Philipp Harder

Twelve interviews were conducted with IT system users and providers in order to investigate the adaptability of IT systems in manufacturing companies. A methodical evaluation of the interviews made it possible to identify factors that influence the service life of IT systems. The evaluation shows that, in addition to the technical characteristics, human and organizational aspects in particular are decisive for the long-term use of IT systems.

Information management, people and technology, software

In an increasingly digitalized world, IT systems such as ERP or MES are the backbone of efficient processes. But many companies find that their IT systems neither meet changing requirements nor effectively support new processes. This leads to either the development of shadow IT, provisional adjustments to the IT system, or the selection of a new IT system. The VIPER research project was launched to counteract such developments and to improve the selection process for a new IT system. FIR at RWTH Aachen University and the IPH – Institut für Integrierte Produktion Hannover gGmbH have set themselves the goal of helping companies to extend the service life of their IT systems and make better decisions when selecting new IT systems by analysing the entire socio-technical information system.

IT systems, ability to change

Development of a prototype for automated data quality control at Trivium Packaging GmbH, a manufacturer of metal packaging. The project aimed to ensure the reliability of production data for KPI calculations by implementing plausibility checks for machine and line status to identify faults at an early stage. The use of AI and algorithms to monitor and evaluate data quality in real time led to improved efficiency and performance of the production lines. A guide to ensuring data quality for reliable KPI calculations was also created to help small and medium-sized enterprises increase their competitiveness.

Data quality, production, manufacturing, KPI, metrics

For more than half of the approximately 30,000 wind turbines in Germany, the 20-year EEG funding will end in the next ten years. It is still unclear what the optimal technical and economic strategies for end-oflife utilization might look like. The BMWK joint project „TransWind“ aims to analyze the end-of-life issue on a micro- and macro-level in a transdisciplinary manner to support stakeholders from politics, the wind industry, and the resource and recycling sector in the selection of end-of-life strategies.

wind turbines, end-of-life, ecology, dismantling, repowering, disassembly, recycling, XXL products