Information Usage in Smart Material Flows : An Evaluation of the Prerequisites of how to Become Smart in the Material Flow from a User Perspective within Assembly at an Industrial Manufacturing Company

Abstract: IT is a well-integrated function within most companies and its importance grows bigger by the day. With new solutions and concepts being introduced continuously it is important to be aware of the ever-changing possibilities found within IT. One of these changes is the concept of Industrie 4.0 which poses as a revolutionary way to do business by connecting the real world with the virtual one to a greater extent than what is done today. Research has shown that there are many possible benefits of implementing Industrie 4.0 and also Smart Factory, such as improved inventory control and faster reaction time. Since these concepts are quite new, no real definition exists and the congruence between the academic and business world is not always at the same level, and therefore the first steps are not yet defined. Therefore, this study tried to reduce the gap between these two worlds by offering concrete recommendations of what needs to be done to be able to apply Industrie 4.0 in the real world at Scania CV AB and Scania IT. Scania CV AB posed as a case company to find out where to start on the road to become smart. Currently there are many functions using the services of Scania IT, but exactly how the systems are used is not known by Scania IT. To be able to provide the necessary services for the various functions of Scania CV AB and start the road of becoming smart, Scania IT needs to know how the systems are used and what information that is currently missing. A formulated strategy of Scania, as a whole, is to be able to collect and analyse information in order to have a more Intuitive Presence and Predictable Future, two words meaning that more proactive work can be conducted and more autonomous decisions can be made. To be able to fulfil this vision, knowledge about the needed information must be acquired by Scania IT. With focus on the information connected to the material flow before the material reaches the assembly lines found at Scania CV AB the purpose of this study was to identify and analyse information and actions needed in the material flow from a user perspective, to become Intuitive and Predictable as part of the concept Industrie 4.0. A set of research objectives were formulated as a guide for the study. By first identifying, with the help of the first research objective, the information input and output for the functions at Scania CV AB connected to the material flow, with a base in the functions planning material, it was identified that at different production sites different standards of working exist, but also differences in the IT usage and system configurations was found.  The second research objective focused on what information should be available for production and material planning according to a literature review and this was later compared with the findings at Scania, which composed the third research objective. As it turned out, Scania uses the correct set of basic information such as forecasting, production plan, and calculations of gross demand, along with information regarding costs, lead times, and inventory. However, how to use the information is not standardized and the users of the IT systems perceived the information as hard to find and difficult to interpret. The fourth research objective focused on the concept of Industrie 4.0 and Smart Factories by studying literature, an external company and the ideas that Scania CV AB have, to see what must be done before a Digital Factory can be created. The recommendations for Scania IT were based on the result on the analyses and they can be summarized by the need of further standardization of information and information usage to be able to start the road of becoming Smart and take one step closer to the concepts of Smart Factory and Industrie 4.0.