News and Projects Archive

We want to examine approaches to implement and operate Manufacturing Execution Systems for manufacturing operations management globally across plants in order to develop an agile and resilient manufacturing network based on digital technologies and Industry 4.0.

Two of our research associates took part at this year’s EurOMA conference in Helsinki. Christian Elbe presented the topic of “Manufacturing execution systems in international manufacturing networks” and Dominik Remling the topic of “Digital Technologies to coordinate manufacturing networks”. 

Digitalization and the application of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, smart robotics, augmented reality or big data are progressing steadily. In particular, companies with plants in countries such as Germany or Switzerland are expecting new productivity gains and a positive impact on the competiveness of their high-wage locations. But which technologies are really relevant? What collaborations are important and what are the overall benefits of digitization?

Today Christoph Benninghaus has made the final step of his doctoral phase. He confidently mastered the questions of the professors and successfully defended his doctoral thesis, “Impact of Digitalization on the Strategic Management of International Manufacturing Networks.”
We wish him all the best for his new, challenging position in a multinational manufacturing company.

Professor Friedli describes in the article the importance of digitalisation for plants in high-wage countries. According to two surveys conducted at the Institute, a majority out of a sample of more than 270 participants think that digitalisation helps to keep production in high-wage countries whereas at the same time a similar majority thinks that no new plants will be necessarily established due to digitalisation. You can read the article here: Produktion – Technik und Wirtschaft für die deutsche Industrie (2018) Vol. 30, p. 31

During the summer months, we assessed the integration potential for a future production network of an aviation company in four dimensions - production, logistics, procurement, and customers - across all European sites of the group. We suggested a roadmap of further steps towards a production network among the entities.