Collaborative Capacity Management with Digital Tools

Automotive supply chains, representative of other industries, demonstrate how production in value creation systems relies on the interaction of various companies and different stages of value creation. Decisions about production capacities, which significantly determine the possible output quantity, are made already in the formation phase of supply chains. Unexpectedly high or low, or strongly fluctuating customer demand, pose the challenge for actors in the supply chain to continually reconcile needs and capacities. Collaborative capacity management allows for operational cross-company coordination in addition to contractual agreements. Customer needs are grouped into part families in digital tools and matched with the production capacities of suppliers. Customer and supplier can identify deviations in time through the shared view in the demand-capacity reconciliation, initiate measures, and increase the effectiveness of the supply chain. Scenarios can be planned together and then precisely such can be depicted in the operational planning systems that can be managed by the customer and supplier in terms of capacity. The supply chain is calmed and can achieve self-regulation. The exemplary presented digital tools for collaborative capacity management show how different user groups, granularity requirements, and IT integration possibilities can be addressed. Beyond scenario planning, such digital tools can be expanded with functions for raw material and volatility monitoring.