Mercedes-Benz partners Microsoft to amp up sustainability in car manufacturing

Mercedes-Benz and Microsoft have partnered to make vehicle manufacturing more efficient and sustainable with the help of a new data platform, MO360. Through this platform, Mercedes will connect its 30 passenger car factories around the world to Microsoft cloud which will help the premium car maker to enhance transparency and predictability across its digital production and supply chain.

Mercedes-Benz informed that its MO360 Data Platform is an evolution of its digital ecosystem which will help various production teams to identify supply chain bottlenecks at a faster pace which will help in prioritisation of production resources towards electric and top-end vehicles. This platform will provide the premium automaker with the flexibility and power of cloud computing to run artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics at a global scale while also addressing cybersecurity and compliance standards across regions. Mercedes informed that this platform is already being deployed in the United States and China.

The data platform will be able to create a virtual replica of its vehicle manufacturing process, combining insights from the assembly, production planning, shop floor logistics, supply chain and quality management. This virtual simulation will help in optimising the real process by increasing efficiency and saving energy, for instance, managers will be able to optimise operational patterns to reduce CO2 emissions in production.

Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, responsible for Production & Supply Chain Management Joerg Burzer shared that this partnership with Microsoft will make the company's global production work more sustainable, intelligent and resilient towards geopolitical challenges. “The ability to predict and prevent problems in production and logistics will become a key competitive advantage as we go all electric," added Burzer.