Intelligent Manufacturing at Schaeffler
Imagine a factory hall where hundreds of machines operate simultaneously – each one generates data streams that have the potential to fundamentally change production – if utilized correctly. In the past, it often took Schaeffler days to transform this data into actionable insights.
The company wanted to modernize data management and democratize access to information for employees directly on the shop floor – using generative AI to enhance corporate performance.
"We needed a solution that could scale to over 100 plants"
– Stefan Soutschek, Vice President, Operations Digitalization & IT Delivery Hub
The goal was clear: to find production metrics faster and empower factory engineers and plant managers to maximize productivity, efficiency, and quality.
Dismantling Data Silos and Making Knowledge Accessible
Schaeffler faced the challenge of consolidating data from various IT and OT systems and providing it in a unified, understandable format – in real time and accessible to all employees.
Additionally, the use of AI was essential to efficiently analyze and optimize complex production processes.
Microsoft Fabric, Azure AI, and Collaboration with Avanade
Schaeffler collaborated with Avanade to pilot data solutions in Microsoft Fabric and an AI agent in Azure AI – part of the Microsoft Cloud for Manufacturing.
Avanade played a central role
Deployment of the Copilot agent
Building data pipelines
Consulting for optimal use of Azure AI
“Avanade uses modern, scalable IT services, allowing them to focus entirely on the central theme of data harmonization,” explains Soutschek.
The solution extracts and normalizes factory data in Fabric. Employees can then ask questions in natural language to the agent and receive immediately actionable insights.
Example
Instead of spending hours troubleshooting, an engineer now simply asks:
“What caused the downtime on line 3 yesterday?” → The agent provides a detailed answer immediately.
Innovation and Human-Centered AI
“Avanade uses industry standards to unify, contextualize, and make information from IT and OT systems accessible in near real-time,” says Marko Weisse, Senior Director, Avanade Industry X.
Data from ERP, MES, and machines are brought together to identify the likely causes of production issues and suggest concrete solutions.
The Result
Less Scrap
Faster Production
Lower Costs and CO₂ Emissions
“The most innovative aspect of this project is the human-centered approach. We utilize Fabric, Azure, and many Microsoft products – but what’s truly new is that this cutting-edge technology is made available not just for IT specialists, but directly for the employees in production.”
– Tobias Ebersbach
AI-Driven Future at Schaeffler
The journey of Schaeffler impressively demonstrates how near real-time data intelligence can transform industrial processes.
“I am very excited about the Azure AI agent. It has huge potential because it provides a seamless user experience within the Microsoft platform,” says Timo Spiekermann, Product Owner, Data Platform at Schaeffler.
This innovative approach secures Schaeffler's leading role in digital manufacturing for the future.
