Real
Pioneering work

Can you give us a few insights into the digital twin project and the cooperation between WITTENSTEIN and XITASO?

Bernd V.: The starter’s gun for the project sounded in 2019. At WITTENSTEIN we wanted to put our customers more strongly in focus with the setting up of an After Sales Portal. A digital touchpoint was lacking which would support in service cases in the best way possible. As a part of this we needed to provide data service. It became quickly apparent that when we set up such a portal, it had to be on the basis of a digital twin. And this is what we realized in cooperation with XITASO. And thanks to the continuous further development and increasing networking, we ultimately were able to claim the coveted MIMA Award.

Which concrete improvements have resulted for you and your customers as a result of the project?

Bernd V.: One point which actually justified the whole project alone, was the reduction of paper documentation. This alone contributed a low six figure sum. In addition, we have the increase in efficiency, also in our own service. What customers praise above all is the simplicity of the portal. They were initially surprised how much data became available at the push of a button, and how quickly appropriate and comprehensive information could be received.

What made the project so special?

Bernd V.: Throughout the entire cycle of the project, ourselves and XITASO carried out reviews with end customers to get direct feedback. The digital twin makes a lot possible. But what is the real benefit? This is what we worked out with the end customers. For example, through meetings with maintenance experts, where we constantly compared the content and usability of the portal.

Bernd S.: Yes, the digital twin which was created in this way is extremely customer and added-value oriented. What is innovative here is the thinking from the assets perspective and less from the procedural perspective of the IT system.

Which challenges did WITTENSTEIN face and why did WITENSTEIN ultimately choose XITASO?

Bernd V.: Of course, we looked around on the market. Was there already a suitable software which addressed functionality and usability? We discovered nothing which met our requirements. It became clear relatively soon that we would have to rely on individual software. Which means: data integration with our existing IT systems was not something you could buy off the shelf. Seeing that XITASO had already cooperated with us on other projects, the trust that the digital twin would be implemented according to our visions and guidelines was quickly there. But it was not just XITASO’s enthusiasm for technology that convinced us. Their agile processes fitted perfectly with our way of working. We tick the same way. Working on a solution in partnership. No ‘specifications sheet thinking’, but rather an agile cooperation.

And how did the project go from XITASO’s point of view?

Christian: We were integrated in the project from an early stage. This meant we had a lot of design possibilities. Additionally, there were sessions together on whiteboards, to work on, for example, the target vision. The proximity and close cooperation were a key to success as things developed. In the framework of this project, I encountered ‘Verwaltungsschalen’ for the first time. What lies behind this somewhat bulky term (for us Germans) is a forward-looking concept for standardized digital twins. The complete term in English is Asset Administration Shell, shortened to AAS. In 2019 we set up our first AAS-Repository and AAS- Instances based on master data from the SAP system. That was the nucleus for a multitude of developments concerned with the Asset Administration Shell. The potential really inspired me, and it hasn’t let up to this day. That is why I pushed for XITASO to emulate WITTENSTEIN and become an active member of the Industrial Digital Twin Association, shortened to IDTA, and to set up an entire community internally to cater for this topic. That was the start of our Competence Center AAS, which enables knowledge transfer via teams and projects.

Bernd S.: The unique combination between our mechanical engineering experience and our data science expertise is particularly exciting. With the Asset Administration Shell as a standardized format for asset-related data exchange, multi-faceted information bases are created upon which future AI applications can be set up.

WITTENSTEIN won the Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award in the Scale category. What is so exceptional about it?

Christian: From my point of view what is exceptional is the pioneering character. The fact that the project relied on the Asset Administration Shell as a standardized digital twin at a time when it was not clear which drive the concept would develop in the future. But for us the benefits were clear even at this point: the standardization enabled a scalable interoperability in the digital ecosystem. This also applies in large scale environments and particularly across company borders. The connectivity and efficient data administration as well as data retrieval were also definitely decisive. Relevant information is thereby available for each individual production instance via a distinct 2D-Code on the drives. Furthermore, the introduction of infrastructure for the Asset Administration Shell is supplementary to the existing IT systems and can be carried out step by step.

Are there follow-on projects at WITTENSTEIN arising from this? How can XITASO be of help?

Bernd V.: We are continuing to expand the portal by adding many other services, for example, more transparency in the order processing and tracking. Another future topic here will certainly be sustainability. How can I integrate a digital product passport with sustainability data into the digital twin? And how can an After-Sales-Tool support sustainability?

One last question: You have probably come across our new claim ‘Enjoy Digital Excellence’. What do you think of it?

Bernd V.: I think the claim is very appropriate from what I have experienced in the daily cooperation. High-end software engineering was always your topic, thereby also the high quality. The word ‘Excellence’ underlines this again. The agile way of working is emphasized again by the word ‘Digital’. And ‘Enjoy’? You need to have fun while doing your job. You certainly have that. And that really comes across with XITASO.