New Textbook: Digital platforms and ecosystems in the B2B sector
Book chapter excerpt
The article deals with the question of how supplier integration can take place in specific sub-processes in new product development using an IT platform. In particular, it deals with the release of parts and their materials that originate from suppliers in the value added chain. A new feature here is the integration of test laboratories that carry out independent tests. The case is discussed on the basis of complex products in the automotive industry.
10.1 Collaboration as an industrial phenomenon
Automotive companies purchase the majority of parts from suppliers (less than 50% of the value added remains with the OEM - Original Equipment Manufacturer; see Koch, 2006). With thousands of purchased parts for a new vehicle model, the administrative effort in the automotive industry is extremely high. There is a lack of cross-company standards and interfaces for the data required for parts approval (both for specification documents/standards and for test certificates). A double-digit number of employees are required for the evaluation, allocation and documentation of part approvals - usually on the basis of unstructured PDF documents. In addition to the documentation effort, transmission errors can occur – furthermore, it is difficult to identify incorrect information. Secure, digital transmission is therefore desirable. The industry has recognized this and is now undergoing a paradigm shift towards cloud-oriented solutions that, compared to the static interfaces set up in the past, simply allow new connections or role changes in networked structures across multiple levels. For example, the Catena-X association was founded in Germany with the aim of creating standards for fair, secure, and compliant data exchange (see Catena-X e. V., 2022). The case study discussed here shows a cloud solution for the integration of parts suppliers and service providers that significantly increases efficiency. This makes a significant contribution to meeting the strategically relevant "time-to-market" (cf. Stirzel & Hüntelmann, 2008).
10.2 Problem definition, objectives and approach
The article uses standard industry processes and the newly developed "material.one" platform to show how collaboration can be efficient and error-free with a high degree of digitalization. On the one hand, the digitization of approval processes in the chain of an OEM is considered, and on the other hand, it is shown how the platform can be used jointly in several (competitive) automotive OEMs and their supply chains through appropriate governance. Upon Examination, the following questions and objectives arise:
- How can cross-company release management for collaborating companies in the automotive industry be designed in terms of processes involving all stakeholders?
(→ Process model/requirements in the context of development with suppliers Section 10.3.4.1)
- How can a collaborative approval workflow be appropriately supported
by a digital platform?
(→ Platform concept section 10.3.5)