Complexity Management is the Key for Competitiveness in the Industry 4.0 Age

Digitalization is amplifying product and variant diversity. Customers want digital added value, new services and customized products. Industry 4.0 concepts, methods and technologies enable innovative manufacturers to satisfy this needs. But the complexity must be kept on a sensible cost level. Fast changing market conditions and regulations add to even more complexity.

To control and adjust the optimum level of complexity is decisive for profitability and competitiveness. It’s important to keep in mind that reduction of complexity isn’t always the desirable result, because certain levels of home-breed complexity can be positive by creating a specific competitive edge, like unique quality or product features.

Complexity Management enables us to honor all aspects of complexity and to avoid cost traps.

The Complexity Management 4.0 strategy day conveys to managers of the areas

  • Product Development
  • Engineering
  • Manufacturing
  • Process Management
  • Portfolio Management
  • IT/Data/BI
  • Product Management
  • Purchasing
  • Business Operations

With an intensive program of best practice lectures, use cases, workshops, scientific insights and networking, attendees learn about the latest methods, trends and best practices in complexity management.

Interactive Networking Format

  • Inspiring talks (Cutting-edge business cases, strategies, technology, best management practices, analysis, methods)
  • Workshops
  • Networking meetings
  • Online archive and community

Topics

  • Mastering the diversity of variants in the 4.0 age
  • Which strategy in complexity management? Standardize or react flexibly?
  • Methods to find complexity drivers
  • Determine the optimal level of complexity
  • Relationship between market and company complexity
  • Identify and avoid complexity cost traps
  • Agile development, agile organization, agile process framework
  • orchestration strategies
  • Market analytics as a key / new methods / big data / business analytics
  • Complexity management in product development and planning
  • Digital engineering in product development
  • Optimizing the product range and portfolio strategies
  • IoT and the market-driven development of networked products
  • Development of digital services and platforms
  • Modularity management and product architecture
  • Individualization and batch size 1
  • Data strategy
  • Product data, data integration, interoperability, standards
  • Platform strategies
  • Variant management tools
  • Optimizing process structure
  • Optimizing resource structure
  • Optimizing production network
  • Configuration management 4.0
  • Lean Six Sigma
  • Early BOM

I had very intense and fruitful discussions with numerous interesting people. The discussions are very relevant for my daily business.

Jens Kaatze, Senior Vice President – Digital Transformation and Business Model Innovation, Business Unit Coatings, Adhesives and Specialties, Covestro Deutschland AG

Great setup and organisation enabled high level networking and an open-minded exchange. Exciting presentations showed new perspectives.

Axel Vogelbruch, Global Head of Digitalization (CDO), BYK-Chemie GmbH

Thank you very much for a really entertaining and very exciting day delivering ideas and inspirations on various levels.

Stefan Jörgens, Director R&D, Albrecht JUNG GmbH & Co.KG

Thank you very much for the invite. The quality of the conversations was very high – what a great networking platform!

Gregor Schrott, Vice President Digital Service Innovation, Bosch

Very meaningful event for know-how transfer, strategy definition and networking in an intimate, productive and easy-going environment. I received very good inputs for my digital strategy and defined new brilliant starting points. Looking forward to the next event.

Katharina Uribe Casillas, VP Global Business Development Automotive & Industrial, Kuehne + Nagel Management AG

Klaus Marquardt, Platform Program Manager, Draeger Medical

How Metrics Impact Complexity

  • We tested many metrics in the areas of software, portfolio and release management
  • Only a few metrics have been suitable to measure our progress
  • But also the non-suitable have been of use to increase

Dr. Ingo Gaida, Director Strategy Development Central R&D, Miele & Cie. KG

Complexity Management in Practice: Examples from R&D

  • The two sides of business strategy: Standards and Flexibility
  • Digital R&D: Platforms, Data & Engineering Processes
  • High Performance: Agile way of working

Dr. Jens Paggel, Senior Transformation Lead, Continental Automotive Technologies GmbH

Stop Scaling Agility

  • Our products are becoming increasingly complex. We spend more and more effort for managing complexity and dependencies. It is time to stop, take a break, to re-think the situation, and to re-claim the time and effort spend for something more useful: value generation.
  • How? Let us learn from some innovative companies and follow the example of putting architecture and interfaces first. When we define interfaces first, we can eliminate complexity for a large part of our development organization. Make it complex for few and simple for many.
  • I will provide some simple rules and principles you might want to reflect upon.

