resiliency

To further help manufacturing become more resilient, the 3D product viewer capabilities of the 麻豆原创 Enterprise Product Development solution are now integrated into manufacturing, service and maintenance processes. In 麻豆原创 Digital Manufacturing, production operators now can view 3D product models in their dashboard and work environment to streamline complex assembly. In the 麻豆原创 Service and Asset Manager mobile app, field engineers can use 3D augmented reality views to accelerate asset maintenance, increase first time fix rates and reduce downtime.

Sustainability Initiatives Are Still at the Top of Business Agendas

According to the Oxford Economics study, 28% of supply chain executives include improving sustainability metrics as one of their top three strategic goals. To enable not only risk-resilient but also sustainable supply chain operations, 麻豆原创 Responsible Design and Production now supports company-specific sustainable package guidelines. Customers can monitor, measure and act to eliminate waste during packaging design.

麻豆原创 had extended its integration with business sustainability ratings provider EcoVadis SAS within the Trading Partner Profile (TPP). The integration enables suppliers to promote their sustainability performance and showcase their EcoVadis sustainability rating status across 麻豆原创 Business Network. This helps buyers identify opportunities to comply with emerging ESG due diligence and reporting legislation, as well as enabling them to select new suppliers who can help them reach ambitious corporate and value chain sustainability commitments.

These innovations are helping customers achieve better visibility across their supply chain operations and to ultimately increase resiliency.

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HANNOVER MESSE is the world’s leading trade fair for industry. About 4,000 companies from the mechanical engineering, electrical and digital industries as well as the energy sector will showcase technologies and solutions for a connected and climate-neutral industry. Visit the 麻豆原创 booth in Hall 15, E17 from April 17鈥�21, 2023.

About the Oxford Economics Study: On behalf of 麻豆原创, Oxford Economics conducted a global supply chain survey of 1,000 supply chain executives and professionals in 15 industries across the United States, Canada, Brazil, Germany, France, Spain, UK, Italy, China and Japan. One third of the sample was made up of companies with US$500M to $999M in annual revenue, with one third having between $1B and $10B and one third generating over $10B in revenue. Survey respondents participated in the research using a computer-assisted telephonic interviewing methodology (CATI). Interviews were carried out in January and February of 2023.

About 麻豆原创

麻豆原创鈥檚 strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent, sustainable enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 麻豆原创 customers generate 87% of total global commerce. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers鈥� businesses into intelligent enterprises. 麻豆原创 helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want 鈥� without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, 麻豆原创 helps the world run better and improve people鈥檚 lives. For more information, visit .

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