FORLOG

BAVARIAN RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR SUPRA-ADAPTIVE LOGISTIC SYSTEMS

PlanLog

Field of work:

Objectives Shorter innovation cycles caused by strong innovation pressure, the trend towards individualized products and the high number of variants are great challenges for companies. Due to the permanently changing basic conditions, companies are forced to quick and efficient (supra-adaptive) adjustment of their logistical processes and systems. But the currently available planning tools to support these adjustments are mainly isolated applications so that clearly existing potential is not yet opened up. The subproject PlanLog is dealing with the standardization of logistics planning within the whole value chain to secure logistical adaptivity and flexibility from begin on. The main tasks in this context are: •Identification of planning triggers and the particular planning- process steps caused •Conservation and provision of existing knowledge for future tasks •Conceptual design and implementation of an adaptive planning concept on the basis of a planning kit with standardized, modular elements •Application of modern virtual and augmented reality technology for supporting logistics planning Procedure The objectives of this project require, first, the identification and classification of planning triggers and influencing parameters. Second, the respectively triggered planning processes and cause-and-effects correlations within the whole value-chain have to be identified. This will provide the fundament for an effective reaction of each company to the changing basic conditions. Core of the project is then the design of a module-based planning concept, which gives a complete description of every planning step and supplies tools for the whole planning process. A planning module is encompassing defined jobs that are distinctive in task and results. Each module is build up in a standardized form and can be combined with other modules to a planning chain. The modules can be individually modified, optimized and reused. The connectivity of the different modules is ensuring the supra-adaptive solution of different planning tasks. The mapping of the modules is carried out object-oriented and IT-based. Thus, appropriate data structures as the requirement for an IT-solution have to be defined. An important aspect is the identification and design of interfaces and data formats that can link and connect to the existing tools of a company. Especially tools of the Digital Production as virtual and augmented reality are to be implemented into the module-based planning. The application of these tools will enable a quicker and better planning on the basis of intuitive human-machine-communication. Within an effective knowledge-management the involvement of best practice is a core topic of the project. The existing expert knowledge in the respective company has to be collected and modified to supply the specific knowledge within the modules to the planning process and, thus, to directly support the planers. During the whole project the methods, concepts and modules created are evaluated in corporation with the industry and research partners by solving problems of the practice. Results The realisation of a comprehensive and adaptive planning concept that enables all involved supply chain members to adapt their logistical structures and processes efficiently to the quickly changing internal and external basic conditions is the aim of the project. The implementing of the planning concept is done by means of an IT-based tool as a prototype. The realisation of a comprehensive and adaptive planning concept that enables all involved supply chain members to adapt their logistical structures and processes efficiently to the quickly changing internal and external basic conditions is the aim of the project. The implementing of the planning concept is done by means of an IT-based tool as a prototype.