Profitability

The aviation industry faces significant challenges in reducing the environmental impact of global air traffic. This results in the goal of net zero emissions by 2050. Innovations and new technologies must be implemented along the entire value chain to achieve this goal. In this context, investments and decisions have to be evaluated based on their potential to reduce environmental impacts. One method for operationalizing these issues is the life cycle assessment framework. This paper presents an analytical decision model for the potential assessment of LCA at aircraft manufacturers. The basis of the model is the derivation of criteria for the assessment and the identification of use cases along the value creation process. Based on the decision model, first concrete application scenarios are identified. (Only in German)

Many departments have already recognized the enormous increase in efficiency and personnel relief from routine activities through process automation. These digital thought leaders have begun to automate office processes using new technologies such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA), low code in the Microsoft Power Platform or in SAP. However, the positive experiences often remain in individual departments. Due to the lack of a strategic superstructure, companies as a whole have not yet succeeded in systematically transferring the added values to all areas. The organizational solution for this is called a "Center of Automation". Sometimes it is enough for the team to consist of two members to bring an overarching, digital process mindset into a company. (Only in German)

A robust and resilient supply chain is a critical success factor for the competitiveness of manufacturing companies. However, today’s supply chain faces various challenges, such as higher complexities and increasing dynamics coming from megatrends (i. e. globalization and sustainability). The medium-sized drive technology industry, with its global supply chains and high customer requirements, is particularly affected by these challenges. Therefore, digitalization initiatives are crucial. This article analyzes current digitalization projects in the drive technology industry in order to identify relevant trends and fields of application. Synthesized from the industry's target picture for higher resilience/ flexibility, greater transparency and more sustainability along the supply chain, these provide guidance for medium-sized companies and their digitalization strategies. (Only in German)

The Act on the Protection of Human Rights in Global Supply Chains (Supply Chain Act), which will apply from 1 January 2023, pursues the goal of tracing production and working conditions that violate human rights as well as the protection of the environment in the value creation networks. To act when grievances are identi ed, information on production and working conditions must be available transparently across supply networks. However, this goal is only possible with a digital and e cient exchange of information. The question is therefore how and under what framework conditions this exchange of information can succeed.

There is hardly any day without publishing news on digitization and industry 4.0 and their respective necessity. Risks and shortcomings of IT-security are as well current topics. The striking question on management level is, where is my company regarding IT-security? How can we get a guiding light into the complexity of all related terms? This article is an outcome of research activities at the University of Applied Sciences Middlehesse. It is meant to support management to identify the actual status of IT-security and identify possible shortfalls. Based on a maturity grade model IT-security is described by six aspects with five levels each. This will help to point out room for improvements

The employee remains a key productivity element in industrial assembly. Assembly assistance systems have therefore become an integral part of employee support. This paper presents a novel assistance system that complements process-related assistance with human-centered functionalities. In addition, an approach for the systematic evaluation of assembly assistance systems is presented in this paper. The research is based on an evaluation of the current state of the art through systematic market analysis of available assembly assistance systems.

The introduction of digital technologies will provide completely new possibilities for the design and operation of supply chains in the future. A decisive step should be the decentralization of structures and processes inside firms which also shows effect on the cooperation between companies. It finally offers the opportunity to solve long-standing problems of supply chain management. When are companies ready to take this step? The technologies are.