FORLOG

BAVARIAN RESEARCH ASSOCIATION FOR SUPRA-ADAPTIVE LOGISTIC SYSTEMS

SysLog

Field of work:

Objectives The capability of quick adjustment (supra-adaptability) became a crucial competence of the automotive industry during the last years. The subproject SysLog is dealing with the architecture of the information systems (IS-architecture) required for the automotive industry’ s logistics-systems as a critical success factor for adaptability. The institutional coverage of the analysis is encompassing the whole automotive value chain as supply industry, car manufacturer and distribution chain. The following questions are thereby of great importance: • Which is the normative basis for the design of IS- architectures? • Which IS-architectures are available in future to support the supra-adaptability of the automotive industry’s logistics- systems? • Which are the situations the IS-architecture of the automotive industry’s logistics-systems has to adapt to? • In which situation should which IS-architecture be used to support the supra-adaptability of the automotive industry’s logistics-systems? Procedure The procedure of the subproject SysLog is methodically based on the situational approach of structural design [Burns und Stalker 1961, Blau and Schoenherr 1971]. This approach is starting from the assumption that the formal organisation structure (here in the relevant context of the IS-architecture) has a strong influence on the efficiency of an organisation and especially on its adaptability. But there is no universally efficient IS-architecture. An organisation has to adapt its structure to the particular situation. The procedure of the project as regards content is herewith determined. Work package 1: “Literature research for the normative design of IS-architectures” The project SysLog is starting with a critical exploration and examination of existing approaches for the design of IS-architectures. Work package 2: “Determination of the dimensions and criteria for the description of the initial situation” Systematic determination of the requirements with an operational conception of the “situation” (here the adjustment-situation) Work package 3: “Description of real adjustment-situations and analysis of the resulting requirements for the IS-architecture” Description of the empirically verifiable typical adjustment-situations of the automotive industry Work package 4: “Market- and strategy-oriented analysis” Description of the expected adjustment-situations on the market (procurement, distribution) as the challenges for the design of the IS-architecture Work package 5: “Definition of the components of IS-architectures” Identification and semantic-descriptive examination of the significant generic architecture components of logistical information systems within the automotive industry Work package 6: “Typological definition of real IS-architectures” Empirically based definition of architecture types of logistical information systems within the automotive industry Work package 7: “Technology-oriented analysis” Identification and explication of the current and expected technological reaction parameters for the architecture design of logistical information systems within the automotive industry Work Package 8: “Strategies for the design of IS-architectures” Development of situational recommendations by combination of situation and architecture type Results The core aim of the project is - in corporation with the other projects of Forlog - to provide a substantial support for the automotive industry to build up the capability of supra-adaptability. In this regard the project SysLog has the following aims: • Choice of IS-architectures: SysLog is building up a typology of IS-architectures. This can be understood as a choice of activity options that is offered to the automotive industry to support the aim “supra-adaptability” through an adequate design of IS-architectures • Adjustment-situation and their relevance for the IS-architecture: The adjustment-situations that are to be controlled by the IS-architecture have to be systematized. • Strategies for the IS-architectures: Finally, SysLog will develop situational strategies to support the aim “supra-adaptability” through designing IS-architectures These results allow participants of the automotive industry to assess the demands and requirements for the design of IS-architectures to achieve supra-adaptability and, secondly, to work out a design program according to the situational strategy.