Industrie 4.0 Consulting

The KUKA Consulting approach is based on a modular, field-tested procedure which focuses on the customer’s individual added value.

Industrie 4.0 solutions from KUKA and our partners are first trialed as prototypes to validate their relevance and effective added value at short notice within a customer context. Not Industrie 4.0 for the sake of digitization, but Industrie 4.0 as an opportunity for the integral development of individual components, processes, systems, or indeed entire corporate areas.

Industrie 4.0 Consulting Phase 1: Explore

Vision Workshop

Starting point of the KUKA Consulting approach is a common workshop at the customer’s facilities. The focus is to identify the strategic goals and on this basis to evaluate the relevant areas on the shop floor, define a valid project timeline and set up the right project team. The initial alignment between the stakeholders and the project team helps to establish an excellent foundation for the cooperation.

KUKA totally focusses on the customer with its Industrie 4.0 Consulting approach.

Industrie 4.0 Readiness

The technological maturity of production environments and their components is crucial for the customer’s procedure and development towards Industrie 4.0. As every enterprise has its own current status of smart products and defines its own Industrie 4.0 goals and, for example, general IT structures, customers need an individual approach of their own. This status can be analyzed for each customer and then incorporated into the overall process.

KUKA Industrie 4.0 Consulting Phase 2: Design & Prototype

Business Model Innovation
Innovative products and solutions arising from Industrie 4.0 approaches call for a new mindset on value creation and absorption. Not only technologies change, but also how customers and other stakeholders in the extended ecosystem interact. Consolidating market position in the age of digital change hinges on setting yourself apart from the crowd with services, tapping new sales channels, or establishing new payment models.

IT Security
Increased networking of machines and industrial systems generates new threat scenarios for manufacturing and digitized companies. Yet even individual “smart” components may be targeted by cyber criminals. So it is good to know that KUKA can come to the rescue. With the security consulting of our project partner, we offer line operators and component manufacturers tailored threat and risk analyses that they can use to assess the current security situation.

IT Architecture
New complex issues related to IT architecture in general arise in the wake of digitization and Industrie 4.0:

Safeguarding the security and interaction of the various layers
Sustainable development in relation to scaling & connectivity
Integration of existing systems and infrastructure
Solution combinations incorporating business processes, technology, connectivity, and Big Data Here too, KUKA offers the right advice on these issues and devises integrated solutions together with customers.

Smart Processes

Process chains in modern production and logistics systems offer further starting points for optimization by integrating (real-time) data, for example. In-depth industry and technical know-how is essential for the analysis and development of “smart” processes. Along with our consulting ecosystem partners we identify the main potential in our customers’ systems within a few weeks. And we achieve measurable results in minimal timeframes simply by performing minor additions and adjustments to existing processes.

As a thought leader and technology pioneer, KUKA also implements its own solution concepts in production at the Augsburg site.

Smart Logistics

Digitization in production and warehouse logistics has already reached a very advanced stage. Material flow analyses, condition monitoring, or digital shadowing for 3D system visualization are already firm fixtures in the Swisslog portfolio. Yet which of these measures take customers to the next crucial level? In this case, too, KUKA Consulting opts for joint, structured specification of optimization possibilities and offers the necessary solution expertise with the right partners.

Prototyping & Simulation

Many enterprises are very cautious when it comes to implementing Industrie 4.0 projects, considering them to be too expensive and time-consuming, and offering only uncertain outcome and benefit. Thanks to fast, efficient prototyping, we do not beat about the bush, but try things out as quickly as possible, together with a cross-disciplinary team. Any mistakes are made together to learn from them – all of this taking place within a set budget. This is the fastest route to innovation.

KUKA Industrie 4.0 Consulting Phase 3: Pilot

After the Explore and Design & Prototype Phases, implementation of specific medium-to long-term projects is launched. Based on collective insights, technologies and solution modules are now specifically implemented and entire system areas further optimized in this way. Applying the KUKA Consulting approach we address the customer’s objectives through Industrie 4.0-focused automation solutions, individual potentials through digital services or innovative business models. The KUKA Consulting approach offers a coordinated start to your journey into the digital future.