The fast-paced nature of the order situation and the customer’s demand for short and clearly communicated deadlines and performance situations is a constantly evolving trend. At the same time, new opportunities are constantly emerging to use digital tools to simulate scenarios and obtain valuable insights into the effects of different decisions as early as the planning phase.

We have investigated the intrinsic value of using digital factory planning systems for a machine tool manufacturer and, after piloting them in the context of a specific customer order, transferred them to a company-wide standard process. As a result, the supplier is now in a position to make early statements about the performance as well as the integration into the material flow at the respective customers. The decisive criterion for our joint project success was our understanding of production processes in different technological process chains at the customer. This is the only way to formulate relevant requirements for digital planning tools and to transfer them into applicable processes in a target-oriented manner.