Data-driven resilience: Jürgen Schuberthan on Catena-X and Demand & Capacity Management at BMW Group

Mr Schuberthan, what role does Catena-X play for the BMW Group?

An essential one. Catena-X is a key enabler for the BMW Group to drive the digital transformation of the automotive industry. As a founding member, BMW promotes an open, collaborative data ecosystem to enhance transparency, efficiency, and sustainability across the entire value chain and strengthen competitiveness.

For those who are not familiar, what is the Demand and Capacity Management (DCM) use case within Catena-X, and which problems does it to solve?

This Use Case focusses on a particular challenge: In a “BANI”-world (brittle, anxious, non-linear, incomprehensible) specifically the “non-linearity” in it brings ups and downs that heavily affect not just the OEM’s production but even more intense the supplier network. The complexity is leading to demand changes that exceed suppliers capacities. Even if the overall demand may go down from time-to-time shifts between markets can lead to activated bottlenecks due to different profiles of the cars that are to be sold there. At the end, this may lead to an often too late detection of foreseeable mid- to longterm bottleneck-situations. The problem solving between supplier and customer then starts with both not being on the same page to the data of the situation. Here DCM comes into place serving early transparency on demand and capacity for both – the supplier and the customer.

What are the main benefits of DCM for OEMs and suppliers? How does it help the industry move from reactive to proactive supply chain management?

So often we’ve heard “there is no glory in prevention”. I really do not consent on this. While transforming you, your relations with suppliers and those with your customers into “proactive mode” you transform into a future of collaboratively detecting of bottlenecks and avoiding their costly impact on your short term business.

Do companies risk their business by participating and sharing data?

No, quite the opposite is true. Data exchange addresses a collective interest—one that everyone shares, regardless of whether they are directly or indirectly affected—because it matters to all. It enables greater flexibility in the supply chain through early, systematic, and standardized identification of bottlenecks. I often refer to this as “herd immunity”: wherever DCM is applied within the network between a customer and a supplier, it safeguards not only their direct relationship but also those around them. This strengthens resilience—not just for the supply chain, but even more so for the entire supply network.

What role does DCM play for the BMW Group?

BMW has a long history in capacity management. That leads to profound system of processes, roles and tools in that area. For the part of capacity management that the Catena-X DCM Standard addresses we adapted our side of the relation – the customer perspective – to the Catena-X standard and got certified for this as well. That leads to the capability that we can communicate with all the certified apps the suppliers can choose from. That’s the power of standards and that is commitment. We consider this as the new normal with our suppliers.

As a supplier, how can I get started with DCM?

Great question! It couldn’t be easier. First you need to ensure that you are a registered participant in the network if not already done. This is a one-timer for everything you will do in the future with both your customers and suppliers in the network – your “ID”. After that you either build your app or way easier you choose from one of the certified applications in the marketplace. This is where the great standard shows its strength. The diversity of solutions fits to all sizes and types of business in the supply network. The last step is to agree on the first scope with your customer, set the App up with your service provider and receive the first data (demand). The modelling of the capacity groups with all their information will take you just some minutes and you are not just ready to go but already in business.

As a member of the Catena-X Steering Committee, could you please describe your work and latest achievements?

In my work for the Catena-X association, it is very important to keep an eye on the development on the use case DCM and on its needs. Currently the need is to grant stability on the standard after years of development as the market has not just invested on creating applications, but the companies are also implementing it. We are in the start of scaling the productive use. That is why both stability and an ear on the market is currently very important. We now learn from real life experiences from all different perspectives.

In addition, I also care about other segments like tariffs and quality in my Steering Committee role.

What is your vision for the future? Is DCM only relevant in automotive, or do you see it expanding to other industries?

Even if the precise outcome can never be foreseen, I have a clear vision of the future of DCM. First of all, I strongly believe that the global supply network has learned the urgent need for more resiliency after all it has gone through in the recent years. While Catena-X DCM does not promise to solve all challenges, it has a clear and profound answer to a specific and critical aspect needed for the growth of resiliency.

And yes, this is not an exclusive situation in automotive. Other industries have similar needs. That is why we orchestrate the interoperability of DCM in other industries like Aerospace and Semiconductor. In my vision on DCM we will see a cross-industry interoperable data exchange increasing resiliency. The trusted and secure way of Catena-X is surely a key for this vision, and the vision is definitely not limited to DCM.

What would you say to suppliers who are still hesitant to join Catena-X and adopt DCM? Why is their participation so important for the success of the network?

First of all, I truly understand if one is hesitant. In the shaky times we all are, many are very carefully in their decision making. One needs to understand the “why”. And joining a dataspace surely raises some questions.

The great “why” for me is the already increased need to collaborate to stay in business and grow. Exchanging Data is in today’s world the way to collaborate – the “how”. But if you increase your data exchange on so many topics that come up like you may have done in the past you also increase the cost and risk that comes with it. Here Catena-X has a clear answer with the standards, the interoperability, the re-use of components and data and finally the trust given in this dataspace. All of this applies to DCM and specifically the re-use of the solutions for many customers but – and this is very important for me- the implementation of DCM with the own supplier base. Transforming to “proactive mode” comes with a price once you start at a low point. Standardized Apps lower this pain drastically as you don’t need to invest to build everything on your own. These are the fruits on collaboration from the industry for the industry at Catena-X.