TOKYO, Dec 5, 2019 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu Limited and SAP Japan today announced that Fujitsu has successfully completed design efforts in preparation for the full-scale implementation of the SAP S/4HANA Manufacturing solution for production engineering and operations. With a planned launch date of July 2020, the solution will play an instrumental role in the integration of design and manufacturing processes conducted by the Aerospace Systems Company under Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. (KHI).

To date, KHI has manually performed tasks that arise in its manufacturing work processes, relying on paper documents. In its efforts to provide greater detail in traceability and disclosure of information for its customers, however, KHI faced challenges with the digitalization of massive quantities of materials and enhancing efficiency in its operations.

To help KHI overcome these issues, Fujitsu will implement SAP S/4HANA Manufacturing for production engineering and operations(1), contributing to the digitalization of its paper documents and streamlining its manufacturing work processes.

Background

Manufacturing a single aircraft involves the small-lot production of numerous product types with various required specifications. This is exemplified by the fact that designs differ for each aircraft, and that the number of aircraft units produced is predetermined to some degree. This means that it remains difficult to automate aircraft manufacturing processes, and a majority of the tasks involved still depend on the manual work of veteran engineers. Moreover, manufacturing processes take on a greater level of complexity because of the need to collaborate closely with numerous partner companies, while certification agencies demand strict management of manufacturing records and inspection records to ensure traceability. Another challenge lies in improving the efficiency of systems that provide manufacturing sites with accurate and thorough information-this remains essential to quickly accommodate various technical requests, including sudden changes to design drawings or specifications.

Features of the System

1. The system is designed to offer users flexibility to make quick design changes through the centralized management of design and manufacturing BOMs(2).

With SAP S/4HANA Manufacturing for production engineering and operations, it will be possible to centrally manage design and manufacturing BOMs for aircraft. This will allow information on changes at the design stage to be smoothly reflected in manufacturing BOMs from design BOMs. This feature could enable technical requests to be transmitted accurately and completely to manufacturing sites even in cases where sudden design changes arise, thereby preventing delays in the start of production and the need for reworking.

2. The system is designed to deliver highly-detailed traceability and enhanced work efficiency through the digitalization of work processes.

Since more detailed work in the processes at manufacturing sites can be managed by this system, it will enable the collection of high-granularity performance data including, for example, manufacturing records for work hours and parts used for each process, as well as inspection records for demonstrating compliance with requirements from customers and certification agencies. Since this performance data is linked with instruction information such as manufacturing BOMs and work procedures, it will be possible to cross-reference data, thereby contributing to the realization of more detailed traceability. In addition, the digitalization of manufacturing data is expected to improve the efficiency of operations and ensure prompt responses to requests for information disclosure from customers, leading to a greater level of trust from them.

3. The design of the system reflects years of manufacturing site expertise.

An add-on function has been developed that utilizes the UX design approach(3) by Fujitsu on tablet device input screens used by manufacturing workers to verify information for that day's tasks and keep records on various tasks. In addition to enhancing usability for those workers, this function will make it possible to maintain reliable manufacturing and quality records without disrupting existing manufacturing operations. Moreover, task planners will be provided with assistance in further elevating their productivity through the development of add-on functions that leverage the production expertise KHI has cultivated. An example of such functions is one for efficiently devising task plans for multiple patterns on a per-worker basis.

Moving Ahead to Greater Productivity and Efficiency

In the future, KHI will work to leverage the detailed data gathered through the digital transformation of its business processes to better grasp the situation from its manufacturing frontlines in real-time and further improve production activities. To support these activities, Fujitsu is working to link KHI's data utilization platform with SAP S/4HANA Manufacturing for production engineering and operations to contribute further to efforts to enhance productivity. "We are confident that the introduction of SAP S/4HANA Manufacturing for production engineering and operations will centralize design and manufacturing processes and realize more detailed traceability and enhanced work efficiency," said Dr. Akihito Sakai, Associate Officer, Deputy General Manager (Gifu plant, SCM & IOT), Manufacturing Division, Aerospace Systems Company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries. "We have high expectations for the strong support that Fujitsu and SAP Japan will provide for the reliable implementation of the full-scale operation of the system, the addition of further functions to the solution and the effective use of accumulated data."

(1) SAP S/4HANA Manufacturing for production engineering and operations Enhanced production management for SAP S/4HANA with seamless integration of engineering and manufacturing bill of materials required for large and complex assembly and manufacturing industries such as aerospace(2) BOM Bill of materials. List and configuration of parts included in the product. This includes information such as product name, quantity, specifications, materials, etc., and makes it possible to confirm and manage the parts that make up the product.(3) UX design approach An approach method that uses UX design methods such as interviews, customer journey maps, mock-ups and more to understand ideal sites and work styles together with customers and to materialize the requirements for the system necessary for their realization.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 132,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (Code: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.0 trillion yen (US $36 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.

About SAP Japan

SAP Japan was established in 1992 as a subsidiary company of SAP SE. As the Experience Company powered by the Intelligent Enterprise, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software, helping companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world's transaction revenue touches an SAP system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers' businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want - without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables more than 437,000 business and public customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improve people's lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com/japan.

Fujitsu LimitedPublic and Investor RelationsTel: +81-3-3215-5259URL: www.fujitsu.com/global/news/contacts/

SAP Japan Co., Ltd.Kaori SuzukiPhone: +81-36737-3880 (division switchboard); +81-80-1007-5933 (direct line)E-mail: kaori.suzuki@sap.com

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