The jointly created solution unites and simplifies the intricate IT system changes
SAP has announced that its BMW iFACTORY in Oxford, United Kingdom, has successfully gone live with SAP S/4HANA, using SAP’s cloud-driven solution architecture for automotive industries.
The MINI Plant in Oxford is the first of BMW Group’s connected factories moving to the digitized cloud architecture over the next few years, it was announced in a press communique.
Going live for the first time worldwide in the production environment at the MINI plant is the next milestone for BMW’s iFACTORY, which represents BMW Group’s revolutionary strategy for future automotive production.
BMW Group chose SAP S/4HANA and SAP’s supply chain logistics solutions to jointly create the first blueprint for process digitization of automotive plants of the future, establishing a new technology standard that could shape the automotive industry.
Joint solutions
The jointly created solutions unite and simplify the intricate simultaneous processes and IT system changes in the areas of parts logistics, finance/controlling and customs. As each upcoming following iFACTORY leverages the RISE with SAP solution, BMW Group expects to benefit from the standardization of logistics processes worldwide on the latest technology innovations, mutual plant support, flexible workforce allocation, and synergy in support and training.
“The Oxford plant is the first plant that will follow a global rollout within the BMW Group. From now on, more plants from the worldwide production network will be added every year until they all speak the same language,” asserted Alexander Buresch, Chief Innovation Officer and Senior Vice President, BMW Group IT.
“The BMW Group and SAP have had a longstanding partnership and collaboration spanning more than 30 years. I’m extremely excited that this is the first time the parts logistics solution has been deployed on a cloud architecture developed together by BMW Group and SAP,” affirmed Thomas Saueressig, Member of the Executive Board of SAP SE responsible for SAP Product Engineering.
