Autor: Michael Scheuchl

Industry and export are the engine of the German economy. Not least the financial crisis and the impact on the real economy showed that the general conditions of the industrial enterprises change increasingly faster and radically. Changes which have been observed for longer times are enforced by the aftermath of the financial crisis. Two category groups can be identified as main challenges for the German industry: encrusted structures and socio-technical change. In companies the classical management methods are widely spread whose effectivity relies on the entire knowledge of causal connections and influence factors. But against the background of the actual challenges this not the status quo. This article explains how the comparison with nature offers explanations and approaches for the described problem.

The production 2020 must live up to a variety of expectations - lean, efficient processes, maximum flexibility and a high degree of adaptivity are in the focus. These expectations result in new, complex planning requirements for production systems. The actual strong fragmented and inhomogeneous information architecture has to be transferred into an integrated concept, generating an overall view on business processes, methods and systems. Furthermore the planning process must be designed flexible and adaptive. Thus a fast reaction to fast changing boundary conditions and requirements can be guaranteed. This article gives practical design recommendations, how to plan the future of production.

The dynamic business environment is a logistical challenge for the automotive industry. Original Equipment Manufacturers, suppliers and logistics service providers are dealing within a complex network, which makes adjustments of a single company still essential, but stresses the necessity of optimised cooperation in the automotive industry for efficient reaction. The main questions for the members of ForLog are to which situations with an impact on the logistics system players in the automotive network have to adjust and how important these situations are for each single player.