eschbach Launches Shiftconnector Plug-in for SAP Digital Manufacturing

Process industry software developer eschbach has launched a new plug-in that brings its Shiftconnector®  platform to SAP Digital Manufacturing, enhancing the functionality of the manufacturing execution system (MES) with a unified platform for collaboration and communication.

The solution is complementing SAP Digital Manufacturing’s core process and machine-oriented functionalities with a collaboration platform for the people on the shop floor, including structured shift handovers, task assignment, visual KPI management, and collaborative dashboards that update in real time.

The addition of these functions allows Shiftconnector® to empower SAP Digital Manufacturing in many ways, such as enabling machine data to be contextualised, or integrating critical information from the MES into the shift handover. This offers staff a real-time, shared view on plant status, and facilitates faster problem resolution on the shop floor.

This can help provide significant time savings for operating teams. For example, one eschbach customer has been able to save up to an hour per supervisor per shift on handovers by eliminating manual data aggregation from siloed systems, Excel-sheets and paper with Shiftconnector®.

Andreas Eschbach, Founder and CEO at eschbach, said: “Our new Shiftconnector® plug-in adds a layer of people-focused functions to the core offering of SAP Digital Manufacturing, promoting a leaner workflow that allows MES and wider operations data to flow seamlessly between shifts, departments, and plant tiers.

“By having these tools occupy the same space, manufacturers can standardise communication, improve the quality of data and helping to provide greater transparency across the plant.”

The Shiftconnector® plug-in is now officially listed on the SAP Store and can be installed in a matter of hours. Seamlessly integrating into the existing SAP Digital Manufacturing interface, the solution offers plug-and-play capabilities at a low implementation cost, while negating the need to switch systems.

This add-on also fully integrates with Microsoft Entra ID and supports Single Sign-On, ensuring total compliance with all security-relevant aspects of modern identity and access management.

The launch of this tool expands upon eschbach’s position as an SAP build partner, while the new plug-in has been developed with the support of SAP consulting firm concircle.

Dr. Konrad Pfadenhauer, Managing Director at concircle, said: “SAP DM is a core technology for the manufacturing industry that also provides an impressive degree of flexibility. This allows the system to be tailored from company to company with plug-ins and enhancements that integrate seamlessly into the digital production flow.

“In this case, the goal was integrating the structured and digital transfer of shift information and other collaborative functions, via Shiftconnector®, into SAP DM. This is a process that is central to many businesses, so we are pleased to have created a plug-in that satisfies this need with eschbach.”

Find out more about Shiftconnector® for SAP Digital Manufacturing.