Manufacturing
In addition to technological leadership, digital transformation is becoming increasingly important for the economic success of industrial companies. A successful digital transformation provides the basis for distinguishing oneself from the competition in further dimensions than just technological leadership and thus for increasing earnings and profit in the long term. Clear beneficiaries are topics such as Supply Chain Management, Product Life Cycle Management or Smart Factory.
The digital transformation also opens up new opportunities in the service business, for example. For example, the automation of service processes, new digital interfaces to the customer and new service products and business models are only made possible by digitalization. Compared to traditional product business, services offer many advantages:
- On average, services generate higher revenue growth than the product business
- Profitability in service is generally higher than in product business
- While products have to be sold new each time, service contracts are long-term and generate continuous and stable income flows
- Frequent interaction in the service generates a high level of customer proximity and increases customer loyalty
- Via services, companies collect valuable information on product usage
In order for the digital transformation to succeed, silos must be broken down and new, more permeable structures (organizational, functional and technical) and processes must be created that allow for comprehensive, digital and optimized collaboration. This not only within the boundaries of the company, but throughout the entire supply and value-added chain up to the end customer and also throughout the entire life cycle of a product up to its disposal. Only then can initiatives such as Lean, Asset Performance, Value Chain, Customer Centricity, Service or digital business models, which focus on the customer and his expectations, be effectively implemented to their full value.
Digital transformation as a success driver for industrial companies.
In order for the digital transformation to progress effectively and in a targeted manner, it is advisable to develop a digital strategy and to create a clear roadmap with directions and concrete projects. Since IT plays a central role in the implementation of the digital strategy, IT needs a corresponding IT strategy as well as clarity regarding IT governance and data management, for example.
The technologies, tools, architectures, concepts and models such as Industry 4.0, IIoT, platforms, MES and PLM systems, digital twins or data analytics for predictive or even prescriptive analytics are essentially widely available. The subsequent networking of production infrastructures and machines still poses a challenge. Existing and emerging standards, as well as edge devices and edge computing, are increasingly offering a helping hand here. On the IT side, the necessary technologies and applications are also generally available. Although large system manufacturers and suppliers are working on integrating more and more components on their platforms, a clear IT strategy, IT and data architecture and IT governance are needed to build up the overall system and operate the system effectively in the long term. Experience shows that the life cycle time of digital infrastructures is much shorter than in the physical world.
The available resources for this are few and far between on the market, so industrial companies would do well to address these issues in detail as soon as possible. Otherwise, there is a danger that the overarching benefits of digital interlinking will not materialize.
How we can assist you:
Our consultants have many years of expertise and practical experience with innovative solutions for industry. Each approach is based on a clear IT strategy and data architecture that takes into account the current and future requirements of Big Data Management as well as the highest levels of security, availability and flexibility. In addition, our experts will help you with suggestions for technologies, processes and structures to tackle upcoming challenges in daily operations in a goal-oriented and efficient way.
AWK FOKUS «The cloud in the regulated sector»
AWK FOKUS (2021/11)
In the regulated sector, the cloud is also widely acknowledged to be an important harbinger of the digital revolution. But a large number of challenges are associated with using the cloud. What does a cloud strategy need to take into consideration? What form should the governance take? What roles, processes and guidelines are required for secure and compliant cloud usage? How should I go about migrating applications to the cloud that had previously been operated on site, and what does that mean for my organization and my operating model?
We wish you enjoyable reading.
Dr. Axel Uhl und Dr. Boris Ricken über die Zukunft der Automobilindustrie (Teil 3/3)
MES - Manufacturing Execution System
E-Paper (2021/06)
AWK Focus «IoT - paving the way to the era of connected things»
AWK FOCUS (2021/05)
Learn what it takes to fully leverage the potential of IoT applications to create business value in our latest edition of AWK FOCUS.
A framework for the systematic development and adaptation of digitization strategies
Published
Information Systems & Management, Springer Professional (2021/05)
In practice, there is a great need to shape digitization strategically and to locate it systematically in a digitization strategy. We address this with a framework for the systematic development and adaptation of digitization strategies.
Switzerland is on course
Handelszeitung (2021/03)
The manufacturing industry is increasingly taking advantage of the opportunities offered by digitalisation. A large number of companies have initiated digitisation projects.
Digital strategy survey
MEDIA RELEASE (2021/03)
Swiss industry neglects digitization at strategic level
Security in the IoT - A topic on the move
E-Paper (2021/01)
In this publication, the first section highlights typical use cases of IoT. The second part then explains the most important points to consider for a secure use of the IoT.
Trends and fields of action in industrial service
SMM Swiss Machinery Market Annual Main Issue (2020/12)
Digital innovations in the industry: higher margins, more stable business
Published
Handelszeitung (2020/11)
Innovations In industry, it makes sense to add services to product sales with digital technologies. The acid test came with the lockdowns.
How service trends in the Swiss industrial sector are strengthened by COVID-19
E-Paper (2020/11)
Sharp declines in demand, supply chain disruptions, travel restrictions and hygiene regulations affect all key functions of value creation.
Digitalisation by Covid-19
Published
Computerworld (2020/11)
The Covid 19 pandemic is involuntarily driving Switzerland's digitalisation forward. Companies must now define the right medium and long-term measures.
