Five Aftersales Trends Not to Be Missed in 2025

As 2024 moves into 2025, the mood in mechanical engineering is despondent. Turbulent times are ahead, both politically and economically. But there are trends that give us hope and which could also help your company stay on course in uncertain waters.

Trend 1: Resilience as a superpower for organizations

If this were a list of negative trends, the economic downturn and the shortage of skilled workers would be right at the top. Experts expect that by 2034, Germany will lack almost 180,000 specialists. Because even though politics, industry, and associations have been trying to attract young people for years, first-year student numbers and student numbers in engineering are dropping. The biggest loser in Germany is mechanical engineering.

Use technology to remain flexible

We believe that resilience is an important trend for 2025, to keep us thinking positively about the future. Companies can strengthen their adaptability to changes, challenges, or crises with artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, for example.

If positions are not filled, companies lose knowledge and revenue. That's why 37 percent of German companies invest in automation—to close the gaps left by vacant positions. SMEs in particular see great potential in the AI- or robotics-based automation of processes and manufacturing methods.

Greater resilience: How to transform your challenges into opportunities

Trend 2: AI continues to set the pace

“Artificial intelligence is not an end in itself in machine and plant construction,” said the Deputy Executive Director of the VDMA, Hartmut Rauen at the German government’s Digital Summit in October 2024. The technology enables industry representatives “to develop better products and solutions, as well as to save money and therefore increase productivity”. So it is hardly surprising that more and more companies are exploring the possibilities of AI.

AI as part of everyday life in mechanical engineering

Efficiency benefits are promised in particular by generative AI, or GenAI for short. Aftersales teams also benefit from this. As the intelligence behind chatbots, GenAI can simplify service processes, or relieve the recurring task workload for service technicians, so that they have more time for activities that add value. AI can also help machine manufacturers to calculate their spare part prices more efficiently and not give away revenue potential.

Knowledge in poster format: Tips for your spare parts pricing

With the world’s first AI directive, the EU has now also defined the requisite legal framework for securely using AI in commerce. Mechanical engineering should use these AI opportunities and developments to improve the efficiency of its processes and prepare for the economic turnaround.

On the horizon: Quanos customers can expect these AI highlights in 2025

You can find more detailed information about AI in our blog:

Trend 3: Digitalization is becoming increasingly pervasive

Machine and plant manufacturers have been associated with digitalization for years. But the topic will still be on trend in 2025. This is evident from the main theme of the Hannover Messe: in 2025, digital ecosystems such as cloud platforms will be at the heart of the trade show events.

Cloud: infrastructure for digital progress

Ninety percent of manufacturing companies in Germany currently think that there is an urgent need for the digital transformation. The cloud has a key role to play in this. You can use it to automate your processes and link your machine data with sales, marketing, and customer service.

Nine out of ten German companies are already taking advantage of cloud environments for activities like switching IT applications to platforms and software-as-a-service or accessing technologies such as IoT or AI—small to medium-sized companies in particular can save on investment costs in this way and compensate for a lack of technical expertise.

If you are using the cloud today, you will also be able to adapt to tomorrow’s future trends more quickly. Something that is currently particularly interesting, according to Gartner, is spatial computing—that is, linking devices with their physical environment via cameras or sensors. This principle can improve the interaction between user and technology, and make applications such as digital twins more intuitive.

Read now: How Quanos takes your service data to the cloud

Expand your know-how on this topic by reading the blog:

Whitepaper: IIoT-Supported Service Portals

Cybersecurity: even more relevant in the future

The shortage of skilled workers and the fear of cyber attacks are currently the two main factors stopping companies switching their servers to the cloud. What were once isolated industrial systems are now networked beyond the factory site, leaving them potentially vulnerable to attack. Sources of danger include outdated systems and insufficient know-how when it comes to information security.

In 2023, according to reports, more than a quarter of all cyber attacks were directed against the manufacturing industry. However, in the last twelve months, two-thirds of companies with cloud computing did not record a single cyber attack on their cloud environment. This shows that machine manufacturers should always keep their systems up to date and use the latest version, making sure to accommodate cyber security at the same time as implementing new technologies.

Trend 4: Paying greater attention to sustainability

According to a current VDMA study, the consensus among German machine and plant manufacturers is that sustainability presents an opportunity for their business. Among other things, this allows companies to be innovative and establish new areas of business.

A Capgemini study confirms this trend, stating that sustainability is essential for long-term profitability for 63 percent of managers in manufacturing. And 74 percent view ecological and social sustainability as crucial for competitiveness.

What roles do aftersales services play in sustainability strategies

Cost pressure and market dynamics often stop sustainability targets being achieved, which is why, according to the Capgemini study, it is important for mechanical engineering companies to concentrate on sustainability in their aftersales services.

Longer product life cycles, energy-efficient maintenance, and recycling enable manufacturers to strengthen their competitive position and improve their environmental performance. In 2025, sustainability will become more relevant from a regulatory perspective, as this is when ESG reporting will be mandatory for many companies.

Trend 5: Equipment-as-a-service as a lever of resilience

Equipment-as-a-service (EaaS) can make an important contribution to ecological sustainability. The business model has enormous potential. Back in 2021, a Munich University study discovered which advantages were important from a business perspective in the capital goods market:

Cost savings in maintenance work
Promoting innovative services such as remote services
More planning security for financing capital goods
A closer customer relationship

Important EaaS drivers include the fall in equipment sales and margins, as well as the progress in IIoT, 5G, and big data that makes EaaS models possible. Another driver is the increasing customer demand for usage-based models, which shifts the focus from CapEx to OpEx.

Find additional tips for more service revenue in our blog.

How to successfully tap into EaaS

With EaaS, machine and plant manufacturers in particular can expand their existing business models and services, and overcome cyclical fluctuations more effectively. But despite this, the implementation is progressing very slowly. The Fraunhofer Institutes for Industrial Engineering (IAO) and for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) offer a new guideline to support EaaS projects. Quanos provides the software solutions your company needs.

Take advantage of aftersales trends and remain competitive

When it comes to innovations, German industry must stay on top, so that it is not left behind internationally and can come out stronger on the other side of the economic and skilled worker crisis. Whether AI, sustainability, or digital transformation, do not underestimate the role played by aftersales services.

According to Deloitte, it is the service champions in mechanical engineering who will cope best with the crises of the last 15 years. These include machine manufacturers who lead the way in aftersales service and generate more than 40 percent of their turnover by doing so.

Quanos will support you on your way to becoming an aftersales leader with the know-how and technologies for aftersales and technical documentation. We look forward to hearing from you so that together, we can work out how your company can take advantage of the 2025 trends.