Mercedes-Benz Cars digitizes material sampling together with the OEM overarching internet platform material.one. The concept was developed by PP/VD and MP/RI. The Internet platform serves as a central link between all stakeholders: suppliers, sub-suppliers, laboratories and Mercedes-Benz.
Summary of the new concept:
The entire process of material sampling is becoming new, digital and simpler. Mercedes-Benz, together with material.one, offers you functions that make this simplification possible. Using the new process you will become more flexible when processing the material sampling and you can achieve your goal of material release faster. Highlights of the new features include:
- Transfering the CAD model to material.one including the attached information from the PDM system. This allows you to quickly get an overview of the process.
- Predefined, digital inspection plans for your part number make it easy to read and interpret the required standards.
- Subcontractors can be integrated into the sampling process easily by delegating parts of the inspection plan via material.one.
- If required, you can select a test laboratory on the platform.
- You can start planning your material sampling process and collecting data right after the assignment.
- Your data is automatically compared with the values from the test specifications so that you have a transparent result at all times.
These new functions significantly simplify and accelerate the process of data collection. By doing this work in advance you can finish mechanical sampling in PIA in a relaxed manner.
The initial roll-out with selected suppliers has already taken place. Now the ramp-up phase begins.
Two webinars took place on 25.01.2024. On demand available until July 25 th.
in German:
https://webcast.meetyoo.de/index.html?e=B7h41uO9QWzz
in English:
https://webcast.meetyoo.de/index.html?e=c26pCEvIRe9b
Be part of it! Join us in shaping the future of material sampling.
Questions?
Starting from February 21, 2025, you can casually and without obligation direct your general questions about digital material sampling to employees of the company material.one. Every Friday between 10 and 11 AM, you can join an open consultation session via this link.
Consultation session material.one
Please note that the consultation session is suitable for general questions. For company-specific inquiries, there is the option to schedule a bilateral appointment.
General FAQs
What time does the webinar take place?
At 10 a.m. in German and at 2 p.m. in English.
What requirements do I have to meet to participate in the webinar?
You will need to log in with your email address and your company and a password.
Will the webinar be recorded?
Both webinars will be recorded and published on the Supplier Portal at a later date.
Who can I contact if I have any questions?
Immediately after registering for the webinar, a chat room will be available for you to ask your questions.
For additional information, please contact PP/VDW Team WEB or Team Analytics
and at material.one
Who informs my sub-suppliers and laboratories?
You can forward the registration links of the webinars to your partners.
Can I view the platform (non-binding) in peace and in detail?
Yes, they can register on a DEMO version extra https://demo.material.one
What are the technical requirements for use?
The application is system-independent. All you need is an up-to-date browser. No system installation is required on your computer.
Who is behind material.one?
For more information, please visit the homepage of
Are there any training courses for the platform?
In the Help Center of material.one you will find online training clips and contact persons. You can find the Help Center via the question mark button at the bottom right.
Is the system safe?
Authentication and authorization processes ensure that only authorized users have access to the data. Data changes can be tracked. Sensitive data is encrypted. The platform was subjected to a Mercedes-Benz Security Check.
Who is already using the platform? What experiences are there?
Mercedes-Benz has been using the platform for interior emissions for over 10 years. 40 laboratories are connected.
If you want to start now
First steps
First you have to register your company and different production sites at material.one. Follow the link: Getting started for Mercedes-Benz Tier 1 suppliers | material.one Help-Center
The first registration requires the DUNS numbers of your different production sites. You can find them under the following link: https://www.dnb.com/de-de/upik/
At the end of your registration, your administrator of the supplier portal has the task of assigning you the roles for material sampling in Alice (APP see portal).
This is an extra safety check. If you have the required roles as a user, you can use the platform optimally for our components. The necessary steps for your administrator are also described in the first link.
Detailled FAQs concerning material sampling
When do we start?
Beginning 1st of February 2024, the material sampling process will be gradually switched to the new process.
Does material.one also support very complex components?
Yes, especially for complex components, the system will optimally support you.
What effect does this have on PIA?
In the new process in PIA, you must upload your findings (report) generated in material.one in the respective sample cards for material sampling. Please sign the findings in the system digitally and do not use scanned documents for this.
