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Whether it is the availability and costs of raw materials, energy and personnel or simply market and sales options, disruptions are increasingly influencing the business of manufacturing companies. In recent years, it has become clear that robustness, particularly in the face of a wide range of disruptions, cannot be countered by managing critical resources alone. From the authors' point of view, the design of robust corporate processes is part of the comprehensive approach. In this article, the importance of robust processes in the context of critically changing resources and infrastructures is demonstrated. (Only in German)

As a result of disruptions in the supply chain, enhancing resilience has become imperative. Upon reevaluating risks associated with the supply side, it is necessary to shift our perspective on inventory management. Drawing from proven and practical solutions, we should focus on implementing swift measures to bolster stock levels and transition from single sourcing to multiple sourcing. Furthermore, embracing digitization will significantly enhance the efficiency of the supply chain as well as the identification of faults. (Only in German)

Corona crisis, supply chain problems and global crises lead to growing uncertainties in the business environment of machine manufacturers and their customers. Usage-based business models offer flexible solutions to make business models more resilient and able to cope with future challenges. (Only in German)

The supply of CRM to domestic companies is threatened by disruptions (e. g. trade conflicts or shortages). Relocating production to stable regions is often not possible in the context of CRM due to geological reasons. One way out is CE. From a network perspective, the resilience must be improved and expanded to include viability. In CE for resilience improvement, a distinction must be made between ex-post and ex-ante CE. Ex-post CE is used as a reaction to a disruption and ex-ante CE reduces the probability of a disruption occurring.

The number of successful cyber attacks on industrial manufacturing is constantly increasing due to the growth of digitalization and networking. IT security certifications are an effective means against these attacks and at the same time create confidence in and comparability of IT security about production and IT products. This article compares certification standards such as ISO/IEC 15408 - Common Criteria (CC) and specific standards for mobile communications (including NESAS CCS-GI), of GSM Association (GSMA) and 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), for testing depth and efficiency. (Only in German)

While the digital world has already made its way into many other production areas, the bakery industry has so far benefited little from these technological developments. This is because many baking processes are manually controlled and rely on expert knowledge. In addition, the process data from the machines is still not automatically captured via sensors. This paper describes a procedure for digitizing baking processes by developing an IoT framework consisting of an IoT device including measurement methods, an edge gateway, and a simulation-based solution for process optimization.

Every day there are cyber attacks in the industrial sector − only the most spectacular incidents make the headlines. Like the attack on the automotive supplier Continental last summer or on the commercial vehicle supplier SAF-Holland in March this year. The financial damage caused by such attacks and the loss of trust among customers and employees are enormous. As protection against cyber attacks, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) now recommends that companies use a browser with so-called virtualised instances for the first time. This is because most attacks enter company networks via the internet. Such a browser can systematically keep attackers out of the network and is therefore a particularly effective protection.

Digitalisation stands for efficiency and process optimisation. It is therefore all the more surprising that even larger medium-sized companies often do not yet have a digital solution for their contract management - the foundation of all economic activity. Instead, long email chains, inconsistent documents and unclear responsibilities dominate the processes from drafting to signing a contract.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can make a major contribution to the future viability of our economy and society—whether by improving existing processes or new products and services that promise greater efficiency, more robust structures and more climate protection. At present, however, SMEs in particular are still reluctant to use AI systems. The frequently cited reason is that data protection hurdles appear to be too high. This article discusses the opportunities of data-based value creation. The central question is how AI applications in industry can generate economic added value from data while maintaining data protection and security.

eProcurement systems enable employees to handle the purchase of C-parts and indirect requirements independently with a minimum of work. This article explains how this can free up space for the strategically decisive procurement of A and B parts. The basic idea is to outsource the operative procurement activity to those who have the demand - so-called demand carriers. Decisive for the success of this approach is the right mix of individual freedom and sufficient control. Here, eProcurement solutions offer various levers that the purchasing department can configure according to the respective company situation. (Only in German)