Manuel Schneider-Scheyer, Director R&D Electronics BU, Varroc Lighting Systems

The Myth of System Analysis! How System Engineering Methods Help To Control Complexity

  • Challenges of Product and System Development in 2022
  • Contrast & Compare: Complicated vs Complex
  • How to deal with Complexity during development
  • Successful Systems Engineering: integrated, iterative, flexible

Uwe Caspary, Director of System Organization / Head of Quality Management, HOPPECKE Batterien GmbH & Co. KG

The Company as a System - Managing Complexity Effectively

  • Board decision and target setting
  • Understanding and modelling the system
  • Managing the change and the system
  • Let it rock -> driving culture and involving people

Uwe Mierisch, Head of Engineering Management and Transformation MB Trucks, Daimler Truck AG

A Brief History of Dealing with Product Complexity at MB Trucks

  • Everything was simpler in the old days
  • From build to stock to build to order
  • Modularity in product documentation
  • Modularity in product design
  • The new dilemma: „What can be build - will be build - eventually“
  • Use Analytics and customer orientation as the next step

John Boothby, Continuous Improvement Manager, Paxton Access Ltd.

Did complexity kill Lean Manufacturing?

  • The complexities of the Just In Time, inventory-as-waste Supply Chain...
  • ... and the changes that have made it look foolish at best, and dangerous at worst
  • What we've learned: where do we need to rethink our lean principles?
  • What we shouldn't forget: what is the place of lean in the 'New Normal'?

Carsten Girth, Global Engineering Manager, Pall Corporation

Digital Engineering - Standardization, modularity management and effective engineering (time and cost reduction)

  • Efficient engineering à automatic generation of design documents and 3D step models
  • Simplification and optimization of the engineering process
  • Digital engineering from batch size 1 to serial production
  • Cost and time reduction, margin and revenue recognition (RevReq) increase

Rainer Brehm, Head of Plastic Process Engineering, Geberit Produktions GmbH

Leading Generation Z in an environment of complexity

  • Beside all technical innovations to manage complexity there are still people that have to deal with these innovations. In the future we will have a lot of employees that come of the generation Z. What are the differences between generation Z and Y and how we have to handle them? How we have to adjust the culture of leadership and corporate identity to be attractive for this people?

Klaus D. Schopf, Partner, Schuh & Co.

Avoiding Complexity Cost Pitfalls: Gut Feeling vs. Hard Data

  • Dealing with complexity in the digital age
  • Opportunities in simplicity
  • Good vs. bad complexity
  • Exploiting data for successfully managing complexity costs

Thorben Stüvel, Senior Consultant, Schuh Group

Complexity Management – Success Factors and Challenges

  • What's the point of using data to address complex challenges?
  • Are strict hierarchies suitable for managing complex systems?
  • Do we need a cultural shift and tolerance of mistakes to succeed in our dynamic world?

TimeActivity
08:15Start Registration
08:45Opening
09:00The Myth of System Analysis! How System Engineering Methods Help To Control Complexity
  • Challenges of Product and System Development in 2022
  • Contrast & Compare: Complicated vs Complex
  • How to deal with Complexity during development
  • Successful Systems Engineering: integrated, iterative, flexible
    Manuel Schneider-Scheyer, Director R&D Electronics BU, Varroc Lighting Systems

