Five Tips For Mobility Projects In The Industry

October 14, 2021

Mobility Projects: Mobile apps are becoming increasingly popular. However, you do not achieve the desired plus inefficiency everywhere. The ERP manufacturer proAlpha has identified five essential best practices in numerous projects.

The location-independent exchange of information in these areas accelerates processes in administration, production, logistics and service. However, standardized off-the-shelf apps don’t always help. Therefore, many companies choose a solution that is tailored to their needs. For their mobile application to pay off, pro alpha Business Solutions advises companies to meet five essential requirements:

Mobility Projects: Focus On The User

Operational requirements are one thing. Employee needs are another: Mobile applications have to meet both. It has nothing to do with “make a wish”. Anyone who already focuses on the user in the planning phase ensures that no presumed user requirements but the actual ones are recorded and implemented. That means: The architects understand the context of the use of the planned app and map the process steps of the employees in the design process.

This is the only way to create an app that sensibly supports workers, service staff or warehouse clerks with the appropriate functionalities and information. Just as important: a surface optimized for the user experience, optically coordinated with the corporate design. If all of this is implemented correctly, there is a demonstrable increase in user identification and acceptance. Most companies forego lengthy individual development so that costs and project time do not get out of hand. Many things can be configured relatively easily today, without any programming knowledge.

Clear Structuring of projects

Mobility Projects: Just go ahead and configure? That often goes wrong. A launch process consists of seven phases: the analysis of the context of use, the collection of requirements, the conception and prototyping, followed by usability tests. If these tests are successful, the implementation phase starts and, last but not least, the exemplary configuration of the solution. If the project shimmies along with a solid framework, the chances of project success increase many times over.

Schedule iterations

However, companies must not make the mistake of stubbornly sticking to this scheme. “Mobile projects require a high degree of flexibility,”. In each phase, users should provide feedback to be incorporated into the ongoing work. This iterative approach may lead to conceptions and designs being adapted again and the delayed planned roll-out date.

This supposed disadvantage usually becomes an advantage: The earliest possible feedback helps to eliminate conceptual errors in good time. This avoids expensive, undesirable developments. Because the functionality corresponds precisely to the needs of the employees, the productivity of the users also increases. The return on investment is therefore much higher with iterative projects.

Track And change processes

The introduction of a mobile application can, of course, be based on existing processes. But it also offers the opportunity to question methods and make adjustments critically. The specific goal of providing an app for one particular business process creates an everyday basis for discussion. Misunderstandings do not arise in the first place or can be quickly cleared out of the way. If moderated correctly, a mobile project also opens up opportunities to question ingrained structures.

Precise evaluation of the technologies

In the field of mobility, new technologies are springing up like mushrooms. Innovations around new devices, voice assistants and foldable displays are announced every week. Companies shouldn’t blindly rush into anything that is supposedly new and chic. In the end, the cost-benefit ratio has to be correct. And there is much more to a high-performance mobile solution than tablets and scanners.

Therefore, the success of a mobile project depends on the interplay of several factors: on a flexible organization, the orchestration of the processes and technology equipment tailored to the goal. However, the user requirements are central. Companies that hand over a project to a solution provider for implementation fall short of their capabilities. Only when you contribute yourself and “take the user with you” from the start will your apps ensure maximum productivity.

ALSO READ: Successfully Introducing Process Automation In Five Steps

Successfully Introducing Process Automation In Five Steps

Techno Rumours

October 14, 2021

Successfully Introduce Process Automation In Five Steps

Robotic Process Automation and software robots that Process Automation workflows can significantly help companies that benefit everyone. However, the introduction can also go completely wrong.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and software robots open up entirely new possibilities for automation and offer clear advantages for companies. For their success, however, RPA mustn’t be introduced in a hasty ad hoc process but in a methodically and strategically well-thought-out way. Ignacio, the software provider for professional business process management, explains in five steps how companies can avoid pitfalls and optimally use the potential of RPA.

Process Automation In Five Steps:

Step 1: Define The Business Case

Every successful RPA initiative begins with an inventory of the processes that are already implemented in the company. Precise documentation of the processes with all variants and details is a solid basis for the subsequent automation. Automated process recognition tools help with the inventory, which cannot escape hidden system processes and deficits in the current process landscape. But processes are not the whole story. It is at least as necessary to get feedback from users and process participants. Which processes are the participants satisfied with? Where is something not going as it should? The aim of step 1 is to develop a clear idea of

Step 2: Refine And Test

The temptation is just to get started with automation now. But be careful: RPA does not make destructive processes better. They only make them faster. Step 2 is to run through several variants outside of productive operation to discover and realize optimization potential. It is advisable to concentrate on smaller, non-critical processes first, instead of going straight to the big shot and possibly failing. Non-business-critical processes, with which many users are dissatisfied, are the ideal optimization candidates. It is essential to set up a pilot to then test the optimized process under natural practical conditions.

