Services

The center’s services are aimed at software providers, system houses and users. We offer them services at various levels, taking the necessary perspective in each case to generate individual benefits.

Our services at a glance

• ImplAiX® Trusted Advisory for project implementation, requirements and test management, Go-Live and operation

• Process optimization with Process Mining Understanding and optimizing business processes

ImplAiX® Trusted Advisory

for project implementation, requirements and test management, Go-Live and operation

Implementing a new integrated business application or updating a system requires investment, time, process changes and cultural changes. The business value acquired through such projects is directly proportional to the success of the implementation project. To justify the investment, best practices should therefore be maintained throughout the project.

The Center Integrated Business Applications combines its expertise in a service offering for the implementation of integrated business applications. The Trusted Advisory comprises various service packages to provide individual support especially for business IT, project managers, chief officers and key users in the implementation and further development of their business applications.

The new ImplAiX® (Aachen Implementation Method for Business Applications) service “Trusted Advisory” helps you to successfully introduce integrated business applications. Individual service components are applied even before the actual initialisation of the project and extended to the successful acceptance and Go-Live of the introduced application. The Center is at your side in every phase of your project: during the conception and through the review of the individual processes.

To this end, we use modern methods and tools or make use of targeted project visits either on-site or remotely to make the consulting process as efficient as possible.

The introduction of an integrated business application is a challenge for both service providers and project managers in a company. In the time of Industry 4.0, more and more applications are being networked with each other, making application landscapes and thus implementation projects increasingly complex. However, the achievement of goals and the satisfaction of the users with the implemented business application are directly dependent on the success of the implementation project.

At the same time, there is a need to move individual IT services or entire applications to the cloud or to pursue hybrid approaches to make the IT of the future more efficient. Applications are increasingly being operated as SaaS, which reduces the complexity of the own IT infrastructure, but creates new fields of activity for business IT software manufacturers and consultants.

With our Trusted Advisory, our industry experts provide you with unique support to achieve successful project completion in terms of content, monetary and time targets.

This service is individually tailored to your needs and typically includes the following features:

• Project and team initialisation
• Setup of an ImplAiX® portal for your implementation project
• Project Review
• Project Management Coaching
• Development of system and implementation competence
• Competence building for the application of agile or hybrid methods
• Data analysis and migration
• Consulting for realisation and conception
• Basics of requirements and test management, Go-Live and operation (for these project components we offer separate Trusted Advisory)

In implementation projects, tasks related to requirements management are usually not or insufficiently addressed and test management is largely the responsibility of the client’s key users. Since integrated business applications are constantly changing – even after their introduction, e.g. by adding new applications or making changes (Change) – a clear definition in the area of test management is extremely important to guarantee the quality of the application introduction or change management for the operation. Furthermore, key users can be relieved by using modern and comfortable test tools.

Untested applications ultimately lead to higher costs or even the failure of a project. Our experts will help you to create a robust test management plan or review your own plans, some of which have been created in projects with various company consultants for the individual applications and are suitable for your business applications.

This service is tailored to your individual needs and typically includes the following features.

• Application Life Cycle Management
• Requirements and test management
• Functional and non-functional testing, performance testing
• Application safety
• Test monitoring and control
• Setup of an ImplAiX® portal for your requirements and test management

Preparing a “Go-Live” plan requires considerable preparatory work, but that is not all. To reduce project risk, a strategy must be defined for the time during and after launch. The project manager must also be prepared for the fact that the execution will not go as planned and must set priorities in case of failure.

Our experts will help you to prepare a robust plan for commissioning. Besides, you can have us review your own Go-Live plan and we will advise you on the critical tasks that need to be completed.

This service is tailored to your individual needs and typically includes the following features:

• Requirements and preparations for Go-Live
• Freeze and backups
• Inventory and data migration
• Transports and settings
• Commissioning of interfaces
• Output management
• Visual inspections and live tests
• Switch off old systems

Process Optimization with Process Mining

Understanding and optimizing business processes

With advancing digitalisation and automation and more and more available data from IT systems, process mining is becoming increasingly important as a technique for optimising business processes in all industries. The data supported method of process analysis enables a realistic representation of process sequences and their interdependencies based on current event data. The process of knowledge generated in this way facilitates the identification of weak points to make business processes more secure and efficient.

Through a high degree of automation as well as speed and precision, Process Mining contributes to a significant reduction of the effort required for the recording and monitoring of processes compared to previously common methods of process modelling. With extensive visualization options, the technology enables process models to be displayed in a way that meets the needs of the user. This allows, for example, individual departments to adapt their processes dynamically and according to specific requirements.

When implementing a process mining software, however, companies face a variety of challenges. For example, heterogeneous IT structures, an inhomogeneous database and different IT systems often lead to considerable increases in costs, which are difficult for many companies to estimate. Besides, the successful application of process mining knowledge in suitable fields of application requires a structured approach and the ability to generate from the achieved results, value-adding business cases for one’s own company.

With the experience from numerous industrial projects and the expertise of an interdisciplinary team, we support you in the targeted implementation of your process mining projects. To this end, we offer a comprehensive portfolio of services for all phases of the implementation of process mining tools. We also support you in all areas of industrial order processing with a structured, proven methodology in the application of process mining to optimise your business processes. We develop our offer in close cooperation with and based on the findings of the research area Production Management at the FIR e.V. at RWTH Aachen University.

Our services:

Analysis scenarios for the use of process mining software

What added value does Process Mining offer me in my processes? We develop standard analysis scenarios, explain and demonstrate what Process Mining is and how it can be used successfully from order processing to delivery to the customer.

Understanding of the necessary steps of data preparation

The extraction and preparation of data in process mining projects typically raise a great challenge. We develop data models and derive procedures from them, with which the required data can be extracted from the expert systems as easily as possible and made available for process mining.

Selection of a process mining software

Which software is the right one for a specific application? Based on your objectives, we compare the suitability of concrete solutions on the market and help you choose the right solution for you.

Process Mining Project Support

We support you in the implementation of a process mining project from data preparation to the determination of the results. We help you with the configuration within your process mining solution or deliver results after the analysis. From this, concrete improvement potentials for your business processes can be derived, which you can subsequently implement.

Concept and project validation

The research infrastructure in the Smart Logistics Cluster on RWTH Campus with its innovation labs, theme park and the Aachen demonstration factory – an Industry 4.0 reference factory – offers you security when deciding on a process mining project. The innovative experimental environment offers you many opportunities to simulate the use of process mining under real conditions before you decide to implement the project in your company. Using demonstrators, which we build especially for your application, you can experience the advantages of Process Mining live and with the use of prototypes the benefits of Process Mining for your company can be validated at an early stage. In workshops with our experts, we bring together all the players involved in your company, answer relevant questions and ensure the common understanding among all participants, which is essential for a successful project.