A look back into the past shows that crises are a new situation in their own right, but for companies they are constantly recurring challenges. This applies to the current corona crisis as well as to the financial crisis in the past or completely individual crises such as a devastating fire or the loss of important suppliers or major customers. Every now and then, new exceptional situations arise to which companies have to adapt in order to learn how to deal with crises. Digitisation is an important key to making the company more flexible and crisis-proof. We at agiplan are convinced that there is an opportunity in every crisis and that digitisation can do much more than just intercept problems. The goal of our digitisation consulting is to support companies beyond the corona crisis to not only maintain their competitiveness in the digital age with transparent, flexible and highly efficient processes and software, but to sustainably improve it.
The current crisis has once again underlined the importance of digitisation for companies in all sectors. Many processes would no longer be possible without access from the home office. But digitisation can do more than just enable mobile working. It ensures transparent, efficient processes and thus opens up numerous opportunities. It enables companies to emerge from the crisis faster and be prepared for the next crisis.
In cooperation with the VDI, agiplan conducted a study on the effects and the handling of the crisis. It shows that companies affected by declining sales and turnover will focus more strongly on digitisation projects in the future. These companies explicitly state that they have learned from the crisis to attach greater importance to digitisation. [Source: agiplan/VDI survey 2020].
With the three fields of action we have developed: "Optimisation of information flows", "Data analysis and data management" and "Virtual production & logistics", we help companies to not only prepare themselves optimally for the next exceptional situation, but significantly improve their processes.
Fast and broad access to the right information is a critical success factor, especially in times of crisis. If analog workflows are transferred unchanged to a virtual environment, companies will only tap part of the digitisation potential. The digitised information flows open up completely new possibilities for process design.
Let's think, for example, of remote access to machines and systems: In this example, faults can be forwarded directly to the relevant service personnel - depending on the type of the fault, even directly pre-sorted to the relevant technical expert. This expert can eliminate the majority of faults remotely and thus save the trip to the plant. Any service work that he still has to carry out on site can be optimally prepared, for example by taking the appropriate spare parts with him. In both cases, valuable time and efficiency advantages are achieved. The digital flow of information in this example offers further advantages: If the employee on site encounters unexpected problems, he can call in another expert with the required know-how on an ad hoc basis to assist him remotely.
The goal of optimised information flows and digital employee communication is to combine physical and virtual processes and to create a holistic, efficient system in which physical boundaries are overcome virtually. People, machines and systems become more tightly linked through networking.
agiplan supports companies in optimising the flow of information in the plant and along the supply chain, creating transparency and identifying interrelationships.
In order to make the right decisions in a crisis quickly, a reliable database is indispensable. Comprehensive and up-to-date information enables a coordinated and efficient procedure. By combining data from different sources and systems, interrelationships become apparent and appropriate responses can be made in a targeted manner.
The aim is the collection, evaluation and provision of data on processes, quality, products, means of production, employees and their environment to improve processes and quality. Information about the overall system is collected and evaluated. Companies learn from this for the future, recognise deviations promptly and are thus optimally prepared for the next crisis. Therefore agiplan helps to organise data and information in the company and to derive the maximum benefit.
With the help of simulation models, we test and evaluate scenarios, make changes and effects apparent and reduce risks in the long term. Process progresses and system statuses are thus visible at all times and forecasts allow developments to be evaluated. In times of crisis, virtual mapping helps to develop scenarios, evaluate them and thus quickly and appropriately assess alternative courses of action in the event of a crisis. The virtual representation of the company with its processes therefore provides safety in uncertain times.
The goal to be achieved in the short term is the dynamic mapping of the company with its processes. As a long-term future scenario, production across the plants and the entire supply chain is largely virtualised and consists of autonomous and flexible systems. In times of crisis, these networked individual systems can adapt independently and quickly to changing situations. Here, agiplan supports in not only setting the right course for these future issues, but also in benefiting from virtualisation today. The simulation of different scenarios provides planning security. In addition, the decentralised design of companies helps to react quickly and appropriately to the unpredictable.
On the one hand, we help our clients with the digitisation of their internal processes. On the other, we use digital applications to optimise our consulting and planning. Our interdisciplinary teams of IT experts, factory and logistics planners have a profound knowledge of the software landscape, in the field of modelling technology and have many years of experience in the development and implementation of production and logistics concepts. This allows us to show you the way out of the crisis and into digital transformation.
Do you need support in implementing digital processes? You can find more information about our digitisation services for your company here. We would also be happy to meet with you in person. We look forward to your inquiry!