3rd Step: Implement Automated Processes

Every workflow begins with a process objective that defines why a particular operation is being performed and which conditions must be met. Once every step has been described in a process diagram and all the necessary employee roles have been established, the process is implemented as an automated, executable workflow.

4th Step: Get Employees On Board

Optimized processes increase employee satisfaction and efficiency simultaneously, but as many employees as possible in the company should also know about it. It is therefore crucial for the company-wide introduction to inform employees and listen to them. Team meetings, a feedback mailbox, or a contact person can help break down reservations about automation technology and better understand the advantages that can be achieved with Robotic Process Automation.

5th Step: Monitor Processes And Measure KPIs

RPA optimizes workflows, but the software robots cannot evaluate themselves. Step 5 is to measure the RPA initiative’s success and ask yourself some basic questions: Do the automated processes generate the added value in practice that one had hoped for? Are there any planned gains in efficiency, time and savings? Are there unplanned side effects that partially compromise the success, and should the deployment be redesigned if necessary? The success control will never be finished and completed. It should be repeated at intervals, even if the results are initially positive.

The company-wide introduction of automated processes is not a sprint but somewhat resembles a marathon. Steps one to five are repeated cyclically. Robotic Process Automation increases company efficiency, lowers costs and increases employee satisfaction. “RPA has a positive effect on employee attitudes and corporate culture. They have the freedom to concentrate on more demanding work that better suits their skills and interests,”.

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Product Data: Manufacturer Introducing Attractive B2B Ordering Processes

Techno Rumours

October 13, 2021

Product Data How Manufacturers Are Introducing

IF the competition for customer satisfaction and a shorter time-to-market, digitized management systems for product data, becoming increasingly important. The prerequisite is optimized and well-structured primary data. For manufacturers of complex products, data optimization and the introduction of a PIM system are particularly worthwhile to make it easier for customers to choose.

Automated production lines, tight processes, and precise timing were part of the daily routine in many companies‘ production when the management of the associated product data was still characterized by distributed storage, redundancies, and high expenditure of time. But the realization is gaining ground that data and information are valuable assets that also contribute to a company’s unique selling point. This is all the more true when it comes to complex products. And also includes knowledge of how the individual components can be combined to form a suitable and functional product solution.

Centrally Manage Product Data In PIM Platforms

Companies are therefore looking for suitable software solutions for product data management to make the best possible use of their valuable data resources. The demands for the introduction of such systems often come from the sales and marketing departments. The main focus is on solutions that combine product information management with master data management and digital asset management.

“The principle: All the necessary data from all relevant areas – product master data, product descriptions, images, videos, texts, and much more – are centrally summarized and linked,”. The IT service provider supports B2B providers of complex products by introducing PIM systems, mainly based on the Pecora platform. “Data maintenance and access authorizations are controlled via an integrated authorization management system. The corresponding workflows and versioning can also be set.” As all applications access this central data source (as a single point of truth), it is ensured that the current version of the data is always available across all channels.

Quality Leap Through Efficient Processes And Consistent Data

By using such a digitized data management system, not only can processes be accelerated and costs reduced, but significant qualitative improvements can also be achieved.

Comparable improvements: “The enrichment of data and optimized data structures also increases the data quality. With definable default settings for data entry and maintenance and integrated testing and approval processes, this quality can also be guaranteed in the long term. “

PIM System Should Be Customizable

To introduce a new PIM system to be a success, some work has to be invested in data preparation beforehand. However, a suitable software solution must first be selected based on the catalog of requirements. In addition to the essential functions described, a decisive criterion is compatibility: Do interfaces support existing systems? Other criteria are more specific. For example, multilingualism plays a role for international providers. For other manufacturers, on the other hand, bulk processing is essential.

Flexibility and scalability as relevant criteria: “Experience has shown that the working methods and processes of individual companies differ greatly, even within an industry. The software should therefore adapt to the company and not the other way around.” In general, a step-by-step approach is recommended: First, the essential applications should be connected. Different systems can then be successively connected, such as a new webs hop or other country sites.

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Enrich And Optimize Product Data

Investments in-licenses or software purchases are not mandatory; open-source platforms now cover a wide range of services. For medium-sized companies whose own IT department is heavily used, it can make sense to carry out initial inventories with external partners – because they often bring surprises: The consideration starts at the starting point, with the master data. This product master data is usually imported from the respective ERP or merchandise management system. From a technical point of view, they are mostly correct and complete. “However, one should go further and, for example, ask about the compatibility of the products with one another,”.

The answer is not complicated for experienced employees, and they may recognize variants and suitable components based on the product number. The situation is very different for outsiders, for example, for B2B customers who you want to reach with a new webshop or a digitized procurement solution. How do those responsible for purchasing know whether and how individual components of the supplier fit together? “Companies quickly recognize that there is still a need for action concerning the logic within the product data. Mapping the relationships between the individual product components in terms of IT technology is, therefore, the challenge that needs to be addressed,”.

Further optimizations concern the structuring of the data. For example, it is more efficient to create specific product characteristics, such as the color, as a data object instead of manually assigning them to numerous articles individually. This has the advantage that other data such as the color code and images can also be stored. Changes, for example, in the designation or the stored color code, can then be automatically transferred to all articles that use this color.

