Flexibility, smooth operations and sustainability are at the heart of Ligenium’s customer promise, an innovative manufacturer of load carriers made from renewable raw material. Leading automotive manufacturers use the customized load carriers to transport components such as engine hoods and brake discs without damage. With a forward-looking Asset-as-a-Service model, Ligenium plans to revolutionize both the customer experience and their business - together we realized their vision.
Evolution in a nutshell
The idea is that a car manufacturer will no longer buy the load carriers in the future, but will rent them as a pay-per-use model. An investment in 500 load carriers turns into a trip for a few euros per piece. There are significant benefits for Ligenium's customers as a result.
Rethinking: From product manufacturer to logistics service provider
In the past, customers saw Ligenium as a manufacturer, selling its product - this has now changed fundamentally. From CapEx to OpEx. From dealer to service provider.
However, in order to switch from a product-oriented business model to a service model, the course needs to be set in many directions. On the one hand, it requires the entrepreneurial will to realize the idea - and on the other, the an in-depth understanding of the processes, the industry and the business.
Wake up: From load carriers to smart assets
At the heart of the new business model is a user-friendly portal that both customers and manufacturers can use to monitor and track the load carriers. The portal must be fed with the necessary data from the SAP systemin real time - but where does this data come from?
Using sensors that detect whether a load carrier is being loaded with a hood or is in the process of being emptied, we transform the wooden component holder of the transport rack into an intelligent information carrier - SmartWood. From now on, each individual load carrier can recognize whether it is in use or empty and where exactly it is. Equipping the load carriers with sensors provides the basis for a digital twin that enables comprehensive monitoring.
With the development of the digital twin, connection of the sensor technology and integration of the service into an SAP system and 100% cloud-based, we brought the vision of Ligenium to life - and customers and manufacturers benefit in many ways from the newly gained transparency.
Roll off: In a smart industry to an even smarter pioneer
The asset-as-a-service model strengthened Ligenium's already innovative position in the market while pushing the company to the future on the fast track - with a strong, competitive business model that combines several advantages:
- Contemporary customer experience strengthens customer loyalty
The pay-per-use model and the simple use of the service via an intuitive platform meet the customer expectations of our time and are overtaking traditional B2B business models. - Transition from CapEx to OpEx makes it easier for customers to get started
As large, capital-forming investments in a product are no longer necessary, it is easier for customers to decide in favor of the Ligenium brand. - Transparent data view creates optimization potential
By evaluating usage data, customers can optimize their own planning/usage of load carriers. Ligenium, on the other hand, can use the data to develop new service ideas and optimize its own processes. - Digital, cloud-based architecture remains flexible for the future
The business model remains scalable and open to expansion at all times - both the customer and the manufacturer can flexibly adapt their capacities to requirements. - Sustainable management can be realized
Through transparent asset tracking, ambitions can be realized that save resources: Predictive maintenance as well as the pursuit of a CO2-neutral strategy.
"Moving from vision to action is the critical threshold for companies. Therefore, when we develop asset-as-a-service models with a customer, we also develop 3 horizons: Short-term, mid-term and long-term. The goal is to achieve an MVP quickly to evaluate it afterwards and optimally scale it."
Michael Thron, founder and CEO
