Shape memory alloys belong to the group of “smart materials”. Materials that cause a strong reaction as a result of changing environmental conditions are assigned to this group. In shape memory alloys, the strong reaction results from a strong sensitivity to thermal and mechanical loads, which lead to a (nearly) reversible and volume preserving crystallographic martensite-austenite phase transformation. This property offers shape memory alloys a wide range of applications in practice. For this reason, the simulation of shape memory alloys is of great importance and the consideration of phase transformation processes is essential. In the talk, a rate-independent material model is presented, which is more robust and precise compared to existing material models with the same computational effort. These advantages are achieved by a suitable parameterization as well as by modification of the functional from which the evolution equations result. Simulation results for structural devices made of shape memory alloys are used to demonstrate and explain the advantages of the material model.