Industry 4.0 needs ERP

The central Enterprise Resource Planning software system provides this interlinking. ERP links all links in the production chain with each other and thus optimizes business processes.

One in three German companies (30 percent) already uses ERP software. A further 21 percent have specific plans to use the system in their company. This is the result of a representative survey conducted by Bitkom Research among 1,108 companies with 20 or more employees.

"ERP systems enable companies to design their production processes highly efficiently. This also makes them more competitive internationally"

says Dirk Bingler, Chairman of the ERP Working Group at Bitkom.

The role of ERP in the implementation of Industrie 4.0 is also the subject of the Bitkom position paper "The future of ERP in the context of Industrie 4.0". The core thesis of the paper: ERP software is the new integration hub for Industrie 4.0.

ERP systems can utilize virtually all relevant company data and thus provide the necessary integration between applications.

"In Industry 4.0, workpieces and products have their own identity. Through continuous coordination with the machines, the production process permanently optimizes itself. However, this only works if the ERP system provides the necessary data and the business context.

says Bingler.