Design

Digitalization and the possibility to use big data give companies the opportunity to establish hybrid business models. This enables them to offer customers smart services in addition to their physical products, create more value and strengthen their competitiveness. The hybridization goes along with new competence requirements, which need to be shaped. In the AnGeWaNt project, hybrid business models were developed and implemented in three companies. This article describes the approach to analyze new competence requirements and how to build up new skills for a successful hybridization

Automatization and Digitalization are keywords regarding innovative assembly of Smart Factories. Despite all, no Smart Factory is able to produce completely without blue color workers. To stay competitive in the global world companies they need to find the balance to hire only as less employees as possible to guarantee all assembly processes. Therefore, Labor Efficiency is the key figure to control attendance and output. This article explains the role of labor efficiency with regards to the Smart Factory. For this purpose, the input factors attendance and output are explained and illustrated by practical examples. Moreover, it explains how labor efficiency can influence competitiveness positively.

Initiated by the digitalization, the organization of production and employees are subject to change. Innovative and digitized formats should be integrated into existing training programs. Therefore, suitable and target group-specific teaching/learning formats are needed that support participative methods and digital collaboration. For this purpose, a digital teaching and learning format for the application area of automotive engineering in SMEs was designed. This prototypical teaching/learning format was created and evaluated in an iterative process through the participation of the potential. The results show that the test subjects mainly refer to the usability criteria of DIN ISO 9241-110. Recommendations for the creation of future digital teaching and learning formats for SMEs are derived from these findings.

The use of LNG propulsion in ships has significant environmental benefits but also creates chal- lenges in handling. Due to safety regulations, the maintenance of the LNG ship systems requires a high degree of reliability and accuracy. Thus, this paper deals with the development and evaluation of an AR-assistance system. The system based on an Android smartphone enables users to access maintenance instructions and manuals and supports the work process step by step through context-sensitive virtualizations. Its evaluation was conducted as a combined quantitative and qualitative user study.

This paper focuses on the investigation of current technical challenges in the context of industrial Virtual Reality (VR)-based training applications. This paper analyzes the current state of the art of industrial VR applications and provides a structured overview of the existing technical challenges. The identified challenges are discussed based on an industrial training scenario for the safe handling of electrical components.

The market for technical services is currently undergoing a transformation that is having an impact on the business models and structures of companies in this market. This change also has consequences for the specialists at technical service providers: In addition to new technical knowledge, they have to communicate more with customers and partners in particular. These interactions are not always free of conflict and can become stressful for employees. The article shows examples of how technical service companies can improve the interaction situation of their employees with organizational measures.

Learning factories offer the possibility to plan, execute and analyze the knowledge imparted in theory on realistic industrial systems. This article analyzes the potential of developing and operating a learning factory in a virtual environment. For this purpose, institutions with learning factories are surveyed regarding the challenges and desires in the operation of learning factories and the mentioned aspects are discussed with regard to their representability in Virtual Reality. The result shows that Virtual Reality positively influences a large part of the aspects and has a high potential to solve current challenges in the establishment and operation of learning factories.

An important element for companies to deal with the demands of the world of work is the continuous and needs-specific further training of employees. The possibility of learning close to the workplace has a major role to play here.

Employees, machines and products get connected: the 4th Industrial Revolution has begun [1]. This is a central statement on the homepage of the German „Plattform Industrie 4.0“. Meanwhile the basic ideas started to move from the shopfloor level to the level of business processes and business models. In consequence it was detected pretty early, that digitization will affect the employees and their qualification and tasks in the companies; the term Work 4.0 evolved. The following contribution emphasizes the systematization of qualifications. A new model will be displayed, that helps to bring transparency to the distribution of qualification in companies. The useability of the model is verified in two case studies. The model is a practicable instrument for companies to gain a realistic view to the upcoming challenges of the shift of qualification due to digitization.