Digitalization and globalization are intensifying competition and putting medium-sized and manufacturing companies in particular under great pressure. In addition, new competitors are entering the market and causing difficulties for even established players. Many companies are trying to attract existing customers and new customers through an ever-expanding product range. Furthermore, possibilities for individualization and customization create an almost “infinite variety” of offers. But also the internal drive of development engineers to create ever better, more efficient technical solutions leads to new variants on the component side. As a result, complexity is increasing throughout the company, which is reflected in ever complex processes along the entire value chain. The supposed advantages on the market side – in particular increased sales – are increasingly being eroded by rising production costs.
