The main area of research in “production optimisation” deals with a more efficient organisation of production processes. It considers the possibilities for inventory reduction, the shortening of cycle times, as well as the increase of delivery reliabilty. Within the field of production planning and control, existing systems and newly developed concepts are examined, evaluated and compared.

Logistics optimises the processes, and e-business offers innovative concepts for the optimisation of information flows. The bundling of these two fields in the area of research "logistics and business networks" makes possible the development of more integrated models for the design and control of supply chains.