SAP Research and Linfox start first Future Logistics Living Lab project
SYDNEY, Australia — SAP Research, the global technology research unit of SAP AG, announced today that Linfox, a supply chain solutions provider, is one of the first companies to test and evaluate ‘Holodeck’*, a brainstorming mobile application prototype, developed by SAP Research in Australia.
The collaboration between SAP and Linfox was initiated during a Future Logistics Living Lab workshop in April this year, when SAP Research presented its current research work to Living Lab participants and selected SAP customers and partners. Linfox expressed interest in the technology and is now one of the first companies to validate the prototype in their day-to-day business.
SAP Research ‘Holodeck’* project is an application that supports brainstorming and business modeling across locations in a completely novel way. By using an iPhone connected to a standard projector, Holodeck transforms any flat surface into a virtual smart board.
The ‘Holodeck’* project enables participants to collaborate from different locations by capturing content from the meeting using the iPhone’s camera. The application extracts objects visible on the whiteboard (post-it notes, drawings, etc.) and distributes them to other participants via broadband, creating a virtual whiteboard session.
The application is integrated with SAP StreamWork which allows users to save and access the results after the meeting, as well as share it with other StreamWork users.
“SAP Research Holodeck* project gives Linfox the potential to brainstorm ideas between team members located at various sites,” said Chris Hemstrom, Linfox’s Group Manager, Supply Chain Solutions. “We will use it when initially scoping and determining the direction of projects, as well as for strategy development. Linfox will also use Holodeck for value stream mapping for projects that run across multiple sites. We are currently trialing the use of Holodeck* on several projects.”
SAP Research architect Dr Marek Kowalkiewicz, who is leading the Holodeck project team, said: “We are thrilled to co-innovate with Linfox on our prototype. While our colleagues from Linfox get the chance to test Holodeck in their business environment, we expect to gain feedback on usability, receive ideas for possible new features, and identify problems with the application.”
Based in the Australian Technology Park in Sydney, the Future Logistics Living Lab is the first such laboratory in Australia and the only Living Lab in the world with university and industry participation dedicated to logistics. It provides a physical platform for industry and research to work together, to investigate and overcome real world logistics issues, and to demonstrate and test innovative technology that will provide transport and logistics solutions for the future.
Participant companies help shape the future of logistics through the collaboration and sharing of knowledge and experience. The collaboration supports the development, testing and demonstration of prototypes of new products and services.
“The spirit of the Living Lab concept is about co-innovation,” said Dr. Karsten Schulz, Vice President and Practice Lead at SAP Research. “The Living Lab provides a means for participants to create, to test and to demonstrate prototype technologies prior to commitment to real products.”