Product Data: User-Friendly Configurators Make Work Easier

As a result of the data optimization and enrichment, consistent and high-quality data are available for display in all channels. For the presentation and selection of multi-component solutions and product variants, this also gives rise to additional options: “By including the relationship between the data, you also create the basis for developing a tailor-made configuration solution. Clear, user-friendly configuration tools ultimately represent a feature that many providers of complex products want for their customers. Especially if you want to go in the direction of direct sales,”.

To meet buyers’ expectations in the B2B environment, combined expertise from sales and customer experience is required. Sales managers can best assess the level of Experience and expectations of the buyers on the customer side. When deciding how the selection menu should be designed – instead of as a multi-page form or in a view with checkboxes – external consultants with project experience can help. Most companies think of customer applications ad hoc for product configuration tools, but their employees also have a second target group. Configurations can also make it much easier for them to prepare offers by configuring faster and calculating faster.

Augmented Reality – An Outlook

The demands on PIM systems grow with the new trends in communication and product presentation. Not only 3-D environments but increasingly also augmented reality applications play a role. Bytom recently stated in the guideline “Augmented and Virtual Reality: Potentials and Practical Application of Immersive Technologies” that the hype about augmented Reality and Virtual Reality is over, but that these applications have now become Reality. There are also exciting possibilities for presenting and three-dimensional configuration of more complex or customer-specific product solutions in the B2B sector.

ALSO READ: Content Enablement: Why Content Deserves More Attention

Content Enablement: Why Content Deserves More Attention

Techno Rumours

October 13, 2021

Content Enablement Why Content Deserves More Attention

Each employee creates an average of 850 business documents per month, including emails. Quick access to the required information, therefore essential for the efficient creation of documents.

The genius rules chaos. This saying can be questioned with a clear conscience, at least in the corporate environment. Chaos is seldom beneficial at the corporate level and rarely in the context of documents and files. After all, each employee creates an average of 850 of these business documents, including emails, every month. Therefore, fast and easy access to the required information is an essential factor for content enablement, i.e., the efficient creation and editing of documents.

But the reality is far from being quick and easy. The chaos is still present in many places and is poorly addressed by companies. This is the result of a current study by Teamplay, for which over 1,100 employees from various industries and departments were surveyed.

Content Enablement: Corporate Content Is Widely Dispersed

The tenor of the survey is consistently the same: company content, from images, descriptions, and company development to disclaimers, fonts, or logos, is almost always scattered across different storage locations and applications. Employees often have to diligently track down the new boilerplate or ask their colleagues for the current logo. This not only costs nerves – but it is also a natural efficiency killer. Every second person says they spend at least four to six hours a week looking for this information using digital tools. The time that, conversely, is missing for critical technical tasks.

Conquer The New Normal With Consolidated Tools

With increasing digitalization and development towards the hybrid working model that can hardly be stopped due to the corona pandemic, companies should now equip their employees with the appropriate applications at the latest. Tools that significantly support the new work environment, characterized by flexibility between home and office. So there is a need for digital applications that are easy to learn and integrated into the existing tools in the workplace. True to the motto: less is more. Simply implementing standalone applications would further aggravate the problem of tool overload – and thus the document chaos.

Many employees would like to invest in intelligent, digital solutions. According to the Teamplay study, one in three believes that their own company has not yet introduced the right technologies for the hybrid working model. Almost 40 percent say that managing information such as documents, images, and files is more difficult in a hybrid work environment.

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Content Enablement – Evolution Of Enterprise Content Management

Existing ECM solutions aim to manage unstructured and structured company content, but not all problems are solved. The complex architectures in implementation and maintenance are too expensive and demanding. In addition, new features can only be adapted slowly in the ever faster digital transformation. And even large companies are increasingly turning to specialized microservices instead of all-in-one solutions.

Integration of the existing ECM systems with these new applications is essential, but in reality, it involves an enormous amount of resources. Documents are stored centrally in ECM solutions, but the complicated and error-prone workflows do not call up the potential of the company content efficiently enough.

Central Administration Of All Required Information And Files

This is why experts are increasingly speaking of the growing importance of content enablement solutions. Because content enablement should be able to master precisely this problem, namely to guarantee efficient creation and processing of business documents with digital tools by managing all required information and files centrally and via interfaces directly in the typical applications at the workplace, such as Google Workplace, Microsoft Office or Salesforce, are available.

Because distributed teams and scattered information are often a reality today – these challenges do not decrease in the hybrid work environment:

Tapping the shoulder of the person sitting next to you to ask about the storage location or the correctness of the document content is often simply no longer possible. According to the study, four out of ten employees fear difficult conditions for working with colleagues and adverse effects on their productivity. But what demands do employees place on the digital tools in the workplace of the future?