Customer reference - Kardex
Customer reference (2020/10)
Corona crisis and M&A in the Swiss MEM industries
The Swiss MEM industry is facing major challenges as a result of the Corona crisis. This article shows which long-term M&A trends are emerging in the Swiss MEM industry and what companies should bear in mind in order to be successful in such acquisitions.
7th Industry Forum 2025: Development of a digital strategy at Reishauer
Presentation (2020/05)
Presentation «Development of a digital strategy at Reishauer» at the 7th Industry Forum 2025
Action plan for CIOs, CTOs and CDOs of Swiss industrial companies
E-Paper (2020/03)
CIOs, CTOs and CDOs are faced with major technical challenges. In our publication "Action Plan" we describe first steps how CIOs, CTOs and CDOs can tackle this challenge.
Digital platforms - Are Swiss industrial companies oversleeping the business model of the future?
E-Paper (2020/03)
Swiss industrialfirms should lose no time and proactively put the topic of the platform economy on the management agenda. The opportunities offered by digital platforms cannot only be exploited by setting up one's own platform. Rather, industrialfirms should also consider how they can use other platform business models for themselves.
Customer centricity as an opportunity for the industry
E-Paper (2020/02)
Digitalisation and Industry 4.0 confront Swiss industrial companies with new opportunities and challenges. New technological possibilities, innovative business models, changing customer
changing customer expectations and the entry of new competitors are among the drivers of this transformation. However, approaching these changes from a purely technical perspective is dangerous. Instead, industrial companies should consistently put the customer at the centre.
The smart factory becomes a competitive factor
Published
Schweizer Maschinenmarkt, Ausgabe 4 (2020/02)
Smart Factory - Why the project must go hand in hand with a change in corporate culture.
Resilience
AWK Focus (2019/10)
The buzzword "resilience" is omnipresent in the entrepreneurial context for one simple reason: the future is becoming increasingly difficult to predict in concrete terms. Resilience increases the resistance of companies to unknown and often negative events.
Do Swiss industrial companies need their own digital strategy for Industry 4.0?
E-Paper (2019/10)
A lot of time has passed since the term Industry 4.0 was introduced to the public at the Hanover Fair in 2011. The constant exposure to these topics is beginning to show signs of fatigue among managers.
Industry 4.0 as a strategic project
Swiss machinery market (2019/10)
This article has been published in German.
Agile strategy development in industrial companies
Published
Maschinenbau - The Swiss industry magazine (2019/07)
Many Swiss industrial companies still follow a cumbersome, linear process in their strategic planning. Given the radical change in the environment of Swiss industry, this is astonishing.
Smart Society - Curse or blessing?
AWK FOCUS (2018/10)
While digitisation projects in past years were mainly about digitising processes, constantly improving the customer experience.
Data, data, data - Take advantage of the full potential
AWK Focus (2016/10)
Never before have organisations had more extensive and insightful data assets than today - and never before have the opportunities been better to exploit this potential to the full.
Make Omni-Channel & Co. possible
Published
While e-commerce dominated the market just a few years ago, today the real world is merging with the digital world.
Project Portfolio Management - From Strategy to the Right Projects
AWK Focus (2015/10)
AWK has an even more comprehensive range of consulting and training services in the field of project management.
Swisscom will switch off existing telephony in 2017 - what next?
Published
The uniform transmission of voice, video and data via the Internet Protocol (IP) has become established worldwide.
Change successfully
Published
Computerweek (2015/03)
Change management has contributed significantly to stabilising IT operations in recent years. In times of digital transformation, new challenges and opportunities now await.
"All IP" - Communication in upheaval
AWK KNOWLEDGE (2014/12)
By the end of 2017, the existing public switched telephone network (PSTN) throughout Switzerland will be converted to IP technology (Voice over IP, VoIP). Until then, most of the existing subscriber switching systems in companies will either have to be adapted or replaced.
A modern business IT organization
Web week (2014/09)
After years of increasing centralisation, decentralised IT functions are increasingly needed in the specialised departments due to the crucial importance of IT for the value chain. This requires a new holistic management approach for IT in the company.
Successful ICT procurement is not witchcraft
AWK FOCUS (2014/06)
Among other things, procurement involves a lot of money. Individual cases of corruption scandals in the media distract from the actual purpose of procurement: First, the required service or the desired system must be specified and then a partner must be found for its realisation. This is a difficult starting position considering that often only rough ideas exist regarding the object of delivery.
Dr Roger Mosimann, Bernhard Rösli, Michael Graf
ICT - the key to a successful strategy and its implementation
AWK KNOWLEDGE (2014/03)
Many companies only get as far as formulating the strategy. How can implementation be ensured?
Successful process optimization in practice
AWK KNOWLEDGE (2013/12)
Companies today are subject to constant change. Examples of change triggers are changes in the market, mergers, outsourcing or even new laws and industry standards. Therefore, the management of business processes is part of the everyday life of companies today.
Mine your data - A way to a better understanding of the company
AWK KNOWLEDGE (2013/03)
The amount of data in companies increases on average by 40% annually. This data is mostly only used within dedicated business applications. In addition to classic application data and unstructured document collections, machine-generated data from devices and systems has also increased significantly. In the context of social media and e-business, new types of tools for data analysis and interpretation have come onto the market in recent years that do not require a data warehouse.
The leverage effect of optimized data management
Published
ICT Communication (2013/02)
The optimal management and use of data plays an important role because it is a prerequisite for efficient business processes. The professional management of master data is therefore at the top of the agenda of many IT organisations.
