Data Quality and Digitalisation: ECLASS, IDTA and D&TS shape the future of digital transformation - Interview with Pierre Häcker and Sudip Adhikari

Question: Pierre, you are a Master Data Expert & Project Manager at D&TS. What role does data quality play for machine operators, especially about spare parts?  

Pierre Häcker: Many manufacturing companies continue to struggle with poor data quality for spare parts, they find it difficult to search and Excel or similar is used to help them out. Information on a wide variety of products is sometimes completely missing. In the current economic situation, however, particular attention should be paid to data quality, as a considerable volume of savings remains unused. Our ClassCOCKPIT Search helps to find spare parts more efficiently and to enrich them with important information such as the end-of-life status (EoL) and a classification, e.g. according to ECLASS. We are happy to support companies in jointly improving processes and sustainably increasing data quality. 

Question: Why is data quality so important in times of AI?  

Pierre Häcker: In times of AI and digital transformation, data quality forms the foundation for all further processes. Artificial intelligence learns and makes decisions based on the data available to it. If this data is incomplete, inconsistent or outdated, this leads to incorrect results and inefficient processes. Companies not only risk the quality of their forecasts and analyses, but also the success of their business models. High-quality, clean data, on the other hand, enables AI systems to deliver accurate and valuable insights that are essential for competitiveness and innovation. At D&TS, we therefore attach great importance to providing our customers with the best possible basis for their AI projects through data cleansing and data standardization. 

Question: What added value does the use of ECLASS offer component manufacturers?  

Pierre Häcker: ECLASS offers component manufacturers the opportunity to describe products precisely and consistently, which makes integration into digital value chains much easier. This expands market access and creates new sales potential. Through the additional use of ClassCOCKPIT, which is integrated into systems such as 3Dfindit and SAP ECTR and is already used by many machine/plant manufacturers and production companies, manufacturers can make their products easier to find, make them directly available for end systems such as SAP and provide important information such as successors etc. - a real win-win!  

Question: D&TS is both a service provider and member of ECLASS.ev and with the IDTA, why?  

Pierre Häcker: From our point of view, the cooperation with ECLASS e.V. and IDTA is an important step towards digital transformation in all industries. The development of digital twins requires standards and we are bringing these standards to the industry. The collaboration is extremely productive and enables us to develop innovative solutions that meet our customers' requirements, such as using the asset administration shell to create a material system including classification in SAP. The exchange of knowledge and resources sustainably improves data quality. I am therefore very much looking forward to seeing everyone in person again at the SPS trade fair in Nuremberg. We ourselves will be present directly at the ECLASS stand. 

Question: What is IDTA's role in the administrative shell and standardization of data?  

Sudip Adhikari: IDTA is committed to creating standards that are accessible and usable by organizations of all sizes. The asset administration shell (AAS) is the core technology that makes it possible to store and exchange information on products and systems in a standardized way.  We work in close coordination with our members such as D&TS to ensure that these standards are widely used and applied in the industry. This enables companies to make their processes more efficient and take full advantage of Industry 4.0. 

Question: What are D&TS' next steps around the administration shell and data integration

Pierre Häcker: In addition to the further development of the Administration Shell (AAS), we are placing a strong focus on our ClassCOCKPIT solutions, which enable our customers to manage their data efficiently and integrate it seamlessly into existing systems such as SAP. With ClassCOCKPIT, we can automatically transfer data classifications to companies' systems in just a few steps. This facilitates the implementation of standards such as ECLASS and makes data exchange and processing much more efficient.  We are also planning to further expand the asset administration shell by developing new submodels that support additional functions and data formats. By combining ClassCOCKPIT, ECLASS and the asset administration shell, we are creating a holistic solution that covers the entire digital life cycle of a product. In this way, we help our customers to future-proof their data landscape and embark on the path to complete digital transformation. 

 

Thorsten Kroke: The collaboration between ECLASS, IDTA and D&TS shows how important it is to enable companies to structure and use their data in a future-proof way. The Administration Shell (AAS) and solutions such as ClassCOCKPIT provide the necessary framework and tools to meet the requirements of digital transformation. Together, we are working to set standards that will not only help companies become more efficient and competitive today, but also in the years to come.