Integrative factory, technology, and product planning-systemizing the information transfer on the operational level

These days, competitive advantages for manufacturing companies cannot be achieved through a detached configuration of specific processes but only through an integrative configuration of the factory as a complete system. The technologies deployed and the products manufactured have a significant influence on the configuration of a factory. In order to allow better coordination between technology, product, and factory planning, a method for integrative factory coordination has been developed at the Hanover Center for Production Technology (PZH). This approach is based on the general roadmapping idea and permits the systematization of the information transfer concerning content and time between factory, technology, and product planning.