Location: 52425 Jülich, Germany · Industry: Research, large-scale research facility, workshops, SAP, shop-floor data collection · Products: Research equipment, scientific instruments, workshop parts, prototypes and technical test components · ERP: SAP ERP · Website: https://www.fz-juelich.de/ · S4P modules: FELIOS|BDE powered by 4BDE
Initial situation
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, located in Jülich, is one of the largest interdisciplinary research institutions in Europe with around 7,200 employees. In its in-house workshops and metalworking facilities, highly specialised components and experimental set-ups are manufactured for research. The existing, largely manual acquisition of manufacturing data made a transparent overview of order progress and machine utilisation difficult. Media breaks between the SAP ERP system and the shop floor as well as an insufficient data basis stood in the way of efficient production control.
Challenge
In the in-house workshops of Forschungszentrum Jülich – with around 7,200 employees – highly specialised components and experimental set-ups are manufactured in the smallest lot sizes. The largely manual acquisition of manufacturing data made a transparent overview of order progress, machine utilisation and resource availability difficult. The goal was end-to-end shop-floor data collection seamlessly integrated with SAP ERP and providing a solid basis for control, evaluation and cost tracking in the workshops.
Solution
Together with software4production, end-to-end shop-floor and machine data collection (BDE) was introduced, seamlessly integrated with the existing SAP ERP system. The S4P solution enables complete acquisition of all relevant manufacturing data in real time directly on the shop floor and thereby creates the basis for transparent and efficient workshop control. Real-time acquisition of operating data (BDE) directly on the shop floor, end-to-end integration with the existing SAP ERP system and with FELIOS|APS for backlog-free production planning, transparent overview of order progress and machine utilisation as well as order-related traceability and documentation are core building blocks.
Results and benefits
With the introduction of FELIOS|BDE, Forschungszentrum Jülich significantly increases transparency in manufacturing and noticeably improves workshop control. Manual acquisition effort was reduced and a solid data basis for well-founded decisions was created. Higher transparency over order and machine status in real time, reduction of manual acquisition and maintenance effort, an improved planning and decision-making basis and solid KPIs as a foundation for continuous improvement are the key results.