Industry 4.0 Brings Mobile Phone Production Back to Germany

A breathing supply chain in combination with Made in Germany can pay off

This step could not stop Nokia's decline.  The possibilities of Industry 4.0 - whether through collaborating robots or through highly automated and data-supported closed-loop production - have meanwhile also led to a rethinking in the ITC industry and to production either returning to Germany or not being relocated at all. The close cooperation between humans and robots at Fujitsu's Augsburg plant opens up new possibilities in the production and testing of motherboards. Robots support the workers in their cooperation by working side by side with them on assembly lines. "The cooperation between Fujitsu and Kuka in the human-robot collaboration is a prime example of how we are driving forward future issues around Industry 4.0. This new approach to the production of sensitive electronic components relieves employees of difficult, repetitive routine tasks, reduces the risk of potential errors, and increases production performance," summarizes Vera Schneevoigt, Senior VP for Product Supply Operations at Fujitsu EMEIA.

Fujitsu and Kuka plan to incorporate additional functions such as data analysis to explore the potential of human-robot collaboration in areas such as predictive maintenance and quality control and new possibilities for usage-based billing models. For Fujitsu in Augsburg, Industry 4.0 could could play a decisive role in securing the future of the site. The plant is regarded as a showcase factory and is one of the most modern IT plants worldwide, which also enjoys a special status within the Fujitsu Group. According to Schneevoigt, Fujitsu's joint venture with Lenovo in the PC division will also not affect the Augsburg site.

The advantages of Industry 4.0 can also be applied to the Supply Chain 4.0, as the Lancom example shows. The telco company successfully relies on "Made in Germany" for its VPN routers, as confirmed by Regine Reimann, Director Procurement and Logistics at Lancom. "Our VPN routers are particularly appreciated by our customers because of their sustainability and reliability. Design and production in Germany make a considerable contribution to this positive perception. "Made in Germany" is an essential part of the quality promise we at Lancom make to our customers. But it also stands for our brand values of security and trustworthiness."

Among others, the routers are manufactured at the contract manufacturer BMK in Augsburg. Tobias Stache, Sales Team Manager of BMK, explains the advantages of the Supply Chain 4.0: "Lancom's demand is adjusted slightly fluctuating with respect to the predicted project requirements and controlled via a 6-month forecast. On this basis, BMK can align the material flow and production planning accordingly. The actual quantity required for the month of delivery is ordered at short notice by Lancom. We can compensate ordering tolerances via a buffer stock of components. Thus the storage risk on both sides is absolutely minimized."

AVM, inventor of the Fritz!box, demonstrates that the breathing supply chain in combination with Made in Germany can pay off. The popular WLAN router is produced, tested, packaged, and delivered directly to the dealer by Rafi. Apart from a few components, the entire production process takes place in Berg in Upper Swabia. How much money can be saved with an agile Supply Chain 4.0 is often underestimated, but can be essential for business success - and thus for successful production in Germany.

1. Industry 4.0 Brings Mobile Phone Production Back to Germany
2. A breathing supply chain in combination with Made in Germany can pay off