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The speakers at the Orchestra Symposium 2024

Markus Benndorff, Product and Innovation Manager
soffico GmbH

As Product and Innovation Manager, Markus Benndorff is responsible for the development of new products and the management of innovation processes within soffico GmbH. Thanks to his many years of consulting and project work with customers and partners, Markus has in-depth technical know-how and an understanding of the challenges of today and tomorrow. His work is characterized by developing innovative solutions that meet the needs of customers.

Sarah Blomeier, Sales Manager
soffico GmbH

In the world of sales, Sarah Blomeier from the Sales team is a constant when it comes to supporting customers from the business and industrial environment. Her passion for maintaining customer relationships and key accounts is just as noticeable as her ability to optimize sales processes in the context of Industry 4.0. Sarah can also be found as a moderator at internal events such as our Orchestra Symposium, where she leads through the event with her relaxed and charming manner.

Karin Förster-Feick, Member of the Executive Board
soffico GmbH

Karin Förster-Feick has been advising soffico GmbH for many years and has been an integral part of the team as a member of the management team since autumn 2024. In this role, Karin is responsible for the strategic orientation and management of the soffico consulting division as well as the conception and implementation of digitisation projects for soffico customers and partners through the Orchestra integration platform. Karin has over 20 years of project experience in the financial industry and in the management of various consulting teams in the financial industry, health and IT consulting sectors.

Alexander Grüßung,
Product Owner Partner and System Integration
CONVALES Services GmbH

Alexander Grüßung is Product Owner Partner and System Integration at CONVALES Services GmbH. In this role, he manages the integration of software products and is responsible for the introduction of the ePrescription in the company’s ERP system. He is in charge of the Orchestra middleware platform, which plays a central role in networking various IT systems, and ensures smooth operation. He plays a key role in the further development of the company’s digital processes. .

Prof. Dr. Bernd Hafenrichter, CTO
soffico GmbH

Prof. Dr. Bernd Hafenrichter is Professor of Computer Science at the Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences and, as CTO of soffico GmbH, is responsible for the development of the Orchestra software. As an architect, project manager and coach, he is involved in a wide range of software development projects. In particular, he has accompanied the Orchestra product from the very beginning and continues to play a key role in its implementation to this day. As part of his professorship, he combines theory and practice in order to utilize the synergy effects of both worlds. In particular, the networking of heterogeneous systems and their technologies has accompanied Prof. Dr. Hafenrichter throughout his entire professional life. He pays particular attention to long-lasting architectures that can be easily and flexibly adapted to new challenges over the years.

Martin Harzen, IT Consultant
soffico GmbH

Martin Harzen has been an IT consultant at soffico GmbH since May 2019. He has been responsible for the operations team for almost 2 years, as well as other customer projects and training courses.

Dr. Sebastian Heger, Product and Innovation Manager
soffico GmbH

Dr. Sebastian Heger is Product and Innovation Manager at soffico GmbH. Previously, he held leading positions at tresmo, including Head of Connected Devices and R&D. Dr. Heger spent almost a decade at the Fraunhofer Project Group Information Systems and the Core Competence Center FIM, where he led industrial and consortial research projects, taught courses in business administration and agile project management, and led the Corporate Cooperation team. He holds a doctorate in business informatics from the University of Augsburg.

Rica Holzmann, Member of the Executive Board
soffico GmbH

Rica Holzmann is a member of the management board of the software company soffico GmbH. Through her passion for effective and seamless data flows within organizations and her many years of experience in designing and implementing data integration solutions, Rica Holzmann has a deep understanding of the technical challenges and best practices in this area.

Combining her expertise with real-world case studies and proven strategies, she provides a balanced perspective by highlighting both the technical and business aspects of data integration. By publishing technical papers and participating in speaking engagements, Rica Holzmann helps raise awareness of the importance of data integration in manufacturing organizations and shares best practices to help companies succeed.

Kerstin Kopp, Team Lead Consulting
soffico GmbH

Kerstin Kopp started as an IT consultant at soffico GmbH after completing her studies in business informatics (M.Sc.). Since March 2023, she has been responsible for various projects as well as the operating concept and QMS as a team lead in the Consulting Business Team.

Marco Kugel, Team Lead Smart Factory Solutions
Festool GmbH

Vita follows.

Michael Lauter, Team Lead DevOps & KI
soffico GmbH

As Team Lead DevOps & AI, Michael Lauter and his team are responsible for increasing the productivity of soffico GmbH’s customers and partners through the use of DevOps practices and generative AI. His current focus is on the integration of generative capabilities into the Orchestra low-code development platform. Michael has experience in the IT and manufacturing industry with a technical background in computer science and engineering.

Joane Matka, Project Manager MES
Capron GmbH

Joane Matka works as an MES project manager at Capron GmbH and is responsible for the MES project there. She is also an important part of the Erwin Hymer Group’s overall MES project team, where she contributes her expertise and experience.
In her professional career, Joane Matka has gained extensive experience in the field of consulting. As a mechanical engineer specializing in production technology, she has specialized knowledge that she successfully integrates into her projects.

With her commitment and expertise, she actively supports the implementation of digitalization strategies and contributes to the continuous improvement of production processes at Capron and within the entire Erwin Hymer Group.

Philipp Max, Production Engineering Magnetics
TDK Electronics AG

Philipp Max has been working for TDK Electronics AG since 2016 and, as Operations IT, is responsible for Equipment Communication, Manufacturing Analytics and Shopfloor Software Solutions. In the international Industry 4.0 steering committee, he develops strategies for the digital transformation of production and the path to intelligent, networked manufacturing.

Prof. Dr. Fabian Riß,
Professor of lightweight construction and additive manufacturing
Rosenheim Technical University of Applied Sciences

Vita follows.

Florian Steiner,
Manufacturing Innovation Engineer
Comet AG

Florian Steiner is an experienced engineer with a diverse background in automation technology. He currently works as a Manufacturing Innovation Engineer at Comet, where he has a key role in implementing advanced manufacturing processes to drive efficiency and innovation in production environments. Previously, he worked for a long time in the development of robust software solutions for special machines at Insys AG. He specialized in robotics, vision and PLC controls.

Harald Wenger, CEO
soffico GmbH

Harald Wenger has been CEO and shareholder of soffico GmbH, based in Augsburg, since 2012. As CEO and contact person for employees and national and international customers, Harald is responsible for the strategic direction of the company, the successful implementation of customer projects and the further development of the Orchestra integration platform. In this context, he is also actively involved in a number of funding projects, such as Factory-X, and promotes these within the company. Innovative projects, concepts and ideas are Harald Wenger’s speciality. .

Michael Welp, Head of IT Manufacturing Applications
MEYER WERFT GmbH & Co. KG

Mr. Welp is Head of the Production Solutions department at MEYER and is therefore responsible for the entire production application portfolio. This includes applications from the areas of PLM, ERP and MES.
The “Production Solution” department has developed individual solutions for the production sector over a number of years and in recent years has concentrated on the introduction of standardized PLM, ERP and MES systems.

We follow the following important premises in the area of MES:

  • Best of Bread approach in the area of MES as a “success factor”
  • Enterprise or Manufacturing Service Bus as a link between the levels of the automation pyramid
  • Building up in-house expertise for the implementation of MES projects is an enabler for the subsequent continuous improvement process

“What excites me about my job is being able to reinvent myself again and again, to face the challenges of the market and to work with my team on solutions that support production processes and make them more effective.”