  • 9:30The Company as a System - Managing Complexity Effectively
  • Board decision and target setting
  • Understanding and modelling the system
  • Managing the change and the system
  • Let it rock -> driving culture and involving people
    Uwe Caspary, Director of System Organization / Head of Quality Management, HOPPECKE Batterien GmbH & Co. KG
  • 10:00Stop Scaling Agility
  • Our products are becoming increasingly complex. We spend more and more effort for managing complexity and dependencies. It is time to stop, take a break, to re-think the situation, and to re-claim the time and effort spend for something more useful: value generation.
  • How? Let us learn from some innovative companies and follow the example of putting architecture and interfaces first. When we define interfaces first, we can eliminate complexity for a large part of our development organization. Make it complex for few and simple for many.
  • I will provide some simple rules and principles you might want to reflect upon.
    Dr. Jens Paggel, Senior Transformation Lead, Continental Automotive Technologies GmbH
  • 10:30Avoiding Complexity Cost Pitfalls: Gut Feeling vs. Hard Data
    Dealing with complexity in the digital age

  • Opportunities in simplicity
  • Good vs. bad complexity
  • Exploiting data for successfully managing complexity costs
    Klaus D. Schopf, Partner, Schuh & Co.
  • 11:00Coffee Break with Networking
    11:30Digital Engineering - Standardization, modularity management and effective engineering (time and cost reduction)
  • Efficient engineering à automatic generation of design documents and 3D step models
  • Simplification and optimization of the engineering process
  • Digital engineering from batch size 1 to serial production
  • Cost and time reduction, margin and revenue recognition (RevReq) increase
    Carsten Girth, Global Engineering Manager, Pall Corporation
  • 12:00How Metrics Impact Complexity
  • We tested many metrics in the areas of software, portfolio and release management
  • Only a few metrics have been suitable to measure our progress
  • But also the non-suitable have been of use to increase
    Klaus Marquardt, Platform Program Manager, Draeger Medical
  • 12:30Lunch with Networking
    13:30Leading Generation Z in an environment of complexity
  • Beside all technical innovations to manage complexity there are still people that have to deal with these innovations. In the future we will have a lot of employees that come of the generation Z.
  • What are the differences between generation Z and Y and how we have to handle them?
  • How we have to adjust the culture of leadership and corporate identity to be attractive for this people?
    Rainer Brehm, Head of Plastic Process Engineering, Geberit Produktions GmbH
  • 14:00Did complexity kill Lean Manufacturing?
  • The complexities of the Just In Time, inventory-as-waste Supply Chain...
  • ... and the changes that have made it look foolish at best, and dangerous at worst
  • What we've learned: where do we need to rethink our lean principles?
  • What we shouldn't forget: what is the place of lean in the 'New Normal'?
    John Boothby, Continuous Improvement Manager, Paxton Access Ltd.
  • 14:30Coffee Break with Networking
    15:00Complexity Management in Practice: Examples from R&D
  • The two sides of business strategy: Standards and Flexibility
  • Digital R&D: Platforms, Data & Engineering Processes
  • High Performance: Agile way of working
    Dr. Ingo Gaida, Director Strategy Development Central R&D, Miele & Cie. KG
  • 15:30A Brief History of Dealing with Product Complexity at MB Trucks
  • Everything was simpler in the old days
  • From build to stock to build to order
  • Modularity in product documentation
  • Modularity in product design
  • The new dilemma: „What can be build - will be build - eventually“
  • Use Analytics and customer orientation as the next step
    Uwe Mierisch, Head of Engineering Management and Transformation MB Trucks, Daimler Truck AG
  • 16:00Complexity Management – Success Factors and Challenges
  • What's the point of using data to address complex challenges?
  • Are strict hierarchies suitable for managing complex systems?
  • Do we need a cultural shift and tolerance of mistakes to succeed in our dynamic world?
    Thorben Stüvel, Senior Consultant, Schuh Group
  • 16:30Closing Discussion and Wrap-up
    TimeActivity
    08:15Start Registration
    08:45Opening
    09:00The Myth of System Analysis! How System Engineering Methods Help To Control Complexity
  • Challenges of Product and System Development in 2022
  • Contrast & Compare: Complicated vs Complex
  • How to deal with Complexity during development
  • Successful Systems Engineering: integrated, iterative, flexible
    Manuel Schneider-Scheyer, Director R&D Electronics BU, Varroc Lighting Systems

