Manfred Austen, CEO, on December 23, 2021, 11:27 AM
2021: A Virtual Rollercoaster of Pandemic Uncertainty and Silver Linings
Pandemic-related challenges have continued to generate so much uncertainty for all of us this year. While the current situation is less than ideal, fresh approaches to doing business, thinking about business, and transacting business have presented themselves. The manufacturing industry, among others, is stepping up to the challenge of reconsidering the status quo.
In the past 12 months, SYSTEMA has witnessed an increased interest in manufacturing automation ranging from relatively simple Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions to highly complex Root Cause Analysis solutions, and many things in between. Manufacturers are getting more comfortable with SAP cloud-based MES solutions, remote and hybrid work arrangements, as well as virtual resources for meetings, consultation and support services.
Cloud-Based MES Solutions
SYSTEMA was the first in North America to implement SAP’s Digital Manufacturing Cloud solution. Babcock & Wilcox, a manufacturer with more than 150 years of experience in the field of safe, sustainable power generation introduced successfully SAP DMC. Read more about that project here.
And some more Automation Projects
Besides the pandemic the chip shortage has driven demand for a much higher automation degree in semiconductor manufacturing, ranging from higher material handling automation by AIVs even in the backend to automating equipment without proper automation capabilities by leveraging IIoT technologies. SYSTEMA was in the fortunate position of being able to serve these and other needs of customers worldwide. This also includes in particular a much higher level of traceability down to single devices to provide the functions needed for fast and targeted reactions to situations in production.
SYSTEMA has been deeply rooted in the semiconductor vertical since its inception. The resulting long-standing customer relationships have enabled SYSTEMA to continue to make important contributions to shape the competitiveness of semiconductor manufacturing in Europe and worldwide in 2021. Thus, SYSTEMA is not only witnessing this development but is actively shaping the industry’s milestones.
Noteworthy Partnerships
SYSTEMA has decided to establish a second MES provider partnership for the semiconductor industry (because SAP does not focus on this branch) and has recently obtained partnership status with Critical Manufacturing based in Porto, Portugal. This is the perfect pairing as Critical Manufacturing produces an award-winning MES and SYSTEMA offers an outstanding experience in equipment integration implementation. We are excited about the capabilities of Critical Manufacturing MES and look forward to implementing the powerful application for the best benefit of our customers.
Follow-the-Sun Support
One of our strategic objectives in the SAP line of business has been to introduce a “follow-the-sun” support model for application management services. With locations spanning the globe, we are capable of providing 24/7 expert support by allocating support responsibilities to SYSTEMA experts based on their local time zone. We are pleased to report that we have begun an incremental roll-out of this service and will make it available to a wider audience as soon as possible.
Hybrid Work & Events
At SYSTEMA, we have been thrilled to have the opportunity once again to see our customers and partners face-to-face for some limited on-site events. At the same time, we focused heavily on providing a virtual option for those who wished to attend but were unable to do so in person. Needless to say, we’ve learned a lot in the process and continue to invest in providing the best experience for our event guests. While we remain hopeful that in-person meetings and events become commonplace soon, we also recognize the importance of providing virtual options and will continue to do so.
SYSTEMA has also invested heavily in technology, infrastructure, and processes to enable the success of our global team as they have adjusted to hybrid and remote work arrangements. These efforts have strengthened our ability to collaborate internally to provide the quality of service and support our partners and customers expect.
As we approach 2022, growth will continue to be a focus. In order to support that growth, we are actively recruiting software engineers…bonus points for applicants with manufacturing experience. You can find our career listings here.
Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and Happy New Year from all of us at SYSTEMA!
2021 was economically a very successful year and organizationally a year of learning and reconsidering the status quo. We look forward to doing more of the same next year. Please make sure to follow us on LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest company news and events.
We wish you much success and look forward to working with you…and seeing you in person in 2022!
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