Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT
Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT

Risk management for stable and sustainable production

In an increasingly complex business world, risks are omnipresent – from global dependencies and legal requirements to internal challenges such as process errors or cybersecurity gaps. To remain competitive, manufacturing companies must identify these risks early on, assess them thoroughly, and manage them in a targeted manner.

Holistic risk management for your production

We support you in doing just that. Using scientifically based methods, we help you to holistically identify risks in production, analyze them systematically, and manage them in a practical manner. This allows you to create stability, minimize downtime, and secure the future viability of your company.

We accompany you throughout the entire risk management process: from the identification of technical, organizational, and systemic risks to the derivation of suitable measures and their integration into your existing production and management structures. We also provide support for the sustainable anchoring of risk management systems and their continuous operation.

Customized solutions – compliant with standards and practical

Our portfolio is based on current standards and legal requirements (e.g., ISO 31000, StaRUG, DPP) and combines methodological rigor with technological expertise and concrete industry experience. This gives you customized solutions that meet the specific requirements of your company.

Practical application examples

Designing secure, efficient, and transparent processes – we show you how!

With our systematic approach, we help you identify risks early on, assess them in a targeted manner, and develop effective strategies. This allows you to secure your processes, reduce costs, and make decisions based on reliable, data-driven information.

Early risk detection

We help you identify risks in production at an early stage – from process disruptions to supply chain problems. This allows you to reduce disruptions, lower follow-up costs, and take targeted preventive measures.

Risk analysis

We analyze risks according to probability of occurrence and impact, tailored to your specific production. This gives you a clear understanding of your risks and enables you to use your resources effectively.

Risk prioritization

We prioritize risks according to their relevance and criticality for your processes. This enables you to identify the most important areas for action, plan targeted measures, and manage risk mitigation efficiently.

Developing risk strategies

Together, we develop customized strategies for risk management – from avoidance to transfer. This increases your process stability and significantly reduces failure and quality risks.

In compliance with laws and regulations

We support you in complying with relevant regulations and implementing them systematically. This ensures legal certainty, fulfills documentation requirements, and strengthens the trust of customers and partners.

Data-based risk assessment

We use modern analysis tools to quantify risks and provide objective assessments. This enables you to make decisions based on reliable data, manage proactively, and increase the transparency of your processes.

Practical application examples

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Risk management underwater: Recognizing and preventing hazards

© pixone3d/stock.adobe.com

Challenge

Subsea systems such as underwater compressors and pipelines are exposed to extreme conditions. Errors in development or operation can have serious consequences for the environment, safety, and business success. Due to limited accessibility and high repair costs, reliable risk management is essential.

Our solution

The Fraunhofer IPT supported companies in the early identification and assessment of risks in the development process. Simulation-based analyses and the application of proven methods from research and practice enabled potential weak points to be systematically identified. We developed a modular risk assessment model that takes both technical and operational aspects into account.

Results

  • Early identification of potential causes of failure
  • Higher operational safety of underwater systems
  • Reduction of follow-up costs through targeted prevention

Risk management in turbomachinery manufacturing

Teil einer Flugzeugturbine
© Vladislav Ociacia/stock.adobe.com

Challenge

Turbomachines are technologically complex components that are designed to operate close to their load limits. They are used in a variety of industrial applications, from the energy sector to aviation. A risk assessment helps to identify risks, hazards, and deviations at an early stage in the development of turbomachinery and its components. This allows quality improvement measures to be initiated at an early stage and projects to be completed within the planned budget and timeframe.

Our solution

The Fraunhofer IPT has developed a special risk assessment method that considers the specific characteristics of turbomachinery manufacturing and repair and ensures reliable risk management for these often safety-critical components.

Automated risk management in mechanical engineering

Challenge

In many companies, risk management is still unsystematic and lacks a consistent database. Risk analyses are often not objectively comparable and are carried out inconsistently in practice. At the same time, standards such as ISO 9001 require a risk-centered decision-making approach that requires a sound assessment and prioritization of risks. Particularly when allocating limited resources to several parallel projects, there is often a lack of a quantitative basis for taking risk costs into account.

Our solution

We developed user-friendly software for automated risk quantification. The basis for this was a specially developed evaluation framework that links business and technical parameters. With the help of integrated cost-benefit analyses, we were able to systematically assess project risks and propose resource decisions that optimized risk costs. This allowed risk management to be integrated directly into project planning.

Results

  • Automated risk analysis in real time
  • Transparent decision-making basis for project planning
  • More efficient management of risk and project data

Risk management in battery production

© Studio Wiegel

As a development partner, Fraunhofer IPT manages risk management projects for research and industry to support the introduction of new technologies and promote the success of complex and ambitious large-scale projects.

We are providing particularly intensive support for risk management in the development and commissioning of the research production facility for battery cells in Münster, as the establishment of this pioneering technological project with its wide range of innovations involves a variety of challenges.

These range from the evaluation of completely new technologies to the design of buildings and facilities for the battery cell production of the future. Digitalization solutions such as the product passport – in this case, the pioneering “Battery Passport” – will support a more transparent value chain and data-based risk management in the future.