maturity level

Machine learning offers a wide range of potential, especially in production, and is therefore becoming increasingly important. However, small and medium-sized businesses are lacking guidelines that are specifically tailored to their individual challenges to guide them step-by-step through the process. In conjunction with a potential analysis, the determination of relevant prerequisites and a maturity assessment, this article can serve as a guide for SMEs.

Managers across the globe discuss the impact of digitalization on their business models. Among many other functions, procurement is strongly impacted by this development. However, “Procurement 4.0” goes far beyond the increased use of IT systems. It also has an impact on strategic dimensions such as supplier relationships. Data in this context will have a more important, if not critical, role- whether as some sort of “currency” in negotiations or as the basis for many procurement decisions, from operative order processing to supplier selection.

After a delayed start, in the last years OT security has substantially caught up with IT security. Many technical IT security controls are also available for machines and plants. But the maturity distribution in the field of OT is more complex and fragmented, as shown in the present article. Certain fundamental issues and contradictions of IT security become particularly obvious here and might need to be solved within OT security.

Production systems require a continuous development to contribute to the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry. Therefore, the audit of production systems enables the determination of the current maturity level of production. This allows for the identification of deficits and the definition of starting points for a sustainable optimization of the production. This article focuses on the development of a maturity level based self-assessment concept for the evaluation of the sustainability of production systems.