SAP has unveiled a new solution portfolio for connected products for R&D and engineering, which will specifically assist manufacturers seeking to design products for the Internet of Things.
The portfolio forms part of the SAP solution strategy for the extended supply chain, which is a holistic business approach to managing the entire lifecycle of a product.
The enhanced portfolio delivers a product innovation platform that “effectively manages, translates and integrates customer-drive engineering innovations through the enterprise and into the market by orchestrating all business functions and bill of materials requirements”, according to SAP.
SAP has both made enhancements to existing solutions and added completely new functionality to help manufacturers adapt quickly to changes in customer demand.
Among the changes are enhancements to product structure management, engineering record, product structure synchronisation and the SAP Innovation Management solution, designed to accelerate innovation processes and engineering collaboration.
On the new release, Hans Thalbauer, senior vice president for the Extended Supply Chain, SAP, said,
“Customer satisfaction is not only a result of great products. The ability to deliver your products faster than anybody else is a key differentiator. In our opinion, future economic success will be built on networks. In the extended supply chain network, everything is connected: engineering, manufacturing, logistics and service. Only by optimising the entire network will manufacturers be able to deliver better products faster and at lower cost.”
