Achieve networked and automated control in your manufacturing processes

Smart Factory

Through the use of automation and digitalization, the factory of the future must be able to meet increasingly complex requirements, ensure flexibility and scalability, and always operate at the optimum operating point. The use of cutting-edge technologies and intelligent systems has transformed traditional manufacturing processes. In addition, the integration of holistic IT architectures is a critical step in enabling seamless operations. A smart factory represents the convergence of digital technologies with traditional manufacturing processes, resulting in a highly automated and intelligent production environment. Through technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics and data analytics, smart factories are enabling the interconnectivity of machines, systems and people to optimize production efficiency, improve product quality and increase overall operational performance.

Together with you, we create a clear picture of your factory of the future and derive concrete measures to increase productivity, efficiency and competitiveness. We support you from the strategy to the final implementation of technologies and systems in your smart factory.

Our Consulting Services for Smart Factory

Smart factory strategy and target picture

Shape the future with a clear vision

Your challenges:

No clear picture of future production requirements
Differentiating views on the priority of future projects
No resources to review trends in IT and automation

UNITY solution approach:

Impulses on relevant developments regarding business models, products and technologies in your industry
Analyze possible future scenarios and evaluate the influence on the corporate strategy and future production systems
Develop a target picture of your factory of the future incl. use cases and their influence on the production system, technologies, IT/OT architectures and organization

Optimization of the value network

Produce the right product in the right place

Your challenges:

Intransparent, cross-plant production system
Many redundancies in production and organization
High logistics costs in the value network

UNITY solution approach:

Evaluate the production network/ uncover potential for reducing costs in the organization, production and logistics
Analyze possible site scenarios within your production network using standardized evaluation criteria
Analyze cross-site production programs and identify cost potentials
Evaluate your current make or buy structure, analyze your supplier portfolio and derive measures

Virtual factory & digital twin in production

Data-based optimization of production for greater efficiency

Your challenges:

Lack of transparency in production and logistics
Need for improvement in simulation of production
No strategic use of data for continuous optimization

UNITY solution approach:

Seamless integration of the digital twin of the product (PDM)
Define use cases and evaluate economic viability for the digital twin of production
Define relevant data models and system architectures
Detailed planning of implementationDerive requirements systems and organization

IT/OT architecture development

Strategic digitalization for more efficiency

Your challenges:

Need to redesign production systems to include modern digitalization solutions in the brown/green field
Need for strategic, cross-plant digitalization of production and logistics, based on (corporate) standards
Lack of transparency with regard to available and necessary data with simultaneous non-homogeneous software development in the plants

UNITY solution approach:

IT/OT architecture analysis to derive optimization potentials and digitalization strategies
Record and synchronize requirements from the various business units
Conceptualize IT/OT functional and system architectures based on use cases, customized strategy for service-oriented and platform-based approaches
Build a unified data model based on common companion specifications (EUROMAP, UMATI, PACKML, IPC CFX) and standards (ISA95) as a basis for the implementation of analytics solutions
Architecture-based development of OT governance for the strategic digitalization of manufacturing

Production IT system selection & implementation

Customized solutions for controlling production

Your challenges:

Lack of know-how, experience or capacities for efficient and custom-fit system selection and implementation with simultaneous high time pressure
Inadequate market knowledge regarding providers, the current state of the art, best practices and trends for future developments
Insecurity regarding the potential of modern smart factory solutions

UNITY solution approach:

Conceptual design of precisely fitting, necessary MES and Smart Factory systems, including the survey of potential benefits for budget planning and the definition of requirements for specifications
Conceptual design, implementation and evaluation of vendor and system benchmarks for all Smart Factory systems - from classic MES to APS, CAQ and other systems to SCADA - for the discrete and process industries
Implementation support up to go-live for efficient system implementation

Smart intralogistics

Competitive advantages through intelligent planning and control of your logistics processes

Your challenges:

No continuous flow of information in the logistics chain
Lack of data basis for the automation of intralogistics
High manual effort for controlling the logistics chain

UNITY solution approach:

Decision-making support for the selection of classic software solutions (WMS, fleet management, etc.)
Implement forecasting solutions through the use of AI and business analytics
Build digital twins and control towers as part of a holistic IT/OT architecture

Selected services from the UNITY Service Portfolio Smart Factory

Future Factory Boost Camp

Efficient Value Creation

2-12 weeks

Work with us in short and efficient workshop formats to develop a clear vision for your factory of the future and a roadmap for implementation.

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Make an appointment with our experts

Depending on the topic, we provide you with the right experts. Select your preferred date from our calendar and discuss your concerns with our experts by phone or via Microsoft Teams without any obligation. We look forward to getting to know you!

Book an appointment