No more trouble with the release
“With our unique release policy, we create significant added value for our customers and get rid of the usual release-related problems,” says Markus Zalud, CEO Industrie Informatik.
The 100% release capability of the MES software cronetwork and the manufacturing platform cronetworld are unique and create one thing above all: planning and investment security on the way to the Smart Factory.
100% release capability creates planning & investment security
“Hassle-free software updates” – this is probably on the wish list of most CTOs and CIOs. The so-called release can become a major challenge if approached incorrectly. Classic problems, for example, are individual functions that are overwritten by the next update; sometimes parts or entire applications suddenly stop working. Tedious manual fixes, rework and tests are the result, which often have to be factored in during release planning. It is precisely these causes of headaches that Industrie Informatik’s software philosophy counteracts. Therefore, designing a smooth and problem-free release experience has always been the basis for a successful customer relationship at Industrie Informatik.
With our unique release policy, we create significant added value for our customers and eliminate the usual release-related problems.
Standard should not be egalitarian
The tasks and objectives are too complex and varied to always be able to handle customer requirements completely in the standard. Nevertheless, Industrie Informatik manages to cover about 90% of the requirements with standard solutions on average. The reason is sophisticated, well thought-out and clearly aligned with the customer’s needs: Within the scope of the possibilities of the standard software, there is an above-average range of customization potential.
The software has been further developed and adapted for decades. At the same time, new functions and modules are developed in order to anticipate future requirements and ensure that everything works perfectly when a release is made. “We’ve been using the cronetwork standard software for 22 years,” says Manfred Hader, Application Engineer & Project Manager, Doka, “because it just works to do a release change and always have full functionality again.”
Release any time
Timing the releases themselves and installing them at the appropriate time is another item on the wish list of those responsible. Here, too, Industrie Informatik has thought things through: key users install updates quickly and independently on site. An annual release brings the latest features and functions, while the installation of the update remains voluntary and can be flexibly scheduled. This does not interfere with ongoing operations and there are no interruptions. This creates the greatest possible planning freedom and avoids bottlenecks, both in operations and in employee resource planning. This saves time and costs and supports the economical use of operating resources.
Standardization does not exclude individual software
In the past, the rule of thumb was: the more individual the software, the more difficult it was to create an update that would fit everyone. Despite the high degree of customization, Industrie Informatik has succeeded in creating an annual, fixed software release whose innovations and improvements are designed in such a way that they can be incorporated back into the standard. With the Solution Store, Industrie Informatik even provides an online store for such prefabricated modules. Customer-specific developments are also packaged in applications and are incorporated into the standard 1-2 cycles later. In this way, the entire cronetwork user community benefits and the solution portfolio grows for everyone.
No application is lost
This is the top premise of the releases. When installing a cronetwork update, all older applications are completely preserved. No matter if they are individual developments or if the update concerns further developments of the standard applications. Even individually created interfaces and dashboards remain unchanged. How does it work? The software includes full backward compatibility with all previous versions. Therefore, no adjustments need to be made to the database or interfaces in order to use the update. “Due to the growth of our company, we are constantly required to implement new applications, most recently the Transport and Traceability Tool. For us, it is therefore an absolute advantage that everything is backwards compatible with Industrie Informatik,” says Martin Lenz, Head of Division Manufacturing at Meusburger Georg GmbH.
Wolfgang Haginger