PIA is informed by the system about the current status of your material sampling.
For all other sampling scopes, use the PIA system as usual.
What support does Mercedes-Benz provide if I use the platform?
The goal for Mercedes-Benz is to provide the best possible support for the material sampling process. The new process is intended to offer benefits to all parties involved. Mercedes-Benz bears, for example, the costs for displaying the 3D models, the automatically generated test plan and the standard digitization. In addition, the descriptive documents are digitized.
What if I can't find my lab or sub-supplier on the platform?
You can invite your partners to use the platform. Sub-suppliers are free of charge for all Mercedes-Benz material sampling processes, laboratories are subject to a charge.
Can I also submit data where the automated evaluation results in yellow or red?
Yes in principle, in accordance with the SDR procedure set by Mercedes-Benz.
Is it possible to hand in documents later?
Documents can be submitted on the plattform until the final submission of material sampling to Mercedes-Benz.
How is the legal liability of the data collected on material.one ensured?
With your final release of the data to Mercedes-Benz, the system generates a pdf document that you upload to the folders for file upload of the triggered sample plannings in PIA. This sets the data record as legally binding and the data can no longer be changed on the platform.
I also have to submit material samplong for powertrain plants. Does this work according to the same scheme?
In the medium term, it is planned to implement the system for all processes.
Is it ensured that the data is stored in accordance with EU law?
The GDPR is adhered to.
FAQs of Webinars January 25th 2024
Is this platform (material.one) available for both market of cars and Vans as well ?
The System is at the moment only available for Cars Superstructures.Van and PowerTrain are currently excluded.
Which applications (on Supplier portal) are needed for Sampling?
material.one and PIA are needed for sampling. Alice is only needed once for registration.
Can one user also register for different plants?
Yes, this is possible.
If a company has several DUNS numbers, does the head office number have to be used, or what should be done in this case?
The company can map the structure with DUNS of the head office and the various branches in material.one.
How does the registration for a 2nd tier supplier work? Usually, they do not have a MB AG supplier number. Is a DUNS number sufficient here? Does it have to refer to the 1st tier supplier?
A Tier-2 does not require a MB supplier number. A Tier-2 cannot request part numbers independently. The part number/component to be sampled is delegated from Tier-1 to Tier-2.
What's a pity that you have to appoint a manager before you can log in. It can take a long time.
In principle, it is also possible to log in to material.one without the Supplier Portal Manager. For the full range of functions, in particular the use of 3D data, the assignment of rights by the Supplier Portal Manager is required.
Can we add our suppliers at a later date?
New suppliers/persons can be added at any time.
Is Yubico an option for authentication?
Yubico cannot be used.
What options are there for 2FA?
The following 2-factor authentication options are available: WinAuthenticator
Is the authentication app PING-ID recommended in the Mercedes-Benz-portal also intended for Material One?
Ping ID is not provided.
Is material.one an MB Group company?
No, material.one is not an MB Group company.
Will the previously transmitted data/test results be migrated to material one?
Existing approvals will be available in the future on material.one so that they can be referenced.
Is the system and the standards completely in German?
The system is available in German and English.
What about weld seam documentation?
Weld seam documentation can be uploaded to material.one.
Are there interfaces to the Brain of Material database?
No. In the medium term, external material databases are to be integrated into material.one.
Do metals that have a special anti-corrosion coating already start in Q1 or do these components only start in Q2?
Q1 will start with components that essentially do the metal evidence planning. Components with further evidence plannings, e.g. corrosion, are planned for the second half of the year.
Can accredited laboratories be integrated?
Yes, accredited laboratories can be involved.
Can subcontractors be assigned to the individual components in order to distribute the tests?
Yes, delegation at individual component level is possible.
If the material information from the 3D data set is missing or incorrect, can I add or adjust it manually in material.one?
Yes, the data can be added and adjusted manually.
Are several fields automatically provided if several individual values are required?
Yes, if several individual values are required, several fields are available.
Is it possible to transfer inspection results from a part number that has already been sampled to a new sampling process?
Yes, that is possible.
When we have only 1 of my final product change in material, do I need to list again all material from my product or I can only change the one that was changed?
