Many plant and component manufacturers are currently developing their own IoT platforms. For SAP, however, the decisive factor is integration capability: "Plant operators are forced to integrate numerous applications from different providers in order to increase the availability of a plant. As a rule, the applications are not compatible with each other. This prevents comprehensive monitoring of all systems and therefore holistically digitalized operating, production and maintenance processes," explains Nils Herzberg, Senior Vice President SAP Leonardo IoT. And this is precisely where SAP is positioning itself: "This calls for the experience of a provider that links machines and components in factory halls with business processes and can connect the worlds of the production plant operator with that of the machine manufacturer," Herzberg continues. Digitalization will have an even greater impact on the company in the future. Internal and external processes are merging in intelligent production. In addition to the automation pyramid, big data architectures and collaboration platforms are emerging so that manufacturers can offer digital services to operators.

As a highlight at the trade fair, SAP will be focusing on the digital twin, which will serve as a hub for digitalization and the platform economy in the industry. "Digital twins build a bridge between the real and digital worlds and combine sensor and status information with maintenance, production and quality information about the system and the workpiece," says Herzberg. The digital representative is stored on the cloud-based 'SAP Asset Intelligence Network' platform. There, all stakeholders have access to identical asset structures and real-time data - operators, manufacturers and service providers. In order to work optimally with the twin, applications tailored to the discrete and process industries as well as the appropriate connectivity services for device management are also available.

At its stand, SAP and its partners will be presenting showcases relating to digitalization. Together with partners Endress+Hauser, Pepperl+Fuchs, Samson and Hilscher, SAP will be presenting a solution for the process industry. It will show how a production plant can be proactively monitored and how plant availability can be increased with the help of predictive maintenance. With an application for dynamic manufacturing, SAP wants to demonstrate new forms of intralogistics and indoor positioning that ensure smooth processes and optimized transport in the factory: for example, autonomous agents will be demonstrated using simple transport crates equipped with an OPC UA-capable microchip. The crates know what they are transporting, communicate independently with the workstations via the chip and check which resource is best suited for the process.

Bidirectional, direct communication between the programmable logic controller (PLC) and the ERP or manufacturing execution system (MES) is another example of how business and production-related IT can be seamlessly interlinked. Finally, an 'Industrial IoT Wall' will provide visitors with a vivid demonstration of live processes relating to the digital twin.