Corporate Content As A Business Driver

Corporate content is more than just emails, images, and metadata. Instead, they form the sum of all available information of a company to set up business documents of all kinds. For example, purchase contracts only receive legally adequate protection with the correct exclusions of liability. Therefore, a company that consistently provides its employees with valid disclaimers in an uncomplicated and efficient manner is well advised. Otherwise, you risk expensive consequences: In an emergency, a void contract has no legal basis. There is a risk of lost sales or claims for damages.

Other examples are presentations and pitch decks to attract investors or inspire customers. Here, too, employees are dependent on conveying the information they need with the help of company content. Whether it’s a picture, information about the company history, infographics about the product, or diagrams about profitability – if employees can access this information quickly and easily insert it in the desired location, they increase their efficiency and increase the chances of success of the document.

Content Enablement: Insights Into The Performance Of Documents

Ultimately, however, there remains a hint of residual doubt even after these documents have been successfully set up and sent. Employees can often only estimate how draft contracts, entire pitch decks, or individual slides reach the recipient. Modern solutions provide a remedy here. Using a tracking function, they analyze, among other things, the opening rate of sent documents, the length of time spent on individual elements such as graphics, and the click rate of integrated links. This gives employees insights into the performance of the documents.

For example, if the readers only skim through a graphic that is essential for the document’s message, employees can make adjustments. You can rework the graphics, place them in a more prominent position in the document or change the design. In this way, documents are continuously optimized. So the importance of content enablement is by no means just a child of the pandemic.

Although the crisis and hybrid work have made the problems in dealing with documents clear, the factors for a positive operating result have always been:

No contract conclusion without a firm draft contract
No financing without a meaningful pitch deck
No new customer acquisition without convincing presentation materials

It is all the more critical that companies – also, thanks to the past few months – put solutions for content enablement on their schedule. For the benefit of the company and its employees.

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Customer Experience: Service Ideas Strengthen Customer Relationships

Techno Rumours

October 12, 2021

Customer Experience This Is How Innovative Service Ideas Strengthen

Customer Experience In the manufacturing industry, data-based services expand the previous product focus. Models that build on this offer, ample potential for more business after the mere purchase. Differentiation in price and evolutionary advances in product quality has long been the pillars of companies’ business models in the manufacturing sector.

But is that still enough today? According to Salesforce’s State of the Connected Customer Report, eight out of ten private and business customers consider service and customer experience to be at least as important as the product itself.

Innovative service ideas, both in the pre-sales and post-sales phase, are decisive for business success. Product-related services also offer the potential for new income opportunities even after the purchase. Ideally, it is possible to expand the added value over the entire product life cycle and sustainably strengthen customer relationships.

Digital Customer Data: Fuel For Customer-Oriented Service Offers

Webs hop to electronic order processing via the self-service portal to automated maintenance services – all touchpoints have to merge into a real omnichannel. This is the only way manufacturing companies can offer their customers an unmistakable brand experience in every phase. No matter how broad the range of topics for the different service options is, they are all based on data. This is because intelligent analysis methods can precisely determine the current requirement situation and forecast future requirements with a high degree of accuracy.

Due to the corona pandemic, digital contact channels to customers in all branches of the economy have become part of everyday life. Almost 60 percent of all decision-makers are certain that this change will continue even after the pandemic has subsided in the manufacturing industry. This is the result of the recently published Salesforce study “Trends in Manufacturing.” However, the overwhelming majority of the companies surveyed for the report – namely 96 percent – see a major challenge in consolidating existing customer data across locations and extracting additional information value from it in real-time.

Customer Experience: Consistent Customer Focus Is Not A ‘Nice To Have.’

For a long time, the manufacturing industry was primarily characterized by product properties and innovations and scaling effects through mass production. In times of shorter product life cycles and the desire for individualized properties and functions, the ‘all-around,’ i.e., the customer experience, is becoming more and more important. Companies looking for a golden future must heed: Business customers also expect services in the B2B area that they know from their private shopping experience. For example: which provider can deliver at what speed? What options are available for individual adaptation? How reliably does customer service work? All of these are central questions that companies have concerning customer loyalty.

Therefore, producers must rethink their approach and place their customers at the center of all activities instead of their products. This, in turn, requires a new mindset both in management and in the workforce. Because even more important than the merging of the data is what companies make of it, with the customer in mind and a well-founded database, tailor-made product and service offers, and even completely new business models can be created.

Not surprising because real customer orientation requires a 360-degree view of the entire supply chain and every customer system. For this, however, relevant data from different sources must be brought together company-wide across locations. The basis for this is a CRM that depicts a uniform database of customer history. Manufacturing companies with a 360-degree view of the respective customer from development to quality control have a clear advantage.

Customer Experience Promises Economic Effects

In the manufacturing industry, in particular, the paradigm of customer orientation promises not only closer customer loyalty and the associated increase in sales, but also other tangible economic effects: With cloud-based demand forecasts, for example, the occupancy plan for machinery and equipment can be planned, and material procurement planned more precisely. In warehouse logistics, this reduces the storage buffers previously required – which minimizes the capital commitment and consequently improves cash flow.

