Editorial
Paths to new business models
The past few years have shown this : Numerous customer industries of the machinery and equipment manufacturing industry are already in the midst of a disruptive transformation – regardless of whether it is the printing and media sector , retail or the automotive industry . Digital platforms , digital value-added services and digital revenue and business models are playing an important role . This is also creating new markets and challenges for mechanical and plant engineering .
Prof . Claus Oetter Managing Director of VDMA Software and Digitalization and Head of VDMA Department Informatics
In the future , activities will no longer focus solely on the sale of a machine , plant or accompanying services such as spare parts deliveries or maintenance services . Customers increasingly want end-to-end optimization of value chains and better transparency and integration of the individual components in the process chain . At this point , the machinery and equipment manufacturing industry must utilize the experience it has built up over many years in the customer industries in order to be able to continue to operate successfully on the market in the future and not lose direct contact with customers . With their accumulated wealth of experience , machinery and equipment manufacturing companies can contribute to enabling a continuous flow of information , improving processes in the customer segment , and building new business models with digital value-added services . In this way , mechanical and plant engineering can actively support the digital transformation of its customers and make them more successful .
The April issue of Future Manufacturing is devoted to two key topics in this context – artificial intelligence and the platform economy . The solutions presented and practical examples show how companies of the machinery and equipment manufacturing industry can meet the changing conditions and use new technologies to their advantage .
Seize the opportunity and continue your own digital business transformation together with partners from your company network . The VDMA Software and Digitalization and the members of the trade association will be happy to support you .
Prof . Claus Oetter