"I would say: nothing! Instead, Asset as a Service can only really be used on a broad scale thanks to digitalization and the technical possibilities."
Michael Thron
It is not a further development of digitalization, it is simply the right digitalization approach for today's social change. Asset as a Service is an important part of the digital transformation, as it opens up key new revenue channels for today's companies and responds to the needs of consumers.
A simple example illustrates the development:
In the past, machines were often produced in a classic "engineer to order" process. This means that a customer (also a producer) requested the production of a machine to manufacture a specific good. These were individually designed and built by a manufacturer and sold for a one-off amount X. Producers took delivery of this machine and used it in their own factory.
Today, however, the expectations of customers, in this case producers, have changed significantly.
Instead of requesting an individual machine, the focus is on questions such as "What does it cost me to pack a single product?" or "How can I achieve greater flexibility?". For the producers of tomorrow, buying a machine is therefore increasingly taking a back seat. Instead, their interests lie in the use of the machine, the length of time it remains in the factory, its constant performance and the possibility of further optimizing it - in other words, service. This requires, for example, a regular overhaul of the underlying systems and a modified payment model.
Manufacturers must respond to this change and transform themselves from a one-off sale of the machine to a service-oriented company. This is primarily accompanied by a change in processes, as manufacturers will not only develop and commission the machine in the future, but will also supply spare parts or provide maintenance for the machine. To achieve this, manufacturers must guarantee a very high level of availability for their customers. In return, however, the model for payment is changing. From one-off sales revenue to continuous service fees.
"Asset as a Service creates long-term and lasting connections between manufacturers and users. The resulting data exchange sustainably improves products, services and quality of performance."
Mathias Kaldenhoff
