Industry 4.0 is dramatically changing the world of manufacturing, and SMEs in particular need special support to benefit from the new opportunities and remain competitive. The idea was to pursue a holistic approach. This means taking into account and integrating the dimensions of technology, organization and personnel (T-O-P). The objective was clearly defined: the development and testing of a maturity-based process model that supports small and medium-sized companies in particular in the development of cyber-physical production systems and the derivation of a corresponding customized development path. The optimum target state is determined individually for each company according to benefits and cost-effectiveness.

The model, which was developed over three years and tested under real conditions by the application partners, transformed "Adaption" into a software solution. This interactive tool supports companies throughout the entire migration process, from determining the current status to deriving and implementing the measures required to achieve the individual target status and thus the individual Industry 4.0 vision. As the success of operational change processes depends largely on the way in which employees participate and communicate, it was important to take the "personnel" dimension into account in the development. The necessary skills of employees must be constantly promoted and developed.

Introduction of an MES for SMEs

One task in the "Adaption" project was to support the application partners involved in the selection of suitable IT tools. The MES area is just one small aspect of the Industry 4.0 environment. Proxia Software was involved in the research project with regard to two points in particular. Firstly, based on its many years of experience on the market, recommendations for action were to be made during the studies with the application partners to ensure that mistakes are not repeated. Secondly, the modularity of the individual systems was to be tested.

Benefits of the adaptation project

The Adaption project was concerned with the design and development of a software system that can help identify the current and target status of the organization, plan the operations necessary to bridge the existing gap, and monitor and evaluate progress. An essential part of these changes is the human element, whose necessary skills need to be developed. The Adaption System is intended to offer companies their own ways of solving their problems independently. The focus is on industrial application scenarios in work planning and project management as well as the further development of the skills of the professional groups concerned. Employees must therefore also be provided with further training opportunities for dealing with new technologies.