thyssenkrupp launches DESCA to optimise supply chain services

August 16, 2019: thyssenkrupp Materials Services has introduced DESCA (Digital Extended Supply Chain Accelerator), a flexible IT infrastructure for smart, agile management of all processes along the supply chain. DESCA can process and forward millions of datasets like material deliveries, customer purchase orders, order execution and transportation logistics in seconds.

DESCA is helping thyssenkrupp Materials Services shorten order lead times, optimise warehousing logistics and pave the way for new supply chain services.

“We see major growth potential in supply chain services. With Industry 4.0 environments such as DESCA we can significantly reduce complexity in global production networks and help our customers focus fully on their core business,” said Klaus Keysberg, CEO, Materials Services.

DESCA will drive thyssenkrupp Materials Services’ strategy of 'Materials as a Service' to guarantee its customers access to global supply markets and in-house process expertise to create tailored supply chain solutions.

DESCA is based on SAP HANA, an application that uses in-memory database technology for processing massive amounts of real-time data in a short time. DESCA allows flexible integration of data from various internal and external sources. The data gathered from all areas of the supply chain in the new ERP system are fed to 'alfred', the in-house artificial intelligence solution launched earlier this year. DESCA also communicates with 'toii', the company’s IIoT platform that connects all its machinery worldwide.

Order information can be compared with processing data from thyssenkrupp Materials Services’ connected machinery – in the future also in real time and via an app. This is a particularly attractive option for sectors that place high demands on a flexible supply chain such as the aerospace industry. DESCA has been tested practically at selected branches of thyssenkrupp Aerospace in North America.

“Smart data integration is the key to greater efficiency and customer service. Our new ERP system creates the technological platform for this. We're playing a pioneering role as one of the first major users in the aerospace industry to switch to the latest SAP environment. The first phase showed that DESCA helps us significantly strengthen our core capabilities in smart supply chain management,” said Patrick Marous, CEO, thyssenkrupp Aerospace.

“DESCA has a dashboard that shows us what we have to do in the next few hours and helps us systematically align our management model to the future,” added Marous.