The manufacturing of products in the chemical industry is managed by several digital systems, each of one covering different aspects (e.g., raw material handling, control of process parameters, maintenance, etc.)
Within the “last leg of digitalization”, the operators in the plant have now mobile devices that could connect them to all these systems
Those systems are not integrated at the mobile level, which creates an assortment of concurrent and heterogeneous interfaces that become impossible to navigate
Interoperability of those systems at the app level is not generally available
One unified back-end system to connect to all data sources, multiple back-end for different mobile devices, one single UX interface.
Typical use cases: mobile maintenance, real-time turn-around management, remote assistance, remote expert, digital loop check, AR for production, …
Erste Initiativen innerhalb des Unternehmens
Mobile devices and limited mobile applications
Ad-hoc interoperability solutions for limited subsets of applications
Roadmap / overview of digital systems is available
Notwendigkeit der Unterstützung
A solution for integrating multiple applications (or functions) into one mobile platform that ensures interoperability
A unified UX on mobile that communicates with several digital systems (e.g., turn-around schedule viewer, check-lists, SAP connection and reporting, etc.)
A progressive deployment that seamlessly integrates existing partial solutions without a radical discontinuity.
Conceptual support to find a suitable approach (no technical implementation)
Possible procedure:
Evaluation of procedures from Domain Driven Design
– e.g.: „Event Storming“ workshop with potential users, experts and software architects/developers
– Derivation of bounded contexts and technically definable application areas/function blocks (order, billing, reporting …)
Customer centricity
– UX conception, guidelines, design, user testing and feedback
API centering
– Clear back-end structure that adapts to the complexity of existing ERP/MES systems and industry standards for ERP/MES networks
– Wide flexibility and customization for front-end
Possible target picture could be:
– Modular system for generating mobile/web apps with standardized widgets
– Integrative platform with standardized plugins/connectors to systems of the group IT as middleware/services
