Andreas Schertl

Evaluation of effectiveness and impact of decentralized automation

The necessity to improve the current automation concepts for cost reduction in plant engineering represents a widely discussed problem. Although research has been developing solutions for this problem area for quite some time on the basis of decentralized automation concepts, industrial companies have been showing reluctance concerning their broad application in practice. This contribution discusses the potential for use of decentralized automation of industrial plants in the context of strategic developments. The ramifications of such technological perspectives to the different stakeholders in an industrial life cycle, their interests and their processes are discussed and a method for the evaluation of decentralized solutions over their entire life cycle is presented, offering a basis for a well founded assessment of their cost effectiveness.

System integration in modularization and standardization programs

The Engineer-To-Order business, which encompasses companies producing a broad range of capital goods, is becoming increasingly complex. In order to improve their profitability, engineering organizations in this business use standardization programs. While decomposition aspects in such programs are already in an advanced state, the integration of components, modules or subsystems into a customer-specific solution as well as integration of engineering disciplines, life cycle phases and stakeholders are critical but yet neglected aspects. Therefore, the focus of this contribution lies on the role of system integration in standardization programs. It identifies various objects for integration from which seven types of integration with regard to modularization and standardization programs are derived. The analyses of this contribution are based on a literature review and case studies of six standardization programs.

Reference process for the development of an engineering strategy

The critical influence of functional strategies on business success is undisputed, as well as the impact of engineering. Surprisingly, research on functional strategies for engineering organizations is scarce. Purpose: this contribution aims to provide engineering organizations with a guideline for the development and implementation of engineering strategies. Approach: first, a literature review determines the state of research for functional strategies i.e. which functional strategies are in the focus of research. The review also aims to evaluate approaches for the development of functional strategies. Then, a market analysis gives an overview of consulting offers for strategy development. To gain insight on how engineering strategies are developed in industrial practice, seven projects which focused on strategy development were analyzed. Findings: based on the analysis of seven functional strategy development projects a reference process for the planning and implementation of an engineering strategy is presented. Originality: there is a large body of literature on business and corporate strategies. On a functional level research focuses on marketing, procurement and manufacturing strategy. Functional strategies for engineering received no attention in the literature yet.

The future of engineering — scenarios of the future way of working in the engineer-to-order business

Companies of the engineer-to-order (ETO) business face various trends such as digitalization and globalization. These trends will radically change the way of working in engineering. First, this paper carves out four basic categories of engineering in the ETO business — ‘Easy Engineering’, ‘Zero Engineering’, ‘Perfect Engineering’ and ‘Pioneer Engineering’ — and describes their distinctive characteristics and implications for engineering companies. Second, this paper elaborates engineering scenarios that show how the described trends will change the way of working in the respective engineering categories. It further outlines how the trends will change the relative importance of the engineering categories within the ETO business. Finally, the contribution discusses what challenges engineering companies need to tackle on their way to the future of engineering.