Mayer & Cie. GmbH & Co. KG

Challenges

• Media and data discontinuity between the development (PDM) and production (SAP ERP) system landscape
• Redundancy and inconsistency of data and information within processes and departments including high manual maintenance effort
• Operating on a non-releasable SAP landscape
• Need to establish a PLM approach based on a digital backbone along the entire value chain

Solutions

• Big picture of the objectives, challenges and fields of action required for end-to-end digitalization paired with an integrative solution approach for digital support of business processes based on central data management
• SAP PLM Foundation approach to integrate engineering into the central SAP system: replacement of the engineering PDM system by SAP ECTR, including connection to CATIA V5 as well as integration into a current SAP landscape
• Introduction of cenitCONNECT APM (Advanced Process Management) to control the release and change processes
• Next step/outlook: optimization of variant and configuration management

Benefits

• Complete and high-quality information and decision basis thanks to central data management
• Future-proof and stable system landscape consisting of SAP ECTR, CATIA and cenitCONNECT APM
• Maximum process and data transparency including comprehensive, simultaneous reporting and monitoring of business processes
• Confidence in data quality as the key to the digitalization strategy

About the company

Family-owned for around 100 years and now in its fourth generation, the 400-employee company based in Albstadt, Germany, has become a driver for innovation. Mayer & Cie. has revolutionized circular knitting more than once by the development of new processes and materials, through its vertical range of manufacture and its market knowledge.

Around 50 machine types make up the portfolio of the medium-sized company. The special feature here is that the machines are always supplied tailor-made to the respective "knitters" of the world. This means that combined with the round about 10,000 parts offered by Mayer & Cie., the company builds around 60 million machine variants that have to be managed. An immense achievement that requires the highest innovative strength – which comes entirely from within the company. Whether it's shirts, sportswear, car headliners, curtains at home or even the cover of a mattress - all of these can be knitted by a Mayer machine.