Fabian Bauhoff

Integrative Production Technology for High-wage Countries

Manufacturing companies in high-wage countries are increasingly set under pressure in international competition due the lower production costs in low-wage countries. In order to counteract this development, many manufacturing companies respond to this issue by relocating their production facilities. Due to industrial production’s high dependence on other sectors such as the services sector, this trend threatens Europe’s medium and long term prosperity since outsourcing generally leads to subsequent relocation of services as well as of research and development activities (Lau 2005). With over 40% of German employees assigned to the manufacturing sector, production plays a key role in the national economy of Germany. Consequently, relocation of production poses huge risks for the country’s future economic development (Statistisches Bundesamt 2010).

Integrative Produktionstechnik für Hochlohnländer

Produzierende Unternehmen in Hochlohnlandern werden im internationalen Verdrangungswettbewerb immer starker durch die augenscheinlich im relativen Vergleich niedrigeren Produktionskosten in Niedriglohnlandern unter Druck gesetzt. Um dem entgegenzuwirken, reagiert eine grose Anzahl produzierender Unternehmen mit einer Verlagerung der Produktionsstatten. Auf Grund der starken Abhangigkeit weiterer Wirtschaftsbereiche (wie beispielsweise der Dienstleistungsbranche) von der industriellen Produktion, gefahrdet dieser Trend mittel- und langfristig den Wohlstand in Europa. (Lau 2005) Produktionsverlagerungen fuhren in der Regel auch zu nachfolgenden Verlagerungen von Dienstleistungs-, aber auch von Forschungs- und Entwicklungstatigkeiten. Da uber 40 % der sozialversicherungspflichtigen Erwerbstatigen in Deutschland dem produzierenden Gewerbe zugerechnet werden, nimmt die Produktion eine Schlusselrolle ein und ihre Abwanderung birgt immense Risiken fur die Entwicklung der Volkswirtschaft des Landes. (Statistisches Bundesamt 2010)

High resolution supply chain management: optimized processes based on self-optimizing control loops and real time data

The efficient dealing with the dynamic environment of production industries is one of the most challenging tasks of Supply Chain Management in high-wage countries. Relevant and current information are still not used sufficiently, to handle the influence of the dynamic environment on intra- and inter-company order processing adequately. Among other things, the problem is caused by missing or delayed feedback of relevant data. As a consequence of that, planning results differ from the actual situation of production. High Resolution Supply Chain Management describes an approach aiming on high information transparency in supply chains in combination with decentralized, self-optimizing control loops for Production Planning and Control. The final objective is to enable manufacturing companies to produce efficiently and to be able to react to order-variations at any time, requiring process structures to be most flexible.

Self-optimising Production Systems

One of the central success factors for production in high-wage countries is the solution of the conflict that can be described with the term “planning efficiency”. Planning efficiency describes the relationship between the expenditure of planning and the profit generated by these expenditures. From the viewpoint of a successful business management, the challenge is to dynamically find the optimum between detailed planning and the immediate arrangement of the value stream. Planning-oriented approaches try to model the production system with as many of its characteristics and parameters as possible in order to avoid uncertainties and to allow rational decisions based on these models. The success of a planning-oriented approach depends on the transparency of business and production processes and on the quality of the applied models. Even though planning-oriented approaches are supported by a multitude of systems in industrial practice, an effective realisation is very intricate, so these models with their inherent structures tend to be matched to a current stationary condition of an enterprise. Every change within this enterprise, whether inherently structural or driven by altered input parameters, thus requires continuous updating and adjustment. This process is very cost-intensive and time-consuming; a direct transfer onto other enterprises or even other processes within the same enterprise is often impossible. This is also a result of the fact that planning usually occurs a priori and not in real-time. Therefore it is hard for completely planning-oriented systems to react to spontaneous deviations because the knowledge about those naturally only comes a posteriori.

High Resolution Supply Chain Management – Resolution of the Polylemma of Production by Information Transparency and Organizational Integration

High Resolution Supply Chain Management (HRSCM) aims to stop the trend of continuously increasing planning complexity. Today, companies in high-wage countries mostly strive for further optimization of their processes with sophisticated, capital-intensive planning approaches [3]. The capability to adapt flexibly to dynamically changing conditions is limited by the inflexible and centralized planning logic. Thus, flexibility is reached currently by expensive inventory stocks and overcapacities in order to cope with rescheduling of supply or delivery. HRSCM describes the establishment of a complete information transparency in supply chains with the goal of assuring the availability of goods through decentralized, self-optimizing control loops for Production Planning and Control (PPC). By this HRSCM pursues the idea of enabling organizational structures and processes to adapt to dynamic conditions. The basis for this new PPC Model are stable processes, consistent customer orientation, increased capacity flexibility and the understanding of production systems as viable, socio-technical systems [1, 2].

High Resolution Supply Chain Management – A Structural Model for Optimized Planning Processes Based on Real-Time Data

The following paper presents an approach for enabling manufacturing companies to cope with dynamic environment conditions and the increasing planning complexity of present supply chains. High Resolution Supply Chain Management (HRSCM) strives to meet these challenges by applying cybernetic principles to the Production Planning and Control (PPC). Therefore, standardized information channels and coordination mechanisms are defined to be able to react even faster and more flexible. The presented structure of the HRSCM is derived from principles of the Viable System Model. Based on this the different system elements of the HRSCM, their functions and their interactions are described. Finally it is outlined how the developed model will be experimentally evaluated and gradually enhanced in future to enable improved decisions on all levels of production under volatile environmental conditions.

Gestaltung der innerbetrieblichen Produktionsplanung und -steuerung

Dieses Kapitel basiert inhaltlich auf dem gleichnamigen Kapitel von Gunther Schuh und Andreas Gierth aus der dritten Auflage des Sammelbandes „Produktionsplanung und -steuerung – Grundlagen, Gestaltung und Konzepte“ von Prof. Dr. Gunther Schuh (Hrsg.).

Concept for case by case interoperability for solution selling communities

In order to keep the competitive advantage for creating customer-oriented solutions at a competitive price European ISPs as well as manufacturers are facing the key challenge of rapid community configuration and its efficient management. Therefore the paper provides not only the conceptual basis (IT) for an easily applicable de facto standard but also a business concept for a communication platform adequate to the requirements of ISPs and manufacturers organized as solution communities (SC) in case-by-case solution sellers.