  • 9:30The Company as a System - Managing Complexity Effectively
  • Board decision and target setting
  • Understanding and modelling the system
  • Managing the change and the system
  • Let it rock -> driving culture and involving people
    Uwe Caspary, Director of System Organization / Head of Quality Management, HOPPECKE Batterien GmbH & Co. KG
  • 10:00Stop Scaling Agility
  • Our products are becoming increasingly complex. We spend more and more effort for managing complexity and dependencies. It is time to stop, take a break, to re-think the situation, and to re-claim the time and effort spend for something more useful: value generation.
  • How? Let us learn from some innovative companies and follow the example of putting architecture and interfaces first. When we define interfaces first, we can eliminate complexity for a large part of our development organization. Make it complex for few and simple for many.
  • I will provide some simple rules and principles you might want to reflect upon.
    Dr. Jens Paggel, Senior Transformation Lead, Continental Automotive Technologies GmbH
  • 10:30Avoiding Complexity Cost Pitfalls: Gut Feeling vs. Hard Data
    Dealing with complexity in the digital age

  • Opportunities in simplicity
  • Good vs. bad complexity
  • Exploiting data for successfully managing complexity costs
    Klaus D. Schopf, Partner, Schuh & Co.
  • 11:00Coffee Break with Networking
    11:30Digital Engineering - Standardization, modularity management and effective engineering (time and cost reduction)
  • Efficient engineering à automatic generation of design documents and 3D step models
  • Simplification and optimization of the engineering process
  • Digital engineering from batch size 1 to serial production
  • Cost and time reduction, margin and revenue recognition (RevReq) increase
    Carsten Girth, Global Engineering Manager, Pall Corporation
  • 12:00How Metrics Impact Complexity
  • We tested many metrics in the areas of software, portfolio and release management
  • Only a few metrics have been suitable to measure our progress
  • But also the non-suitable have been of use to increase
    Klaus Marquardt, Platform Program Manager, Draeger Medical
  • 12:30Lunch with Networking
    13:30Leading Generation Z in an environment of complexity
  • Beside all technical innovations to manage complexity there are still people that have to deal with these innovations. In the future we will have a lot of employees that come of the generation Z.
  • What are the differences between generation Z and Y and how we have to handle them?
  • How we have to adjust the culture of leadership and corporate identity to be attractive for this people?
    Rainer Brehm, Head of Plastic Process Engineering, Geberit Produktions GmbH
  • 14:00Did complexity kill Lean Manufacturing?
  • The complexities of the Just In Time, inventory-as-waste Supply Chain...
  • ... and the changes that have made it look foolish at best, and dangerous at worst
  • What we've learned: where do we need to rethink our lean principles?
  • What we shouldn't forget: what is the place of lean in the 'New Normal'?
    John Boothby, Continuous Improvement Manager, Paxton Access Ltd.
  • 14:30Coffee Break with Networking
    15:00Complexity Management in Practice: Examples from R&D
  • The two sides of business strategy: Standards and Flexibility
  • Digital R&D: Platforms, Data & Engineering Processes
  • High Performance: Agile way of working
    Dr. Ingo Gaida, Director Strategy Development Central R&D, Miele & Cie. KG
  • 15:30A Brief History of Dealing with Product Complexity at MB Trucks
  • Everything was simpler in the old days
  • From build to stock to build to order
  • Modularity in product documentation
  • Modularity in product design
  • The new dilemma: „What can be build - will be build - eventually“
  • Use Analytics and customer orientation as the next step
    Uwe Mierisch, Head of Engineering Management and Transformation MB Trucks, Daimler Truck AG
  • 16:00Complexity Management – Success Factors and Challenges
  • What's the point of using data to address complex challenges?
  • Are strict hierarchies suitable for managing complex systems?
  • Do we need a cultural shift and tolerance of mistakes to succeed in our dynamic world?
    Thorben Stüvel, Senior Consultant, Schuh Group
  • 16:30Closing Discussion and Wrap-up

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