Over 100 representatives from manufacturing companies discuss at the 5th FASTEC User Forum
Paderborn, 15 November 2018: How can digitalization be used quickly, cost-effectively and effectively in manufacturing companies? This central question was the focus of the user forum held by Paderborn-based software provider FASTEC at the beginning of November. For the fifth time, the specialist for MES software for production optimization invited managing directors, production managers and quality managers to the Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum to share their experiences.
From internationally interlinked corporations to medium-sized manufacturing companies – more than 100 interested parties from the D-A-CH region and neighboring European countries met for a practice-oriented exchange on the use of software to control and optimize production processes. “Our goal is always to focus on constructive dialog with users and interested parties on the path to Industry 4.0,” says Dr. Karl-Heinz Gerdes, founder and Managing Director of FASTEC GmbH, explaining the motivation behind the user forums.
Tomas Pfänder, Member of the Management Board of Unity AG in Büren, provided the first impulse. In his keynote speech, he called on the guests to think more openly about the future. “Digitalization is coming one way or another. The only question is how we deal with it and how actively we shape our future,” said Pfänder. The three best-practice examples from the food producer Unilever, the metal company Stahlrump and the pharmaceutical company CSL Behring followed on seamlessly from this invitation. In their presentations, the speakers showed how they were able to optimize their production step by step with the help of FASTEC’s modular software. From tips on selecting a suitable software provider and dos and don’ts during installation to the successful use of the data obtained, the participating industry representatives were given important suggestions for immediate use in their day-to-day business. Despite all the differences in the implementation of digital solutions within production, the speakers agreed on one point: “Take the people with you!” Production process optimization and digitalization can only be successful and effective if everyone involved is actively involved right from the start.
Between the practical reports, the guests at the “FASTEC Marketplace” had ample opportunity to exchange ideas with the speakers, users and experts from FASTEC, question product features and experience the modular software system for production process optimization in action. “It was particularly important to us that our guests could get an image of our software on site. That’s why we were happy to give them the opportunity to be convinced by live presentations at various stands. This allowed our guests to get to know modules that make production planning easier or improve transparency in the factory, for example,” says Managing Director Christian Reusch.
FASTEC will stick to the format of the cross-industry exchange of experience. A production manager from southern Germany also cited a key reason: “Just talking about Industry 4.0 is boring. We need practical examples and concrete tips for implementation. And this is exactly what the FASTEC user forum offers.”
