Centre for Enterprise Research

The Center for Enterprise Research (CER) bundles technology and knowledge transfer from research for practice. 

Answers to social and economic challenges in the context of digitalisation are often found in the interaction between highly specialised academic environments. The technology and knowledge from research is bundled within our Center for Enterprise Research (CER) and made available for practical use. Together with our international cooperation partners and in particular small and medium-sized enterprises, we seek an open exchange of ideas so that we can shape the digital change in science for our common good.

Competence Field Analytics

Industry 4.0 defines the trend towards dovetailing production with modern information and communication technologies for communication between people, machines and products. Modern analytics promotes the design, optimisation, control and use of globally networked analysis techniques and integrates simple business intelligence and business analytics techniques. Especially with the background of production environments in the context of Industry 4.0, analyses that enable the handling of variant-rich, voluminous, volatile sensor data become relevant, so that the handling of big data characterises the field of analytics. In addition to the expansion and improvement of existing offers, the use of modern analytics enables the development of new business areas and potentials for companies from a wide range of industries. This is often accompanied by changes in organisational structures, business models and value chains.

Competence area ERP systems

ERP systems form the backbone of information processing in companies and many public institutions. They contain all information essential for the operation and control of value-adding business processes. In the age of digitalisation, ERP systems are cornerstones of business success. The Center for Enterprise Research is one of the largest research and transfer institutions in this field in Europe. Our practice-oriented transfer research covers all relevant topics related to ERP systems and other business application systems, e.g. architectures, technologies, usability, customizing, maintenance and operation, integration, master data management, process management and much more.

Competence Field Change Management

The accelerated technological change due to digitalisation and the associated structural changes in the role of the employee in the value creation process illustrate the need for continuous and comprehensive change management. The tasks of change management do not only relate to the communication of change and the creation of opportunities for participation, but rather begin with the design of processes and systems. Only in this way can the attitude of the employees be positively influenced and a concrete benefit of the transformation be presented. Through the combination of technical, sociological and psychological expertise, the CER offers opportunities to analyse your company and to accompany transformation projects from the beginning to successful implementation.

Competence Field Business Process Management

Not only due to the use of progressive technologies such as cyber-physical systems, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, etc., increasingly complex business models and extended value-added chains, the demands on the design and improvement of business processes are increasing. The challenge is increasing to integrate processes into own structures in such a way that companies are able to change and adapt flexibly to ongoing changes in their environment. Modern Business Process Management (GPM) promotes the design, optimisation and control of globally networked business processes. In addition to the exchange of material, data and knowledge, networking enables the realisation of cooperative value-added processes, even across physical distances. The use of a modern GPM enables the development of new business fields and potentials for companies in a wide range of industries. This is often accompanied by changes in organisational structures, business models and value chains.

Competence Field Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0 makes modern technologies available for designing decentrally controlled production plants with intelligent and self-controlling elements in the workshop. Cyber-physical systems and their networking to the Internet of Things are advantageous concepts for mastering the complexity of today's production requirements and permit new forms of human-technology interaction. In our Industry 4.0 Research and Application Centre, we offer interested parties from different areas the opportunity to take an intensive and goal-oriented look at the Industry 4.0 topic: Manufacturing companies can compare different design options from the I4.0 toolbox for their processes and have employees receive accompanying training. Software and hardware suppliers have the possibility to use our simulation environment as an evaluation platform. We are available to suppliers and research institutions as a competent project partner. In particular, the integrated consideration of people, technology and organisation enables us to quickly and easily make fact-based statements on the effects and benefits of concepts and technologies within socio-technical systems.

Field of competence Internet of Things

Technologies such as cyber-physical systems (CPS), intelligent production organisation through the networking of entities, information availability or decentralised decision-making are increasingly penetrating industrial value-added processes. However, it is not only industrial processes that are establishing more and more Internet of Things components and applications in the service and leisure sectors. The Internet of Things refers to the global networking of various objects. In addition to data exchange, networking enables the realisation of cooperative value-added processes across physical distances. The use of Internet of Things technologies enables the development of new business areas for companies from a wide range of industries. This is often accompanied by changes in business models and value chains.

Competence Field Qualification

Cyber-physical systems and the Internet of Things are driving forward the digitalisation and networking of both value-added and supporting processes. This development is characterised by a multitude of technical, process-related and organisational innovations, which not least have a massive influence on the working reality of all employees. The result is a change in the demands on competences, skills and qualifications of the people involved. In cooperation with the Research and Application Centre Industry 4.0, we regularly qualify customers who are facing current and future challenges. The modular structure of the qualification offer makes it possible to address specific learning contents that are tailored to the needs of the customers. Last but not least, the combination of theoretical and practice-oriented seminar phases contributes to the development of a fundamental understanding of, for example, Industry 4.0, corresponding technologies and organisational principles.

Competence Field Security

Especially in the course of digitalisation, security in all its facets becomes a critical factor for success. The know-how built up in the company over the years should be preserved and not fall into the hands of the competition. Many everyday areas are massively dependent on functioning IT systems and have to be protected. Actively promoting IT security and, above all, the associated structured establishment of a functioning security process are necessary to protect the interests of the company. A multitude of factors play an important role here. If my employees are sufficiently sensitised in which security measures I will invest next, my processes are sufficiently protected at all and how will I counter future attacks. The CER therefore examines IT security issues from as many perspectives as possible. Starting with product piracy through the outflow of know-how to questions of sensitisation and the recommendation of measures for process design.

Competence Field Knowledge Management

The importance of knowledge as a resource for companies is undisputed. However, its management is proving to be a major challenge. Knowledge cannot be regarded merely as an object that can be handled according to certain rules. This is only possible for explicit knowledge, equal to information. However, parts of knowledge are tacit, personal and its management is indirect by addressing the knowledge carriers. Our competences in the field of knowledge management are as diverse as the term itself. Depending on the goals set at the beginning of a project, the focus is set differently. On the one hand, the focus can be on the promotion of knowledge transfer. For this purpose our competences in the field of innovation management, especially open innovation, are an advantage. Another possible focus is knowledge protection. The relevant keyword here is product piracy. Companies continue to benefit from our expertise in the modelling and analysis of knowledge-intensive business processes. The development of competencies, education and training - especially in the context of digital change - complete our profile.