Carl Zeiss AG tech leader talks up being first for SAP cloud-based manufacturing
Key Takeaways
⇨ Carl Zeiss AG Head of Connected Smart Factory Jochen Scheuerer was in Australia to meet with fellow SAP customers in ANZ
⇨ Zeiss Group wanted to harmonise operations and replace manual processes with standardised applications
⇨ One of the first customers of the cloud-based manufacturing execution system (MES) to digitalise the shop floor and manufacturing
A top IT executive at German optical systems and optoelectronics giant Zeiss Group was in Australia in May to meet with fellow SAP customers.
Jochen Scheuerer, Head of Connected Smart Factory at Zeiss Group’s holding company Carl Zeiss AG, shared Carl Zeiss AG’s journey with SAP Digital Manufacturing (SAP DM) with other SAP customers in Australia and New Zealand.
The company wanted to improve the working relationship of the several units within Zeiss Group – the holding company Carl Zeiss AG; the four business segments Industrial Quality and Research, Medical Technology, Consumer Markets and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology; and the Shared Production Unit, where the bulk of the manufacturing work is done.
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“In general, the idea was to harmonize operations and support smooth production practices, with standardised applications replacing manual production processes,” Scheuerer said.
“But a major consideration involved the very high standards of testing and documentation required to meet our regulatory obligations. This provided a multitude of challenges in terms of how to adapt them to an entirely new context.”
The company was also one of the first customers of the cloud-based manufacturing execution system (MES), mapping out the plans to digitalise the shop floor and manufacturing processes, while also considering the regulatory requirements.
Zeiss Group worked with strategic partner Deloitte and implementation partner Syntax to deploy SAP Digital Manufacturing. Scheuerer said Syntax was chosen for its previous work with another German manufacturing powerhouse Porsche.
A proof of concept was done with Carl Zeiss Meditec, with its success prompting the implementation of SAP DM across Zeiss Group’s production lines.
“Using the solution, we have defined an approach that allows us to roll out MES projects into production, including the validation at the end of every sprint,” Scheuerer said.
“This is highly unusual and quite innovative and means we are packaging an entire solution that’s fully tested and fully documented once per month.”
As a result, Zeiss Group eliminated what was previously a paper-based documentation process to an automated process via SAP. The business systems were also connected to shop-floor equipment to improve visibility across manufacturing plants, while also serving as a process control mechanism.
SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) was also implemented to provide the technical foundation to manage and audit processes and workflows and integrate with Zeiss Group’s instance of SAP ERP.
Zeiss Group also reported improvements for its operations from a sustainability standpoint.
“The company now has data to provide a better understanding of where scrap is produced, so we can alter inputs to use less energy to produce the same number of finished parts,” Andreas Busse, Process Consultant Connected Smart Factory at Carl Zeiss AG, said.