You can reuse whats already there and only change what needs to be changed.
Can the test results also be uploaded automatically or does each field have to be filled in manually?
Material.one offers interfaces for QMS systems. The interfaces must be agreed individually between the supplier and material.one.
Is it possible to export the test plans to the company's own CAQ systems and then import them again?
Material.one offers interfaces for CAQ systems. The interfaces must be agreed individually between the supplier and material.one.
If automated sampling evaluations are carried out: What does the support / for clarification of deviations that material.one has not taken into account - look like?
If necessary, target values can be adjuste after consultation with Mercedes. The automatic evaluation is then based on the adjusted target value. As before, deviations can still be clarified with Mercedes and documented on the platform.
Inspection planning: Can an test plan for SPC be generated based on the part number?
Mercedes-Benz uses material.one exclusively for initial material sampling. Test plans can be stored for this purpose.
Once the test result values have been validated, is there a way to edit them (maybe it was just a typo)?
As long as the results have not yet been sumitted for approval, changes can be made.
Is it still necessary to create IMDS data with material.one or does material.one replace IMDS?
IMDS data must still to be provided in the MDB ID data check.
Can the system be linked to the IMDS - Is a comparison with the IMDS entry carried out? This would create synergies and reduce unnecessary duplication of work.
No, there is currently no interface between IMDS and material.one
How is the handling of information on recycled content planned? - Today's requirements demand this information in the IMDS - what changes will result here for the IMDS or material.one?
The topic of recyclate is not currently included in material.one.
Are the contents of the material sampling not fully covered by the mandatory IMDS entry?
No, IMDS deals with the subject of substance bans and should not be mixed up with material sampling.
If material one is used now as digital submission of material testing datas, will the function in PIA be dissolved and will we see it as hidden?
PIA will still be the main system for sampling. material.one only handels the material sampling. It is still necessary to use PIA.
If engineering changes at currently parts ppaped in PIA will be trasferred with whole data to material.one? If yes, since when? Will it be announced by each products?
If you started PPAP with PIA you should not move to material.one while PPAP.
Is there one report per evidence Planning? Metals, corrosion, polymers, adhesive technology
No, there is one overall report.
Is there already a link to PIA for the automatic transfer of the report?
There is currently no link to PIA.
What needs to be uploaded to PIA at the end?
Only the sampling report generated by material.one.
Should re-sampling of processes currently processed with PIA also take place in material.one?
Re-sampling of existing processes is handled via PIA.
Is it mandatory to work with Material.One (from when?), or can I agree with the BTV to carry out the material sampling as before?
After the complete rollout, the use of material.one is mandatory.
When will the initial material sampling with material.one begin?
In Q1, we start with predominantly metallic parts of the "metal verification test". From Q3 onwards, we will start with predominantly polymer parts of the "polymer verification test". Pilot parts for polymer can also be purchased via the platform in Q2. Please feel free to contact us.
Is it OK if we hide names of our suppliers from certificates and Werkstoffstueckliste?
The same information is required as before.
What about the sampling in eSep++?
At the moment material.one will not be used for VAN sampling.
Will this system be mandatory to use and if so, from when? If not, can the old documents be uploaded?
The System is at the moment only available for Cars Superstructures. Van and PowerTrain are currently excluded.
Does material.one replace the Bill of Materials (BOM V6.0) document?
Yes.
What about identical parts that are delivered and sampled in the USA or China?
Reference can be made to existing processes.
For which suppliers is material sampling necessary? We are processors of cylinder heads.
For all suppliers who have a Tier 1 supply relationship with Mercedes-Benz and whose material requirements must be checked in the sampling process.
Will automotive batteries be applicable to this material digital sampling?
We start with the vehicle scopes. PowerTrain scopes, which include the batteries, are not part of the current rollout.
If I have sub supplier for project VS30 and that supplier will be change. Should I do new PPAP from the new subsupplier?
Yes, the sampling must be done for the new subcontractor in this case.
IS TFC part of this package? Technical Feasibility commitment
First of all, only the material sampling is relevant.
Is Requalification also addressed?
At the moment the system is only used for inital material sampling.
Will BAG still take place?
Yes.