Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML
Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML

Products

Fraunhofer Procurement 4.0

You want to determine where your procurement department is situated in terms of Industry 4.0 and which fields of activity are on their way to procurement 4.0?
The Fraunhofer Procurement 4.0 Check serves as a starting point for the implementation of Industry 4.0 within your procurement department and supports you in finding answers to your questions.

Evaluating both qualitative and quantitative success factors of your procurement department, the essential fields of activity regarding Industry 4.0 are identified by means of a gap analysis.
Furthermore, you will receive an evaluation of the most relevant KPIs as well as a determination of your progress level on the way to procurement 4.0.
Therefore, the Fraunhofer Procurement 4.0 Check serves as a foundation for the development of an individual roadmap to the implementation of Industry 4.0 in your procurement department.

Fraunhofer Procurement 4.0 Check

Business Case Calculator for innovative business models

Business Case Calculator
© Fraunhofer IML
Business Case Calculator

Initiated by technological developments and research projects in recent years, a tremendous supply of Industry 4.0 applications emerged in Germany alone. Among other aspects, throughput times were reduced, productivity levels were increased and capacities were optimized. But do these innovative applications live up to their promises? Is an investment in them profitable? The implementation has proceeded only hesitantly until now. Especially the SME area exhibits a low degree of implementation of Industry 4.0 at the moment. There are many reasons for this reticence, primarily the question: What are the benefits of Industry 4.0 for my company?

So far, investment decisions have been made predominantly based on the monetary advantageousness of investment projects. The major challenge in terms of Industry 4.0 is the uncertain economic benefit in conjunction with the high investments. There exist little to no experience values regarding the costs or benefits. Statistical forecast procedures based on the past offer only limited valid results. Furthermore, uncertainty prevails regarding future developments and environmental conditions, especially on the quest for reliable figures. In times of disruptive innovations, more qualitatively strategic decision-making parameters (non-financials) should be used to safeguard investments.

Together with you, the Fraunhofer Business Case Calculator allows for a quick and simple business case validation from various perspectives. Taking into account both classic “financials”, and qualitative potential benefits (i.e. “non-financials”) as well as project risks of an innovative business model, you are able to protect yourself when making investment decisions.

iSCF Conference
© Fraunhofer IML & innopay
iSCF Conference in Frankfurt

Inclusive Supply Chain Finance:

How to involve the whole ecosystem in a digital world?

 

Supply Chain Finance (SCF) is getting more important. It is about time that SCF is getting part of the omnipresent digital infrastructure and easier to access. Digital technologies, infrastructure and regulations in the field of invoicing, digital identity, block chain, risk management and cloud are a good base for the expansion of SCF. In this way the liquidity and efficiency of companies and other regulations will be improved. SCF is becoming an integrative concept that will bring benefits to the different segments by using a joint digital infrastructure.

This open space conference explores ways to make Supply Chain Finance accessible for all actors in the supply chain, so that a large part of the economy can benefit from the synchronization of material, information and financial flows.