ZF Friedrichshafen mentioned it’s transferring its enterprise, manufacturing and industrial processes onto the cloud because it expands its partnership with Microsoft.
The German auto provider on Tuesday mentioned it should digitalize all of its processes on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform — a transfer that ZF expects will generate far-reaching advantages throughout its enterprise.
The corporate mentioned transferring the platform onto the cloud would permit for larger autonomous driving capabilities, extra environment friendly factories and workplaces and a greater understanding of a quickly evolving world provide chain.
“It has turn out to be very clear to us that now we have to have information to handle our enterprise, and that information has to go throughout the entire of ZF group. It can’t be native,” mentioned Martin Fischer, a member of the ZF Board of Administration, in an interview with Automotive Information.
Fischer didn’t say how a lot the corporate is spending on the partnership, although he mentioned it was a “long-term contract.” In a information launch, ZF mentioned it was investing “billions of euros” on digitalization within the coming years, together with a “important quantity” within the Microsoft collaboration.
The transfer is the newest instance of a serious auto firm deepening its relationship with Microsoft. Lately, Volkswagen Group has partnered with the tech large on cloud computing for related car and autonomous driving know-how, whereas provider Robert Bosch mentioned earlier this 12 months it might work with Microsoft to develop a software program platform for autos.
“We needed to convey our software program improvement processes to the cutting-edge,” Fischer mentioned. “And who higher to study from than from Microsoft?”
ZF beforehand purchased cloud storage and different providers from Microsoft, however this collaboration will allow “all types of creativity” between its workforce and its prospects and companions, Fischer mentioned.
“We now have a robust perception that it is all about huge information and synthetic intelligence,” he mentioned.
Within the information launch, ZF mentioned it should use Microsoft’s cloud, information, machine studying and synthetic intelligence capabilities to “create new merchandise or enterprise fashions,” together with in its automated driving enterprise. For instance, ZF mentioned the cloud platform would permit for “steady information move” between its autonomous shuttles and their environments.
“The key is to know as a lot as doable in regards to the surroundings to make that digital driver actually protected,” Fischer mentioned. “The extra info we are able to collect in regards to the surroundings and feed that to the shuttle, the higher that digital driver goes to be.”
ZF in current months has invested considerably in autonomous shuttles, pitching itself in October as a “full provider” of self-driving shuttle methods.
ZF mentioned it might even be “digitally connecting” its provide chain to the cloud, integrating it with the corporate’s “gross sales and operations planning course of.” That may permit the provider “to anticipate inside and exterior capability wants” extra effectively, whereas additionally offering “seamless end-to-end provide chain visibility.”
“Full visibility permits a sooner response to probably difficult market developments to reduce or keep away from provide chain interruptions and guarantee well timed buyer deliveries,” ZF mentioned in a press release.
Moreover, ZF mentioned Tuesday it should roll out the “Digital Manufacturing Platform” it developed with Microsoft and PwC Germany to all of its factories worldwide after a profitable pilot program at a plant in Germany. The platform makes use of Microsoft’s cloud and information providers to make its manufacturing processes “extra versatile and extra environment friendly,” ZF mentioned.
ZF ranks No. 3 on Automotive Information‘ listing of the highest 100 world suppliers, with automotive elements gross sales of $33.4 billion to automakers in 2020.