SERAPHIM – Service application platform and business models for service concepts in the field of mechanical engineering and plant construction

The failure of a machine poses a serious problem to any production operation. In the worst-case scenario, it can restrict production and trade for days as the parties involved have insufficient information, and time is needlessly lost. As part of the SERAPHIM project, a service platform is being developed that uses semantic technologies to optimize service and sales processes in the field of mechanical engineering and plant construction. With SERAPHIM, difficulties will no longer be experienced in coordinating maintenance work, service and sales in the future.

Coordination difficulties a thing of the past
The services of all the partners involved in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) are made available on the platform by creating a dynamic digital machine file, for example, which contains all the relevant and up-to-date information on the production, dispatch and maintenance of a machine. This ensures that the manufacturer, employees, customers and dealers are always on the same page and can react immediately to the drop in production in line with their own particular interests and schedules.

MRO optimization also cuts down on paper
SERAPHIM also develops services for a paperless repair process. The MRO services are offered in digital format and invoiced through the platform. In addition to optimizing MRO services it also cuts down on the excessive use of paper. Furthermore, to integrate external dealers into sales and service processes, services and tools are to be developed to support these processes within the framework of a dealer platform.

TEXO and PROCESSUS in tandem
In particular, SERAPHIM draws on the results of the TEXO and PROCESSUS application scenarios. In the TEXO scenario, an infrastructure is developed with which services can be easily traded, combined and used on the Internet. The PROCESSUS project investigates how knowledge available in businesses can be better leveraged. For this purpose, a platform is developed that integrates resource planning and business process management, and makes it considerably easier to compare products, solutions and potential business partners.