The company is with architects and building planners Renowned around the world for its elastic architectural concrete forms and matrices. In the past, however, business communication was mainly carried out via the construction industry, on whose behalf, for example, facade elements manufactured in the concrete plant most suitable for the respective design – the classic case of an indirect sales channel.

Beneficial For Companies, Customers – And The Environment

To be able to address the actual decision-makers, i.e., planners and architectural offices, more directly and optimally support their projects, the company decided in favor of Salesforce’s Sales Cloud even before the corona pandemic: Since then, sales professionals have been logging every customer contact with an app.

This information flows into a consistent database via the cloud, which enables real-time evaluations in the executive suite at any time according to freely selectable criteria via the dashboard. The company website and various social media channels are also integrated into the solution so that a customer’s sample download, for example, immediately triggers the appropriate action by the responsible account manager.

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ERP Project: How Does The System Become A Knowledge Factor?

Techno Rumours

October 12, 2021

ERP Project How Does The System Become A Knowledge Factor

Consistent ERP project systems ensure more transparency and a more solid basis for decision-making. To draw as much business,-relevant knowledge as possible from the abundance of digital information, all ERP users must recognize the benefits of the software. This only works with targeted preparation and competent advice.

An ERP implementation is a trendsetting step for every company. Of course, the basic orientation, the core functionalities, and the future viability of the software are decisive aspects of a purchase decision. At least as important, however, are the points of project preparation, advice, and training to achieve the greatest possible process benefit and knowledge gain with the software later on. Because all too often, it can be observed that the beneficial effects do not occur because the comprehensive possibilities of the respective systems are not known either to the decision-makers or to the end-users. For this reason, all employees who are to work with the system should be actively involved in the ERP project from the start to formulate their requirements for the system.

In many cases, this results in a much more specific requirement profile than would be possible by simply checking off theoretical functionality catalogs in overflowing specification sheets.

Change As An Opportunity

The ERP project is usually successful when everyone involved is ready to allow process changes that will inevitably occur. Therefore, the key is to face this transformation process positively and see it as an opportunity for continuous improvement. This works best when employees are clear about possible challenges in the course of the project.

Against this background, it is helpful if the project is structured and the users can orientate themselves on a tried and tested “timetable.” To ensure this, we rely on a tried and tested five-phase methodology with clearly defined steps: from process analysis and basic organizational advice to mapping all existing structures in what is known as business process modeling, customizing the standard components and customizing, as well as preparing for the real start to going live.

The business process modeling and a model study of the processes are integral parts of every maser implementation to record the users’ operations in detail and compare them with the standard procedures of the software. In this way, the need for organizational change becomes visible, and any change steps can be initiated at an early stage. Conversely, this means that the change process described above will take place, for which all those involved in the project will be prepared in advance. “Issues were discussed that neither the company management nor the employees had on their radar in the run-up to the ERP project. Unadorned, it was pointed out where any problems with the implementation are to be expected. As a result, the employees were able to prepare much better. “

ERP Project – Practical Expertise In Consulting

Whether an ERP project can be successfully implemented depends on the expertise of the consultants. In addition to the human and social component, it is particularly about the necessary specialist and industry knowledge. The consultants must be able to quickly understand the processes and working methods of the respective user company to be mapped as best as possible in the software. Our customers and interested parties come from the individual, order, and variant production. In this environment, the software provides basic functionalities such as the “growing parts list” or the uncomplicated management of parts without article numbers.

It is also an advantage if the consultants themselves have worked in the batch size 1+ environment. “The arms consultants conveyed to us from the start that you didn’t have to explain the process requirements in special or packaging machine construction to them for long. On the contrary: Her deep understanding of our business requirements put her immediately in a position to advise us competently at a high level. “

Looked for a lean solution that provides all the important functions for make-to-order manufacturers and special machine builders and maps their core processes. Cites the people involved at amps as a further important reason for the decision: “Apart from the pure software functionality, the ERP provider should above all fit personally and professionally. In addition to a high level of industry expertise, we expect the consultants to be willing to get involved with a medium-sized company and always focus on the process standard of the software. “

In addition to the pure functionality, other factors are decisive for developing a company-wide knowledge pool using ERP software: its consistency, willingness to change on the part of the customers, and the consultants’ deep understanding of the industry. If these factors come together, the user companies benefit from more efficient process structures and more basic knowledge for better business decisions.

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Business Model Development: From Product To Real Value Proposition

Techno Rumours

October 12, 2021

Whether a service is successful in the market also depends on its fitting into an effective business model. The right business model can make a product a success – and an unsuitable product can also doom a good product to failure.

When it comes to how customers experience a product, the product itself plays a role and how it is offered. Traditional companies, in particular, sometimes introduce new products without knowing exactly which customer requirements can be served better than before and whether existing business models are also optimal for this. Only the right business model turns a product into a real value proposition.

We use a traditional timber wholesaler as an example. He planned to purchase a future-oriented machine: a laser system that can use “laser sublimation” to create three-dimensional reliefs in medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Highly individual, from professional surface designs to vivid images. The finished panels can be used as furniture fronts or wall cladding.

