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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)

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.

Based on theoretical-empirical findings presented in the article "Technology Acceptance of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) (Part 1)", this article presents the results of an empirical study on the acceptance of robotic process automation (RPA) using structural equation modeling. This survey was conducted in a finance department of the business unit "Smart Infrastructure - Digital Grid" of a global technology company distributed throughout Germany.

In practice, the integration of heterogeneous IoT components is often a complex and confusing process. The different ways of representing information about individual assets create the desire for a standardized representation. The administration shell (AAS) creates a digital exchange format for this purpose. This potential is to be exploited and put into practice as part of the EIT project "AASHub". The aim of the project is to develop a process for integrating information from the administration shell into the IoT platform "Contact Elements for IoT". (Only in German)

n the automotive industry, preventive quality actions are applied to ensure the quality of the end products. During production ramp-up the occurrence of nonconformities can be a critical issue. Nonconformities with new and innovative products can be especially challenging due to limited experience of previously unknown processes. To address this challenge, an IT application has been developed to capture the organization's existing knowledge and use this to support the problem- solving team in applying an enhanced 8D method.

In the course of digitalization, more and more digital technologies are being used in various areas of logistics. The occupational field is changing and problem-solving and abstracting skills as well as competencies in dealing with IT systems and data are increasingly required. Based on a literature review, this article provides an overview of the current situation in the logistics working world. Effects of digitalization as well as requirements and future competencies in the working world 4.0 are highlighted. Finally, a guideline for the management level is derived in order to promote the acquisition of competencies. (Only in German)