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The logistics industry is currently being confronted with various challenges, such as the lack of drivers, global disruptions to supply chains and the environmental impact of freight transport. In a comparison between the modes of transport, this speaks for a greater shift in freight transport from road to rail. In this article, the challenges for this shift are examined and it is shown to what extent data models can simplify the transport planning and economic assessment of regional freight tram transports. (Only in German)

The application of blockchain and smart contracts also enables the building and operation of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). While DAOs are already regularly in use in other areas – e. g. the financial sector − there has hardly been any application in an industrial environment, although, digitalisation and the upcoming of the "Internet of Things" have created a fruitful environment. This article looks at possible economic approaches to adaptation and explores potential business models that could result from the establishment of DAOs in Industry 4.0. (Only in German)

Professor Bernd Scholz-Reiter studied industrial engineering at the Technical University of Berlin. After several positions in Germany and abroad, he accepted the call to the University of Bremen in 2000, where he initially held the professorship of Planning and Control of Production Systems in the Department of Production Engineering. From 2002 to 2012, he also headed the Bremen Institute for Production and Logistics (BIBA). From 2012 to 2022, Bernd Scholz-Reiter was rector of the University of Bremen.

Open-source hardware (OSH) is on its way from a grassroots movement to a major social and industrial development. Open product development processes and products promise innovations for new markets and new customers. OSH could be the answer to the question of how the shift to local and sustainable production could look like. To make this possible, essential core questions need to be answered. How can a business model based on openness and exchange make money at all? (Only in German)

Technical cleanliness as a quality feature in the automotive industry is continuously growing in importance. In this context, particularly high cleanliness requirements are placed on battery cells for electric vehicles, which must be adhered to along the value chain. This paper will introduce an assessment method for the analysis of technical cleanliness in the production process of lithium-ion- cells as well as revealing potential failure causes.

Following the success of subscription models such as Netflix or Spotify in the IT and multimedia sector, the implementation of Industry 4.0 is increasingly creating the conditions for offering comparable models in the industrial context. Accordingly, pioneers are offering subscription models for printing machines, compressors or locomotives, for example. Providers do not act alone, but are supported in the design and implementation of the subscription offer by various players such as financiers, insurance companies or digitization service providers. This creates what is known as a subscription ecosystem. This article sheds light on these ecosystems and shows to what extent which players can participate in industrial subscription models. Depending on customer acceptance of these models, a wide variety of companies have the opportunity to benefit from the subscription trend and to tap into new markets and customer groups

Manufacturing companies are currently facing many hurdles. It is becoming increasingly difficult for them to find qualified workers, so-called blue collar workers. Technology adoption and system usability also pose challenges in the industry, as digital time tracking and shift scheduling are far from the norm in the industrial sector. Human resources software should facilitate the daily tasks of departments in order to achieve business goals. The use of such technologies saves valuable time as processes are automated. The needs of employees are put in the foreground to improve both resource planning and communication of manufacturing companies.

Digital twins are an important part of the Industry 4.0 idea. They mirror physical goods in the digital world and enhance them with additional capabilities and functions for analysis, forecasting and decisionmaking. This paper contributes to the classification and assessment of Digital Twins using a multidimensional maturity model. The presented method "DT-Assess" enables an application-specific assessment of Digital Twins. The developed maturity model consists of seven categories with a total of 31 characteristics to be evaluated. The systematic evaluation in five application scenarios allows, for the first time, a classification of the respective "digital twin" implementation or concept with the aim of identifying further development options and weaknesses.

Huge amounts of information are stored in the memory of every employee. How a product works, best practices in departments, customer-specific information, general market and competitive knowledge, etc. This expertise is a blind spot in most companies. So how do you make in-house know-how available? And in a time when many employees work remotely, in home offices, even across countries or continents?

As a result of dynamic markets, industrial companies often reach their limits to remain competitive. Smart connected solutions (SCS) comprise data-based and service-oriented offerings to stay successful. This paper provides practice-oriented insights into SCS maturity, challenges in building SCS business models and recommendations for action for industrial companies.