Digitalization was just the beginning - the future belongs to platforms. B2C providers are the pioneers, and machine and plant construction now need to follow suit. Get an overview of the platform economy in machine construction and find out how to implement it successfully.
The platform economy is an area of the economy that focuses on digital services. Be it in tourism or e-commerce, digital platforms have become an integral part of everyday life.
B2B businesses can use platforms to sell products or use them as a portal for data exchange with partners and customers to
There are various applications for platforms in the field of machine construction. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) handbook for B2B platforms makes a distinction between data-centric platforms and transaction-centric platforms:
You can find all questions and answers relating to aftersales platforms in our Service portal FAQs.
The VDMA defines a third type in its platform whitepaper with IoT runtime environments as a bridge between IoT and the automation level.
Digitalization and Industry 4.0 create the prerequisites for networking data, and a platform forms the technical basis for generating added value and sales.
The platform economy facilitates the monetization of networked data and promotes exchange between machine manufacturers, suppliers, technology partners, and customers. Customer expectations are also changing, as operators are increasingly appreciative when machine manufacturers make their service as digital and convenient as Amazon and co.
According to a Roland Berger study, the platform economy opens up three types of added value in machine construction:
Machine manufacturers are achieving greater efficiency and are establishing closer relationships with their customers so that they can work with their products in a better way. This improves customer loyalty over the long term.
From a finance perspective, platforms are also worthwhile in the long run: IDW and vbw found that 71 percent of B2B companies that already use digital platforms generate additional sales via the platform—through additional digital business or greater process efficiency. Forty-six percent of those surveyed reported that use of the platform also had a positive impact on the overall profitability of their business.
Ninety-six percent of businesses are impressed by the opportunities offered by platforms. However, machine manufacturers are often unsure of what specific benefits platform-based business models offer them.
Compliance issues, a lack of expertise, and a high level of data complexity present further hurdles. What's more, many providers do not know how to price digital value-added services or whether customers are prepared to pay for them.
The following dos and don'ts serve as a guide to overcoming these challenges.
Are you ready to start a new chapter with the platform economy? Then these are the first steps:
We provide you with detailed steps for setting up an information platform free of charge:
Kampf Schneid- und Wickeltechnik GmbH & Co reveals what is possible in the field of aftersales and technical documentation. Kampf offers an integrated digitalization solution for machine processes with the@vanced.
At Quanos Connect 2023, Dr. Donatus Weber, Director of Digital Services at Kampf, shared his project experience and advises machine manufacturers always to consider applications from the customer's perspective.
Christoph Krump, Head of the Service Business Unit at plant manufacturer Erema, also took part in the discussion. During the development of the BluPort digital service platform, he learned to focus on specific, actionable areas and to use available concepts from technology providers for platforms.
VDMA speaker Thomas Riegler summarizes: "Platforms are inevitable." Watch the discussion video for more tips (the video is only available in German):
The BDI handbook contains further examples of the platform economy in machine construction.
Enter the platform economy in machine construction now to secure a competitive advantage and, as other machine manufacturers have done, look to collaborations as the way forward. According to McKinsey, 77 percent of machine manufacturers work with provider consortia and 24 percent can envision cooperating with competitors.
If you are looking for a technology partner with platform and portal experience, Quanos is on hand to help. We are happy to share our knowledge with you, for example in the form of eBooks. Take a look at our insights into portals in machine construction and contact us if you have any questions.