SK C&C and Softfoundry Strategic Partnership MOU Signing Ceremony

On the 30th November 2023, SK C&C signed a business agreement (MOU) for the development of a remote manufacturing video collaboration service with Softfoundry, at SK U Tower in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea. The signing ceremony was attended by officials from both companies, including Mr. Jae-kwan Cho, head of SK C&C’s manufacturing and digital division, and Ms. Joni Kuo, CEO of Softfoundry.

(Photo from left) Mr. Cho Jae-gwan, head of SK C&C Manufacturing Digital Division, and Ms. Joni Kuo, Softfoundry CEO (Source: Provided by SK C&C)

This partnership was conducted to solve technical, operational, and cost issues in managing manufacturing and production facilities being built in countries around the world to secure a global supply chain. Usually, when an error or problem occurs in the process at an overseas factory, an engineering expert from the head office is dispatched, and the goal is to solve problems such as time consumption, accumulated damage, and increased costs that occur during this process.

The two companies decided to install the jointly developed RCS (Remote Manufacturing Video Collaboration Solution) on SK C&C’s digital factory platform ‘iFacts’ and promote related commercialization and service advancement. iFacts provides operational management automation services, including production and facility control, quality and productivity analysis, process and facility monitoring, and product shipment. The plan is to apply the ‘Remote Manufacturing Video Collaboration Solution (RCS)’ to enhance the level of automation services for the entire manufacturing process life cycle. Depending on the customer’s IT environment, we can provide both software-based services (SaaS) and self-built services within the customer’s IT system.

Remote site managers can disseminate facility inspection or maintenance processes through vivid videos and share the results through various mobile devices such as augmented reality (AR) glasses. It also provides functions for easily managing field work processes by digitizing them and sharing and reporting work results. It also supports interoperability with corporate internal systems and data security through a dedicated Work Place web.

Through this partnership, the two companies plan to expand their services to various manufacturing fields such as domestic automobiles, energy, construction, and communications, while also actively cooperating in discovering new overseas businesses, including Softfoundry’s global customers.

Ms. Joni Kuo, CEO of Softfoundry, said, “Global customers are increasingly demanding a dynamic and flexible environment,” and added, “We seek to improve field work efficiency and productivity through real-time video collaboration solutions prepared in accordance with manufacturing industry trends.”

Mr. Jae-kwan Cho, head of the manufacturing digital division at SK C&C, said, “If problems that occur at the manufacturing site are not resolved immediately, it can lead to large business losses and loss of customer trust.” He added, “Using the video collaboration solution provided by iFacts, the company’s professional engineers can “They can quickly diagnose problems and support solutions anytime, anywhere.”