Munich, 09 January 2025 – The WGP (Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Produktionstechnik) has published a freely available position paper on resilience in production. It shows practical approaches on how factories can become more resilient to crises. ‘We are breaking new ground with this scientific paper,’ reports WGP President Prof Michael Zäh from the Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management (iwb) at the Technical University of Munich. ‘Resilience in industry is already a topic in other areas. But as the WGP, we are now offering a scientifically sound approach for the first time to specifically increase the resilience of production systems.’
The position paper thus offers companies and researchers a basis for modelling their production systems and making them more resilient.
New targets for production systems
The need for resilience in production has been discussed both in scientific literature and in executive surveys for several years. However, global crises such as supply chain disruptions have now clearly demonstrated that today’s production systems are too vulnerable to unexpected events. ‘The explosion in container prices during the pandemic was just one example of how economic conditions can jeopardise the profitability of production,’ emphasises Robert Schmitt, lead author of the position paper and holder of the IQS Chair at the Machine Tool Laboratory (WZL) at RWTH Aachen University. The WGP professors therefore believe that the goals of production need to be rethought. In addition to technical and financial key figures, social and ecological indicators such as employee satisfaction and carbon footprint are moving centre stage.
Old paradigms, new approaches
In their position paper, the authors build on existing production paradigms such as lean production and expand these to include elements that promote resilience. ‘The aim is a process model that allows dynamic adaptation to changing conditions and creates synergies with established approaches,’ says Schmitt. Resilience is therefore not at odds with other established paradigms, but requires a clear roadmap for implementation that has also been developed at the technological level.
Shared data spaces as the key
End-to-end data flows are a key prerequisite for resilient production systems – they enable anticipation, flexibility and adaptability. ‘We need shared data spaces in which information from different disciplines such as supply chain management, macroeconomics and data science are brought together,’ emphasises Schmitt. In the future, industrial data management will become more important than ever. At the same time, data spaces must not be over-regulated so as not to stand in the way of resilience.
Seize the opportunity to play a pioneering role
Germany and Europe could play a pioneering role thanks to their strong research and efficient manufacturing companies. The WGP position paper supports this and provides recommendations for the implementation of resilience in production systems on a scientific basis. ‘Further research is needed to ensure that resilience in industry does not remain a theoretical concept,’ emphasises Schmitt.
With the position paper, the WGP invites companies and research institutions to actively participate in the further development of resilience-oriented production strategies.
| Info box
WGP position paper on resilience in production systems The position paper of the Scientific Society for Production Engineering (WGP) deals comprehensively with the topic of resilience in production systems. It highlights the growing relevance of resilience in the face of global crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions that have led to disruptions in supply chains and energy resources. Resilience is defined as the ability of a production system to remain functional in the face of unexpected disruptions and quickly return to economic performance.
The paper is divided into several main sections:
The position paper is freely available and offers specific recommendations for action. |
Further
WGP position paper on resilience in production systems (in German)
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Featured Image: Resilient production systems are more important than ever; source: Adobe Stock-littlewolf1989-368750156
Image 2: Prof. Michael Zäh, President of the WGP and Head of the Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management (iwb) at the Technical University of Munich; source: Sebastian Kissel, iwb TU München
Image 3: Prof. Robert Schmitt, Holder of the IQS Chair at WZL | RWTH Aachen University; source: WZL Aachen