Build-Operate-Own
The mechanical engineering sector will have to be prepared for a future in which suppliers must not only sell their products, but will also be required to operate them on behalf of the customer. In particular, companies in the automotive sector are applying pressure since they would rather pay a usage fee based on production levels instead of a high one-time purchase price. These conclusions follow from the latest "Innovation in Production" survey by the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, Karlsruhe, Germany. However, according to Gunter Lay, project director of the study, the widespread scepticism among suppliers regarding so-called build-operate-own models is only partially justified: "Build-operate-own models also create new opportunities for innovative suppliers in stagnating markets." According to the survey, one tenth of suppliers offer to take over operation of machines for the customer; amongst manufacturers of complex systems, the rate is even twenty percent. While major customers from the automotive and electronics sectors are primarily concerned with cost and budget aspects, at smaller companies personnel in particular is being overwhelmed by the task of operating machines of growing complexity. Lay recommends that innovative suppliers should target their build-operate-own models to this niche. This enables them to win new capital-poor customers otherwise daunted by the prospect of purchasing expensive machinery. According to the survey, manufactures of auxiliary aggregates such as air-conditioning units and pumps rely on build-operate-own models in order to differentiate themselves from their competitors. The Fraunhofer survey has shown that companies already offering build-operate-own models are very well positioned. Many of them have also been able to gain experience with other product-accompanying services such as consulting, training, maintenance and repair for their customers. Here build-operate-own models are at the very end of a long service chain. They however do require new controlling concepts and a specific product configuration, areas where significant gaps are still to be found. ,The Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI complements the techno-scientific spectrum of the Fraunhofer Society with economic and societal aspects, analysing technological developments, their market potentials and their impacts on economy, state and society. The Institute's interdisciplinary teams focus their work (especially) on the fields of energy, environment, production, communication and biotechnology, as well as regional research and innovation policy.
Countries
Germany