Sales Issues Give Business Models A Boost

An interim manager was commissioned to introduce the new offer – due to the very tradition-oriented operation. There was a lack of know-how for complex market launches like this one. It turned out that the new proposal would have had a difficult time in the traditional business model. The timber merchant traditionally sold within a radius of around 100 km. There was a local exhibition. A 100% customizable product could hardly be shown there. At the same time, the traditional delivery process was unsuitable because the new offer was much more complex and required a larger sales market. So a new sales channel was needed.

Based on the underlying value proposition, other elements of the existing business model also had to be modified (cost structure, customer relationships, key activities, etc.). When it comes to whether it is enough to adopt a business model or whether a new business model development is required, customer problems, markets, and trends should be carefully analyzed in advance. Here it became clear: From a sales point of view, the new service in the previous business model would have been too complex and, due to the high degree of customization , too costly for customers.

These problems have been resolved through new business model development and digital opportunities. The complexity of the offer was addressed by an online product configurator, including its web platform, which is used for customization. The platform is connected to the ERP system and converts the inputs directly into control data for the machine. In self-service, the customers communicate directly with the laser system, which can even produce unattended. Application experts are available when necessary. Due to the overall high degree of automation, it was ultimately possible to offer a suitable price for the market. The likely cost point resulted from customer interviews, systematic analysis of willingness to pay, and a market potential analysis.

The Risk Of Developing A Business Model Is Often Overestimated

Many companies shy away from bringing new business models onto the market – the risk of an expensive, undesirable development is overestimated. Especially when there is a well-functioning business model, one then offers new services in traditional offer logic. You may then never reach your full potential. A new business model can, however, be examined comprehensively in advance. Every business model is based on hypotheses, about the customers, the market environment, the sales channels, and much more. These hypotheses can be tested with reasonable effort. If a theory is not confirmed, the business model is changed so that this hypothesis no longer applies.

The result is a logical, self-contained business model that is based on proven hypotheses. This can be further safeguarded in a test market with an MVP (minimally viable product). Traditional companies, in particular, should also rethink how digital possibilities can increase customer benefits or eliminate weak points. For example, at the timber dealer, there was only one positive business case because it was possible to guarantee highly automated processing. After all, the products involved were highly individual. Success was not created by the outcome but by the “trimmings.”

They Are Consistently Thinking Ahead About Product Innovations

Sales issues can be instructive for the creation of new business models. Often innovation only takes place in the production or development process. If you had limited yourself to product innovation, you might have overlooked weaknesses in the offer. From the point of view of the business model, the wood merchant’s laser system was a new capability on which a unique value proposition to existing and new customer segments with a changed sales channel can be applied, no more and no less.

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Software Evaluation – What Is Important

Techno Rumours

October 11, 2021

The implementation of business software evaluation requires organizational changes. Various processes were redesigned at the manufacturers. Thanks to general process orientation, everyone involved knew what was important in the software evaluation.

The management of the particular machine manufacturer places great value on providing comprehensive customer support throughout the project. In other words, from the project planning phase to assembly and through to the handling of after-sales. All machines, systems and vehicles manufactured are unique.

Software Evaluation – Ready For Organizational Changes

When fulfilling individual customer requests, those responsible were increasingly faced with the problem of maintaining an overview of the overall capacity utilization, the cost development and the progress of the individual projects. One of the main reasons for this was a lack of support in the software evaluation. An outdated ERP system was in use that did not fit the make-to-order manufacturer and had therefore been continuously adapted and ‘bent’ over time. In addition, various isolated solutions made the flow of data more difficult. To bring significantly more transparency into the processes, the company management decided to tackle the selection of a new ERP system.

At the top of the list of requirements was the consistency of the system, including time recording and accounting. Another essential requirement was a seamlessly functioning interface to the CAD or PDM system. As a result, critical value-added processes such as design, procurement, and production occur in parallel with one another. The procurement and manufacturing processes start while product development is still in full swing.

General Process Orientation Clarifies What Is Essential In Software Evaluation

Those responsible for the project were aware that the implementation of company-wide business software would require organizational changes. An external management consultant should evaluate the plant manufacturer’s processes to avoid aligning the software selection with the previous organizational structure. Various processes were redesigned as a result. Thanks to this general process orientation, everyone involved knew what was important in the software evaluation.

It was shown relatively quickly that generalist solutions without a focus on batch size were suitable due to a lack of functionality. After a few specialized providers had presented their solutions, the most significant matches were found at amps. Solution. Based on the suggestions of the key users, their consultants carried out a business process modelling, at which point the key users checked the processes in the test system and quickly gave the green light.

