In modern economies, energy and information are two of the most valuable commodities. Millions of people rely on the easy flow of energy and data, whether in their own vehicles or industry at large. As a leading producer of cables and cable harnesses for automotive and industrial applications and as partner to premium car makers, GG Group has evolved into a major global player in the field of electric mobility. To meet – and keep meeting – demand in this growth sector, GG (approx. 4000 employees) decided to transform its approach to digital product development.
To succeed in this strategic venture, the Austrian innovation leader is relying on expertise by IT and software provider CENIT. The shared goal of the collaboration, launched in June 2022, is to establish a consistent global digital platform that will merge the entire range of product creation and engineering processes, through to the individual, operational workflows.
Hybrid platform architecture – CENIT software as connecting element
Building on a consistent company-wide SAP strategy, CENIT and GG began by defining a hybrid platform architecture. To achieve this, the cloud version of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform by Dassault Systèmes will be deployed to complement the existing SAP ERP system. An integration product by CENIT ensures optimal connectivity between the two worlds – the tried and proven “cenitCONNECT SAP Integration for 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud”. This solution enables all-round integration of cloud-based and/or hybrid approaches and ensures consistent process and data integration. Based on the underlying SAP strategy, another project step will be efficiently realized and integrated at a later stage: Replacing the current SAP ERP architecture with the SAP S/4 HANA platform.
“The strategic goal of the partnership is to offer GG Group a high-performance platform for globally seamless digital processes, based on the standard software architectures by Dassault Systèmes and SAP and the potentials inherent in cloud technology. The platform will drive all processes from ideation through to series manufacturing”, says CENIT CEO Peter Schneck. “We are pleased that technology frontrunner GG is relying on CENIT’s expertise in implementing this strategic initiative”.
GG has a clear objective as well: “In future, we want to be even more agile and flexible in bringing new products to market. To achieve this, we have to perfectly align our product development and our production with the needs of our OEM customers. We are certain that our collaboration with CENIT will let us continue to expand our leading position as a supplier in the electric mobility sphere”, says Mag. Eva Schinkinger, CEO of GG Group.
Success as a combination of technology and process optimization
Regarding project scope, the collaboration between CENIT and GG Group was preceded by an intensive evaluation phase. Together with GG Group’s management, CENIT applied a two-step assessment approach to closely examine GG’s corporate goals, business model and digitalization strategy. Next came an analysis and evaluation of the methods and tools used to drive virtual product development at GG. Combining the results of these exercises produced a step-by-step plan that will ensure sustainable and efficient implementation of the shared digitalization targets.
