Connectivity is now a no-brainer
Interview with Harald Wenger, Managing Director of soffico GmbH
In an increasingly networked world, the integration of IT and OT systems in the industrial environment is becoming more and more important. As a long-standing partner of Industrie Informatik GmbH, soffico GmbH not only brings extensive experience in connectivity with its Orchestra data integration solution, but also a clear vision for the future of digitalised production landscapes.
We spoke to Harald Wenger, Managing Director of soffico GmbH, about the role of connectivity, the shared added value for our customers and technological trends.
Mr Wenger, what role do you play at soffico?
I like to describe myself as soffico’s ‘first servant’. Alongside my esteemed colleagues Rica Holzmann and Bernd Hafenrichter, I am one of three managing directors and am responsible for business development, strategy and finance. My background is in electrical engineering and as an autodidact I followed a rather atypical educational path. This also led me to my management role at soffico GmbH, which I have now held for around 14 years.
Incidentally, soffico GmbH emerged from a company that was already working intensively on the topic of connectivity at the turn of the millennium. With the founding of soffico GmbH as an independent company in 2012, we really took off in this environment.
So there is a long history behind your company and a lot of expertise and experience! How would you describe the services offered by soffico in a few words?
We make connectivity a no-brainer! Our Orchestra integration solution ensures that a wide range of IT systems in the manufacturing industry – from ERP and MES to machines and sensors – can communicate seamlessly with each other. And as simply, quickly, smoothly and reusably as possible – thanks to the low-code approach.
Of course, we also offer a training programme, a wide range of services, support and technical services in the projects – everything from a single source, so to speak.
Even though we recognise the strengths and qualities of this package, we are constantly adding modern technologies to our portfolio. Digital twin, digital product passport or new European data rooms come to mind – all topics that place great demands on professional data integration.
What makes soffico with Orchestra better than the competition?
Our USP is clearly our performance in the area of IT/OT connectivity. Whether greenfield or brownfield, or the interaction of legacy systems with state-of-the-art technologies. For us, the focus is on the successful realisation of projects at the customer’s premises, future-proof and investment-proof. In other words, we see ourselves as a trusted partner for our users and I would say that we score points with a well-rounded overall package: Platform independence, genuine scalability – from the control cabinet PC to the cloud – and in geopolitically sensitive times, a strong European base. Added to this is the aforementioned low-code approach, which has a very positive effect on implementation times and therefore project efficiency. All in all, this overall package can definitely be described as ‘unique’!
What role does Orchestra play in MES projects?
An MES is usually at the centre of modern production and is surrounded by other important systems and technologies, such as a leading ERP, QM systems, logistics solutions, machines, controllers, sensors and much more. Only if all these instances exchange and communicate with each other comprehensively can you get the most out of their use and this is exactly where Orchestra comes into play. Our solution makes it possible to integrate all these heterogeneous systems – flexibly, configurably and scalably. This requires a certain degree of system openness, especially in the MES environment, because we do not believe in ‘one-size-fits-all’, but rely on the best-of-breed approach, which Industrie Informatik also successfully pursues!
So this shared philosophy of an open and integrated software landscape is what makes the partnership with Industrie Informatik so successful?
Industrie Informatik GmbH simply suits us – in terms of size, culture and the quality of its work. Like us, the Industrie Informatik team sees itself as a trusted partner for its customers and enjoys a very good reputation in this respect. Our collaboration is characterised by appreciation, experience and technological exchange on an equal footing. We are involved in joint projects at an early stage, closely harmonise product developments and present a unified front to customers. Excitingly, the partnership was originally initiated by our joint customer VOITH and has developed over the years into a close cooperation at all levels – professionally, organisationally and right down to the shareholder structure.
And what specific added value does this partnership have for the joint customers?
Customers benefit from not having to worry about how to integrate an MES system into their existing landscape.
The combination of cronetwork MES and Orchestra ensures a smooth connection. We can also react quickly, flexibly and efficiently to changing requirements, such as new cloud systems, data shifts or adapted system landscape requirements.
In addition, we enable a fast time-to-market, stability in operation and, at the same time, flexibility for new requirements – an enormous competitive advantage in dynamic markets.
What once began with a cautious introduction is now a trusting partnership of equals. We have mastered difficult situations together and always found constructive solutions. This trust in each other – in the technology, the expertise and the people – is the basis for long-term cooperation and we can pass on the benefits to our customers.
What trends do you currently see around shop floor integration and data management?
We have known for some time that the classic automation pyramid is increasingly dissolving. Instead of clear hierarchies, we now think in layers and strata. New technology and cloud providers are bringing a breath of fresh air, but also challenges. And from a regulatory perspective, new data spaces are emerging that are primarily aimed at the verifiability and sustainability of data.
There is also a strong trend towards standardisation, e.g. around OPC UA, Eclipse Dataspace Connector or initiatives such as Gaia-X or Factory-X. Of course, the topic of artificial intelligence still hovers above all of this, be it to increase efficiency, analyse errors or make knowledge more usable. Given the current momentum, it is still difficult to say where this journey will take us, but we already have the first market-ready solutions. We recently released an even more user-friendly, AI-supported development environment. We are also working intensively on automated test procedures – especially for interoperability tests, which will certainly be of interest in projects with Industrie Informatik. We are also increasingly noticing that customers are taking up the topic of AI and demanding it from a software supplier like us or Industrie Informatik. Software control via prompting and AI-supported configuration and operation are becoming an increasingly important topic.
Ultimately, however, it’s always about the same three things: faster, better, simpler.
So you know about current trends, challenges and how they can be solved. If you had one wish – what technological challenge of our time would you want to solve with a snap of your fingers?
Thinking big, I wouldn’t be concerned with making cars even faster or production even more efficient. If I had this ONE wish, I would apply it to the issues of climate change or energy efficiency.
What if, for example, overnight we could organise our electricity grid so flexibly that it could absorb the output of the many, many small and widely distributed power generators from renewable energy sources with maximum efficiency and distribute it in a balanced way so that we could do without fossil fuels from one day to the next. This is utopia today, but with enough data intelligence and networking, we could make a big difference. That would be a real game changer – not for the industry, but for humanity as a whole!
Markus Maier