The introduction worked without any problems, as the industry software standard was adopted entirely except for an adjustment. Staying so close to the standard offers the advantage of an uncomplicated release change and requires the willingness to make organizational changes. Purchasing an ERP project manager Sascha Marcher says: “After the intensive discussions with the provider, it was clear to us that, thanks to decades of project experience, they knew exactly how a standard process in contract manufacturing should work. We used that as a guide, which worked very well and worked much more productively today. “

Sales Growth Of 15 Percent Thanks To New Industry Software

An example: The production department received a parts list from the design department, checked this list and passed the information on to purchase on paper. The information on the slip was entered into the system, and order was generated from it. Today, however, the design department creates a parts list in arms. ERP and releases it electronically. The production manager has the parts list directly on his computer and uses it to generate the production requirements, which are forwarded by the system to purchasing, where orders are placed. “This paperless and transparent process in a consistent system prevents transmission and writing errors. This has significantly reduced throughput times and costs,” .

To illustrate the increase in efficiency through the use of the industry software, it is worth looking at the purchasing volume of more than seven million euros, which only two employees manage. The software provides the necessary flexibility in the design of the construction processes, especially when dealing with parts lists, and also provides tried and tested standard processes.

ALSO READ: Cloud Apps And Edge Apps: Hype Or Helpful Technology?

Cloud Apps And Edge Apps: Hype Or Helpful Technology?

Techno Rumours

October 11, 2021

Edge And Cloud Apps Hype Or Helpful Technology

Regarding apps for cloud or edge applications in production opinions differ: Some companies introduce such solutions in processes and systems. In contrast, others do not yet see any concrete benefits. Cloud apps offer a lot of potential for process improvements, as practical use cases show.

Edge and cloud apps promise more efficient maintenance, a better overview and more productivity. The intelligent apps for use in production systems and machines use the data from the system automation to generate recommendations for action for service technicians and system operators. However, companies have a split opinion about introducing the corresponding solutions. While some companies are already using such solutions, others have so far held back.

Cloud Apps: Acceptance Does Not Only Depend On The Willingness To Innovate

The significant differences in the acceptance of cloud and edge-based apps can be explained by different levels of willingness to innovate among those responsible for different innovation cycles in the respective industries. Instead, the reason is that in many cases, the benefits of IIoT technologies such as edge or cloud platforms are not known or are not sufficiently related to the challenges in their production environment.

In other words: Every company knows problems with processes, productivity or product quality. Still, not all of them know that edge and cloud technologies provide suitable tools to resolve these problems quickly – and that some ways and means reduce risks and costs when introducing these technologies to a minimum.

Cloud Apps And Automation: With Each Other Instead Of Against Each Other

A frequent requirement in production is to generate notifications and messages from the automation and send them to other systems to make a system operator aware of a malfunction or provide production management with current critical figures from an assembly line. This function can also be implemented in the automation system. However, such solutions are associated with a lot of effort. This notification function is much easier to implement with edge or cloud apps.

To do this, the machine only needs to be retrofitted with an interface to the cloud or with an industrial-edge-capable device – the actual automation remains unaffected. In addition to notification, the app also supports a feedback channel so that tasks within teams can also be managed and coordinated. The Notified app supplements classic automation with a notification function, making interaction with the systems significantly easier.

Practical Support For Device Management

The topic of device management also shows how much automation can benefit from edge and cloud apps. The maintenance of the installed devices is a complex task, especially in highly automated systems. Sometimes hundreds of different devices at different locations and systems have to be updated regularly without a central device management system available in IT. In many cases, this meant that employees had to install updates on-site in the system – with all the associated costs.

With edge apps, the data from the automation can be evaluated directly on the machine in the edge device and tasks such as the central management of the installed devices and systems can be optimized – even without a cloud connection. With this app, commissioning and service activities for Sematic automation devices, such as the assignment of IP addresses or firmware updates, can be carried out in parallel for several devices – this not only saves time and reduces possible sources of error.

Diagnostic data from automation can also be evaluated more easily than before with Edge apps. For example, users can correlate machine status data as well as alarms and diagnostic data recorded in the Industrial Edge app Machine Insight with each other and with corresponding KPIs, and in this way identify and remedy the causes of errors more efficiently – and thus improve the availability and performance of machines.

Cloud Apps Improve Knowledge Management

Cloud apps help the teams in production and service with their tasks, but they also help companies use another central resource more effectively: the knowledge of their employees. In every production, some experts know exactly why plant A needs different parameters than plant B, what to do if a unit fails on a particular machine – and thus make an invaluable contribution to productivity. But what if these experts leave the company? How can this knowledge be used in other teams and at other locations?

Informal networks among colleagues often help here, but with the right digital tools, this collaboration can be intensified and documented. If there are problems with a system, colleagues and experts can be contacted and involved in finding a solution. For this purpose, the app provides standard methods from quality management such as Ishikawa or 5 Why and documents the solution found. Companies can set up their knowledge database from which all locations benefit – and support operators and maintenance managers in increasing the uptime of machines and systems.

Add Data Processing Options To Automation

By integrating cloud and edge applications, numerous typical tasks in the production environment can be efficiently and effectively supported. Apps can supplement the existing automation with efficient data preparation and processing options without having to intervene heavily in the machine or system architecture. Existing machines or systems can also be retrofitted with corresponding IIoT gateways or edge devices, reducing investment costs and lowering the risks for ongoing system operation.

