Information systems and communication systems in production

Customized assistance systems for mastering complexity

Transparency and flexibility are success factors of modern business. In addition the use of intelligent, optimizing information systems and communications systems increases. This object is characterized in the production areas by high complexity and diversity. The employees of the planning and control departments are often faced with the task of having to take ad hoc planning decisions, that are plant-specific and holistic optimal.

Depending on the process complexity and object

  • APS (Advanced Planning and Scheduling) systems with integrated optimization algorithms and simulation capabilities
  • PPS (production planning and control) systems with planning, control and monitoring functions or
  • MES (Manufacturing Executive Systems) systems as networking between the production planning and resource control

ensure greater transparency and efficiency in your production. Especially software solutions designed as assistance systems that are leading to planning results in a dialogue with the dispatcher have proven themselves.

Your Benefits

With the integration of the Fraunhofer IML in a project to develop and implement APS, PPS, or MES tools, our customers receive

  • a with future users elaborated catalog of requirements for a customized assistance system in the current state of the art
  • a competent and neutral summary and recommendation on the market of providers of information systems and communication systems in the production
  • a professional project management to ensure that your IT projects are time efficient and resource saving.

Our approach to your assistance system

The Fraunhofer IML has extensive experience in the concept and integration of optimizing information systems and communications systems for planning and controlling the production and offers the following advice in this context:

  • Concept
    Together with the process owners and future users, we develop the conceptual basis by recording the supporting processes and formulating the requirements for an assistance system.
  • Tendering assistance
    Our industry competence in the context of APS, ERP and MES solutions enables us to pre-select suitable suppliers. The development of business cases of typical challenges for the information system and communication system on a distorted database is an essential decision support for future users in the selection process. We support the development process of these business cases in an early stage to achieve a high maturity level for those demo versions. The moderation and technical support of the selection process completes this phase of the project.
  • Implementation support
    As part of the implementation support we can provide the conceptual support of specification preparations, prepare the approval process and take care of the overall project management.

VDI Manufacturing Execution Systems

In order to be able to offer our customers the state of the art in software development in the future, Fraunhofer IML is actively represented in the VDI information technology department. The continual development of IT systems is driven by dialog with system vendors and software users. Our previous experience in IT consulting projects plays a crucial role in highlighting future requirements for software systems, thus bringing customers and suppliers closer together.