At Bechtle, we have spent several years tackling the challenges of digitalisation projects in production and logistics, striving to support our customers on their path to transformation. New supply chains mean that corporate networks, sensors and machines have to work with each other in completely new ways, but Cisco offers a range of secure and scalable solutions to seamlessly connect and optimise production and logistics chains.

Production data need to be saved, analysed and provided to other systems and applications used in the office environment, and in manufacturing, this means rugged industrial devices are used that understand and translate the machine’s language. Orchestrating takes place together with classic network infrastructure via a homogeneous management platform. Cisco Software-Defined Access (SD Access) offers uncomplicated network management, ranging from IoT Edge up to the cloud.

The increased connectivity of machines, industrial facilities and entire supply chains increases the risk of cyberattacks with the consequences of a successful attack being severe. Production downtime, data theft and the manipulation of machines and products leads to huge economic drawbacks. This makes it necessary for companies to think of and implement a comprehensive cybersecurity concept that includes effective protective measures.

Digital technologies promise ground-breaking opportunities in production and logistics, but those who approach the subject purely from a technical perspective with different manufacturers and solution partners may find themselves mired in costs plus incompatibility is a huge risk, because only when individual technologies integrate well in a holistic digitalisation strategy can a boost in efficiency and growth be achieved. To realise its true potential, companies must therefore take a strategic approach taking into account various business areas.