eschbach's Shiftconnector® Helps Power Merck's Visual Factory to Drive Greater Transparency, Agility, and Supply Chain Resilience

Rhea-AI Summary

Merck (NYSE: MRK) selected eschbach's Shiftconnector to strengthen its Visual Factory and digital manufacturing across global sites, announced Oct 23, 2025. Deployment reached more than 9,000 users in under five months, across multiple sites and all above-site functions. Shiftconnector now serves as a foundational layer to standardize KPIs, improve cross-department communication, embed analytics into 24/7 operations across seven tier management levels, and streamline shift handovers, equipment tracking, and deviation reporting.

Positive

• Deployed to >9,000 users across global sites in under five months
• Standardized KPIs and analytics across seven tier management levels
• Built-in AI features for fast access to historical insights and institutional knowledge

Negative

• None.

Insights

Operations & Supply Chain Analyst

Merck's rapid, large-scale Shiftconnector deployment standardizes operational KPIs and embeds AI into 24/7 manufacturing across global sites.

By adopting Shiftconnector as the foundational layer for its Visual Factory, Merck moves to a single source of operational truth that standardizes KPIs, streamlines shift handovers, equipment tracking, and deviation reporting, and surfaces historical insights via AI for institutional knowledge. The announced rollout reached more than 9,000 users across global sites in under five months, and is integrated into 24/7 operations at all seven tier management levels, which supports faster decision cycles and clearer accountability chains.

Caveats and dependencies are explicit: the benefits depend on sustained data quality, cross‑departmental adoption, and the AI features' reliability; none of these performance metrics or post‑deployment results are disclosed here. Integration at scale also requires ongoing governance and training to prevent siloed or inconsistent KPI use, and the announcement does not detail governance structures or measurable outcomes yet.

Concrete items to watch over the next 6–18 months include adoption fidelity (consistency of KPIs across sites), evidence of reduced handover errors or deviation resolution times, and any published metrics from Merck about operational lead times or throughput. The deployment timeline (under five months) and the user count (9,000) are immediate, monitorable milestones that validate execution speed but not long‑term impact.

BOSTON, Oct. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- eschbach is pleased to share that Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, has selected Shiftconnector to improve how it uses digital tools in manufacturing. By integrating Shiftconnector into its established visual factory framework, Merck is enhancing its ability to deliver real-time, actionable insights across global operations.

This implementation supports Merck's continued drive for greater transparency, responsiveness, and efficiency throughout its supply chain. With Shiftconnector now serving as its foundational layer, Merck is advancing this capability even further—standardizing KPIs, enhancing cross-departmental communication, and embedding analytics directly into their 24/7 operations at all seven of its tier management levels.

"Our Visual Factory, powered by Shiftconnector, is transforming the way we operate," said Besufekad "Besu" Alemayehu, Senior Vice President, Digital Manufacturing for Merck. "It gives our teams a real-time, unified view of plant performance, enabling faster, smarter decisions. By combining our operational expertise with Shiftconnector's intelligent platform, we're building a more agile, transparent, and resilient supply chain that helps us deliver life-saving medicines more efficiently."

In under five months, Merck and eschbach successfully deployed Shiftconnector to more than 9,000 users across multiple global sites and all above site functions. Now serving as a core component of Merck's Visual Factory, Shiftconnector provides a single source of truth for operational data and streamlines essential processes such as shift handovers, equipment tracking, and deviation reporting. Its AI-driven features will give teams fast access to historical insights and institutional knowledge—critical in an industry navigating workforce transitions. This foundation ensures the right information reaches the right person at the right time, enabling seamless collaboration throughout Merck's tiered management system.

"We're proud to help power Merck's Visual Factory transformation," said Andreas Eschbach, CEO of eschbach. "Together, we're creating a smarter, more resilient manufacturing environment—one where people are empowered by real-time data and AI-driven insights to make better decisions, faster."

This milestone reflects Merck's continued investment in its digital transformation journey, reinforcing its commitment to innovation, quality, and delivering life-saving medicines with greater speed and reliability.

About eschbach

With its global headquarters in Southern Germany and its North America headquarters in Boston, MA, eschbach is the premier enterprise software developer for pharmaceutical manufacturing daily management systems and more. Shiftconnector incorporates AI technology and helps manufacturing teams take charge of facility operations, process safety, asset performance, and production quality. eschbach serves the pharmaceutical industry and other process industries, transforming digital manufacturing operations that helps managers, operators, and technicians to achieve the highest level of team communications. The award-winning solution is trusted worldwide by leading manufacturing companies such as Merck, Roche, and Bayer. For more information, visit www.eschbach.com.

Media Contact

Dawn Fontaine
Ripple Effect Communications
T: 617-536-8887
dawn@rippleeffectpr.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eschbachs-shiftconnector-helps-power-mercks-visual-factory-to-drive-greater-transparency-agility-and-supply-chain-resilience-302593033.html

SOURCE eschbach

FAQ

What did Merck (MRK) announce about Shiftconnector on October 23, 2025?

Merck announced it selected eschbach's Shiftconnector to power its Visual Factory and digital manufacturing, deploying the platform across multiple global sites.

How many users does Merck's Shiftconnector deployment cover and how fast was it rolled out?

Shiftconnector was deployed to more than 9,000 users in under five months.

What operational benefits does Shiftconnector provide Merck (MRK)?

It standardizes KPIs, improves cross-department communication, embeds analytics into 24/7 operations, and streamlines shift handovers, equipment tracking, and deviation reporting.

Which Merck management levels use Shiftconnector in the Visual Factory?

Shiftconnector is embedded across Merck's seven tier management levels to provide a unified operational view.

Does Shiftconnector include AI features for Merck (MRK)?

Yes, the platform includes AI-driven features to give teams fast access to historical insights and institutional knowledge.

What is the expected impact of Shiftconnector on Merck's supply chain resilience?

The implementation is intended to increase transparency, responsiveness, and agility across Merck's supply chain, enabling faster, data-driven decisions.