From data chaos to digital manufacturing: Why toii® is a game changer
Expectations for modern factories are high: they must be flexible, efficient, transparent, and connected. The reality, however, looks quite different in many places – characterized by data silos, manual data transfers, and isolated systems that barely communicate with one another. Although vast amounts of information are generated every day, only a fraction of it is actually utilized. toii bridges the gap between aspiration and reality: The platform connects machines, people, and IT systems so that data flows together automatically and processes become fully digital. This creates real-time transparency, reduces manual work, and enables more stable, paperless processes. The result: greater efficiency, more stable processes, and manufacturing management that makes decisions based on a solid data foundation.
What is toii®?
toii® is an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform that has proven itself in industrial applications within the thyssenkrupp Group and is now also available to external companies on the open market. Designed to meet the demands of modern manufacturing, toii® is also a fully-fledged Manufacturing Execution System (MES) for controlling and optimizing industrial production processes. And it is precisely this combination that makes the solution so powerful. toii seamlessly connects production equipment and peripherals – from complex lines and saws to measuring devices, printers, and scales – with IT systems ranging from ERP to warehouse management. Digital silos are systematically broken down, allowing data to flow and become usable.
The goal: to make manufacturing processes more efficient, flexible, and resource-efficient – with a solution that is consistently tailored to the individual requirements of each plant.
Why the combination matters
In many companies, IIoT and MES operate in separate silos. toii brings them together: The IIoT layer ensures robust data collection and serves as the link to the machines. The MES then transforms this data into actionable insights, clear workflows, and tailored user interfaces for all roles in production. This creates a seamless flow of data and processes.
How toii® works: three levers for tangible results
From the control room to the production line, toii focuses on productivity, quality, and reducing material consumption – a key driver of cost efficiency and sustainability. Decisions are made faster, and processes become more stable. This is achieved through three key levers:
1. Real-time transparency for all relevant areas
toii® provides a clear picture of productivity, quality, energy efficiency, and order progress – live. Production, sales, and logistics are always up to date. This creates a consistent data foundation for operational decisions and long-term planning. Weaknesses become visible, and continuous improvements (CIP) can be prioritized and tracked based on data. Machine data and information from business processes are consolidated into understandable real-time KPIs.
2. Automation across machines and workstations
Where manual interfaces and multiple data entries currently waste time, toii® relies on end-to-end automation. Non-value-adding activities are reduced or eliminated, sources of error are minimized, and process reliability increases. Intelligent algorithms can increase material output and yield while reducing scrap. User interfaces adapt to specific roles and workstations, displaying exactly the information and functions needed. An integrated workflow reliably guides users through every step. The result: faster and more stable production, higher quality.
3. Greater flexibility through paperless processes
Paperless workflows make information immediately available in digital form – traceable, analyzable, and in real time. Changes to plans, such as in sequencing, take effect faster; new requirements can be seamlessly integrated. This increases the responsiveness of the entire manufacturing process and helps the company adapt dynamically to market and order conditions.
This is toii®
How toii® works – from initial consultation to stable operation
The rollout of toii® is a phased process: from a joint analysis of the current situation through implementation to stable operation. The platform connects machine fleets and IT environments and, building on this foundation, delivers customized interfaces, workflows, and key performance indicators. This transforms scattered information into a robust database – and turns potential into measurable progress.
Crucial to the pace and impact is an active customer team that tests functions early on in daily operations and provides feedback. In short iterations, processes are refined in a practical manner until everything is in place. The impact is evident in more efficient processes – whether through higher utilization of existing resources or through a more conscious use of materials and energy.
toii is particularly effective in metalworking facilities, with deep functionality for service centers and their core value-added processes: slitting, cross-cutting, and packaging. Thanks to its flexible architecture, location- and industry-specific requirements can also be efficiently mapped. AI functions are deployed where they provide immediate benefits: For years, algorithms have been optimizing speed and quality in packaging lines; newer machine learning functions lower entry barriers – for example, through natural language inputs. Similarity searches link current issues with past problems and suggest proven solutions. The basic rule remains: AI is only as good as the data. And this is precisely what toii® delivers – structured and of high quality.
Practical Example: More efficient production in Stuttgart
An example from the thyssenkrupp Materials Processing (MPE) site in Stuttgart illustrates how this is implemented in practice. There, MPE offers customized material processing. Three slitting lines cut customer-specific, narrower strips from coils. Until now, many work steps relied on manual inputs and isolated measurement methods; production and quality data were only available to a limited extent.
The goal: to automate processes, make data digitally available, and seamlessly network the production line. To achieve this, the systems and their components were connected, measurement procedures such as width and thickness measurement were automated, and handwritten records were replaced by digital data transmission. The SAP-based ERP system was also integrated, ensuring that order and production data are consistently available and that orders can be reported back directly from production
This resulted in a stable solution that increases efficiency, improves the flow of information, and simultaneously serves as a robust foundation for optimizing similar systems at other locations.
Development at toii® never stands still. Most recently, an SSQDC shop floor management tool was launched that drives operational excellence and continuous improvement in the areas of Safety, Sustainability, Quality, Delivery, and Cost in collaboration with production staff.