ai informatics unveils first SAP business solution for the solar industry:
SPEED Solar casts light on all business processes
Munich, 7th August 2008 – applied international informatics GmbH & Co. KG (ai informatics), a provider of all-inclusive IT solutions, is launching SPEED Solar, the first qualified SAP business all-in-one industry solution for the solar industry, onto the market. The pre-configured and integrated industry package has been tailored to the needs of SME-sector companies from the solar industry, can be used internationally and is both scalable and future-proof.
"As a result of growing international demand for alternative sources of energy, the solar industry is one of the strongest-growing sectors of industry in Germany," explains Reinhard Hafner, Head of Market Development at ai informatics. "The market changes quickly and the industry is increasingly facing new challenges. SPEED Solar supports solar manufacturers effectively in their efforts to steer their companies into the future."
The software solution provides solar companies with all the key functions required for mapping their industry-specific added value processes. Manufacturers of solar cells and solar modules can map their products in the production and logistics sectors and for reporting either in unit quantities or based on electrical rated output in Watt Peak. The solution also supports stochastic production, where the precise rated output is only determined after production is complete. Current stock levels can be viewed at any time at the click of a mouse and are reliably compared with requirements from orders. What’s more, individual ranges of solar cells or modules can be summarised by rated output for customers’ needs.
A serial number capture system integrated into SPEED Solar also ensures efficient quality management. All individual parts, as well as the raw materials required for a finished product, are given a uniquely identifiable serial or batch number. This means that all components can be traced without interruption. The business solution is also linked to the shop floor systems via standardised interfaces. As a result, data from the production systems, such as regarding finished quantities (flasher data), serial numbers and quality assurance, is fed directly into the business solution, where it is processed. This way, product costs, for example, can be calculated accurately at any time.
The industry application supports the establishment of enterprise-wide, uniform standards for internal and external reporting. This facilitates the real-time creation of consolidated financial statements compliant with IFRS international financial reporting standards and individual financial statements from subsidiaries compliant with local law. Equally, money from state-run sponsorship programmes can also be managed and accounted for easily. Since the solar industry is strongly reliant on exports, SPEED Solar can also handle the complex regulations for foreign trade.
ai informatics also offers companies in the solar sector comprehensive services. These include consulting and implementation, along with usage-orientated and flexible outsourcing packages for operation in data centres, as well as support with application management. Renowned solar module manufacturers such as AVANCIS, EverQ and SOLON already rely on ai informatics’ professional services.
With SPEED Solar, ai informatics is expanding its portfolio of tried-and-tested, customised SPEED industry solutions based on SAP Business All-in-One for machine and plant construction, automotive suppliers and the high-tech industry. Added to this is SPEED express, another all-inclusive industry package for smaller industrial companies with ten to fifty users.
Background information on the solar industry in Germany:
German manufacturers of solar energy equipment increased their sales in 2007 by 23 per cent to just under Euro 5.5 billion, according to the German Federal Association for the Solar Industry (BSW-Solar). The key driver for growth was foreign trade, whose volume rose from Euro 1.5 to 2 billion. The export ratio is currently around 38 per cent. BSW Solar anticipates market growth in double-figure percentages in 2008. According to estimates by the market research institute IFO München and EuPD-Research Bonn, the German photovoltaics industry will also grow strongly in the next few years. By 2010, sales are set to rise to Euro 10 billion, with an export ratio of just under 50 per cent.
About ai informatics:
Tailored all-inclusive IT solutions for the SME sector
ai informatics is a provider of all-inclusive IT solutions and has been an established partner to the SME sector for more than 30 years. ai informatics has specialised in supporting companies from the automotive supply industry, plant and machinery construction as well as the high-tech industry across all stages of the life cycle of IT applications and infrastructures: from design and implementation to application management and ongoing operation.
Focal areas of the company’s activities include the introduction of SAP-qualified SPEED business solutions and modern infrastructure solutions, as well as flexible outsourcing services and up to 24/7 application management support. ai informatics is a leading SAP Channel Partner with Gold Status and is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. As an independent Siemens subsidiary of the Siemens IT Solutions and Services division, ai informatics employs around 150 staff at sites in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Munich and Pforzheim.
Press contact:
applied international informatics GmbH & Co. KG
Doris Brandner
Business Campus München : Garching
Parkring 4, 85748 Garching bei München
Tel.: +49/89 255 495-215
Fax: +49/89 255 495-205
doris.brandner@aiinformatics.com