A PistenBully, the snow groomer from Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG, achieves great things - but when it comes to assembly, the smallest details matter. The experts at DATAGROUP, who have been supporting Kässbohrer for several years with the development and provision of a digital assembly information system, know this really well. And the system has a lot to offer: based on an SAP Fiori app and therefore equipped with real-time information from SAP at all times, it can be used on tablets directly used in production. This DATAGROUP solution makes an important contribution to the efficient assembly of the well-known PistenBully.
Paperless and up-to-date assembly information in real time
Up to 3,000 parts are assembled at Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG before a PistenBully can be delivered to the customer. In non-digitalized or only partially digitalized work environments, this means that assembly employees have to walk long distances to stationary information terminals and printers, rely on large amounts of paper for assembly instructions and may not always have the latest information on the assembly order.
The assembly information system developed by DATAGROUP together with Kässbohrer and introduced in 2018, provides a remedy. It supplies the necessary, up-to-the-second information for assembling a production order directly from the company's SAP infrastructure. The data is displayed on a tablet, which employees can carry with them throughout the production hall. The application shows instructions for assembling the specific part the employee is currently working on. In addition, a start-stop function within the app makes it possible to record precisely how long the installation of a component takes. As this data flows directly back into SAP, it becomes easy to generate business evaluations of production processes.
Joint development ensures a tailor-made solution
As with all DATAGROUP projects, the focus here was on close collaboration with Kässbohrer's internal IT department and assembly users. This made it possible to develop a solution that fits seamlessly into the existing SAP landscape while providing tangible improvements for assemly staff. Close communication was also essential to ensure that all end users were well supported during this major change to their work processes.
And this was not the only success: the DATAGROUP experts mastered the technical challenge of developing a custom-fit Fiori app and were able to integrate the assembly information system directly into SAP without any interface issues. Their expertise replaced an SAP MES system, which offers similar possibilities for an assembly app but would have been far more cost-intensive to procure.
The successful project has since become a long‑running collaboration: since the initial rollout, Kässbohrer and DATAGROUP have continued to work closely together and have introduced multiple app versions with new improvements and features. The latest enhancement, for example, allows overhead orders that cannot be directly assigned to production orders to be processed via the system in assembly. And one thing is certain: more optimizations will follow!
Technology in use:
- Backend infrastructure: SAP ECC EHP 7.4
- Assembly information system in SAPUI5 Fiori App with
- Backend development in ABAP
- Communication protocol: OData
- Front end: SAPUI5
Key figures
- Joint initial and ongoing development of the assembly information system since: 2018
- Assembly stations with the system at Kässbohrer (Germany and Austria): 84
- iPads with assembly information system in use (Germany and Austria): 24
- Previous further development projects of the information system: approx. 10
"The SAP-based information system has ushered in a new era in the assembly of our PistenBully. The employees are delighted with how intuitively it can be operated and how it makes their everyday work easier. The experts at DATAGROUP understood exactly what we needed and implemented it quickly and efficiently. That's why we are constantly in contact with them to expand this successful project even further."
About Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG
Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG is the world's leading provider of off-road vehicles for slope, beach and environmental maintenance. PistenBully stands for reliability and pioneering technologies for slope and trail preparation. With the SNOWsat brand, the portfolio also includes digital solutions for slope and fleet management. The PRO ACADEMY guarantees resource-saving slope management. BeachTech beach cleaning equipment ensures clean beaches worldwide. Kässbohrer further strengthens its strong position in the commercial vehicle market with PowerBully. K COMPOSITES is a specialist and competence partner for fiber composite technology.
