The Digital Transformation triggers considerable changes in our daily life and in many business areas. These changes may be considered sometimes evolutionary whereas other times they are simply natural, though linked with a disruptive rethinking of the business models. The usage of ICT became meanwhile common-sense. Products, processes and services are increasingly digitally transformed and bound through innovation with the Smart Services, which are used by customers at their individual pace and as needed. The traditional business models of the German leading industries such as Automotive, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Medical Devices, Logistics or Energy change themselves as the whole economy does, based on the opportunities offered by the Industry 4.0. Every day, increasing data sets with personal and business information are created by Internet linked products and manufacturing plants (cyber-physical production systems). The production and utilization processes are consequently digitized and analyzed, so that new intelligent services and products are further on developed and one each other connected.
Many companies have already recognized the new chances and adapted quickly to the opportunities created. They are offering beside their products, some new, added value Services, or are adapting their business models to “outcome based services”. Therefore, the Smart Service Platforms are becoming beside the Industry 4.0 an increased importance.
This presentation discusses which preconditions must be met in order to implement the above mentioned changes in an industrial company. It shows, also through the power of example, which are the today’s Industry 4.0 elements that can be currently implemented. It concludes with how companies may develop and use their own Industry 4.0 and Smart Services strategy.