Users must choose an open and secure platform that offers them both the option of using ready-to-use apps and developing their solutions – either as high-level language applications or with the help of low-code applications such as those offered by Mendix. In this way, for example, initial applications can also be implemented with generic apps to identify potential and create corresponding business cases. These results can then be rolled out on a broader basis – and the possibilities of the Industrial Internet of Things can be used in your own company.

ALSO READ: Technology And Medicine : Digitization Offers In The Health Sector

Technology And Medicine : Digitization Offers In The Health Sector

Techno Rumours

October 11, 2021

Technology is making great strides towards the future almost every day. The medical sector is now also benefiting greatly from digitization. Various apps provide information about your health.

Under certain circumstances, visits to the doctor can also be purely digital, and health insurance can be managed digitally. Even the federal government is banking on the future with its Corona app. Medicine and technology will probably continue to go hand in hand in the future. At this point, we have summarized the possibilities that are now available and how people can benefit from them.

E-Health And Digital Health

For the topic of “digital health” to be promoted, the Government has already correctly recognized that, above all, digital infrastructures must be created and further developed. Digital technologies can then help to cope with future challenges, such as demographic change and the chronic shortage of doctors, particularly in rural areas.

The so-called e-health initiative is already one such approach that aims to advance other digital processes already running in the health sector in the future. It is now the case that people monitor their health themselves with so-called wearables, in the form of smartwatches and fitness bracelets. Patients search online for doctors, their office hours and illnesses. People are also increasingly finding out about healthy lifestyles online and via apps.

Apps On The Smartphone That Make You Healthy

The market for health programs is enormous and in demand. Fitness apps and lifestyle apps that are designed to help users achieve a healthy lifestyle are top-rated. They can count the steps and traditionally set small challenges. The keyword here is “playful”.

We feel that the interest in health and physical fitness has never been greater. This can also be seen in the current fitness market. Sports and exercise apps on smartphones playfully drive their users to exercise. Commands from the app, such as “Just 100 steps more” or “Just get up twice”, encourage you to pass daily personal challenges. The motivation remains at a high level.

Other health apps that are supposed to help you drink enough water during the day are also running successfully. People are relieved of the responsibility to think about something for themselves. At the same time, the competitive nature of such apps encourages them to become and stay active. yazio, for example, is an app that combines everything, i.e. fitness, health and nutrition. We may even look forward to the fact that there will be health apps like this on prescription soon.

Manage Insurance Digitally

Insurance is a significant area of healthcare. Nobody can do without health insurance, be it private or statutory. To raise your insurance coverage to a digital level, this is where digital insurance managers, such as the CLARK app, come into play.

Here, patients not only find information about their insurance at a glance. All policies can be viewed in one place and are always with you on your smartphone if necessary. Based on this, the team behind the app makes suggestions for optimizing insurance coverage.

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Medicine And Technology: Go To The Doctor Digitally

Shortly, we can assume that digital consultations with general practitioners can become the standard, even if this will not necessarily replace personal contact. Since 2020, doctors have been allowed to look after an unlimited number of patients during one consultation hour. This is particularly useful when it is only about agreements and no significant investigations.

If the patient needs a referral to a specialist, patients can do this easily over the Internet. If the patient has cold or flu symptoms, it is possible to take sick leave remotely. If only a follow-up recipe is required, just one click is enough. In this way, digital consultation hours could make the lives of doctors and patients much more straightforward.

To take advantage of the video consultation, everyone involved needs a certain amount of essential equipment. In the practices, computers with cameras and microphones are sufficient. Loudspeakers or headphones are also required. A smartphone or tablet and a suitable app are usually sufficient for patients.

Medicine And Technology: Digital Health Record

Meanwhile, the digital offer even goes beyond health apps and video doctor visits. There are currently several developers who offer so-called digital health records. Patients can enter the relevant health data in the app, save it and always have it at hand.

The advantage of this is obvious: when patients go to a new general practitioner for the first time or see a specialist, they do not yet know anything about their state of health. In most cases, an extensive self-assessment must first be filled out, but it does not yet cover all areas.

Digital health records offer the option of synchronizing all requested information and data with the doctor’s database. That saves a lot of work for everyone involved. Even in emergencies, doctors only have to look at the electronic health record and know immediately.

The disadvantage here, however, is that all health data must be stored in the cloud. So you run the risk of becoming a transparent patient. In addition, input errors and bugs are feared that could jeopardize appropriate treatment. Nevertheless, the experts believe that an electronic health record is an absolute must for the future health system.

Don’t exclude seniors

Our society is getting older and older, and older people, in particular, should benefit from services such as digital consultation hours. Unfortunately, the new technology is still somewhat alien to many senior citizens. Although computers and smartphones are part of our everyday lives, older people in particular often don’t know what to do with them. They are denied access to such digital offers. To prevent this from happening, politicians have to make enormous improvements. People have to learn to deal with medicine and technology to be able to use the offer.

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