DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY

FROM THE VISION TO THE TOOLS

What is the motivation behind the development of the acatech Maturity Hub Smart Services? How do the accompanied assessment and the quick assessment build on the acatech Maturity Index Smart Services? Insights are presented in our development journey!

The development journey provides you with a quick overview:

Vision for Smart Service Transformation & insights into related challenges
Background on the methodological approach & the development of the maturity model
Information on the interconnectedness of the maturity model & assessment services

Further pointed information can be found on the maturity index & the development team.

You can use the Quick Assessment directly here. If you have more detailed questions about the acatech Maturity Hub Smart Services, please contact us directly!

DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY

FROM THE VISION TO THE TOOLS

The development journey provides you with a quick overview:

Vision for Smart Service Transformation & insights into related challenges
Background on the methodological approach & the development of the maturity model
Information on the interconnectedness of the maturity model & assessment services

Further pointed information can be found on the maturity index & the development team.

You can use the Quick Assessment directly here. If you have more detailed questions about the acatech Maturity Hub Smart Services, please contact us directly!

DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY

FROM THE VISION TO THE TOOLS

The development journey provides you with a quick overview:

Vision for Smart Service Transformation & insights into related challenges
Background on the methodological approach & the development of the maturity model
Information on the interconnectedness of the maturity model & assessment services

Further pointed information can be found on the maturity index & the development team.

You can use the Quick Assessment directly here. If you have more detailed questions about the acatech Maturity Hub Smart Services, please contact us directly!

Get in touch with us!

As a competence team for Smart Service Transformation, we are at your disposal - whether you are interested in the accompanied assessment, background information on the acatech Maturity Index Smart Services, the Assessments, the Code of Conduct or other matters.

Please do not hesitate to contact us. To enable us to respond to your enquiry, we need your e-mail address, subject and name. A member of our team will then get back to you in a timely manner. You will not receive any further mails from us beyond that!

* mandatory fields

THE OUTLOOK

Updates & Application

UPDATES

As a team of developers, we ensure that all services, all content and all findings on Smart Service Transformation permanently represent the latest scientific status & practical reality.

The acatech Maturity Hub Smart Services is the Single Source of Truth when it comes to the detailed analysis and implementation of the Smart Service Transformation. The scope for this is becoming increasingly international.

In the outlook: Regular benchmarking reports

To meet this demand, the acatech Maturity Hub Smart Services is continuously growing. This includes a variety of services:

Regular benchmarking: We regularly publish anonymised evaluations of the Quick Assessment & the Accompanied Assessment. This strengthens evidence on Smart Service Transformation.
Updates of the maturity model: We continuously check whether the acatech Maturity Index Smart Services needs to be updated, restructured or expanded. Adjustments are distributed on the Hub.
Knowledge source for the Smart Service community: Events & developments for Smart Service peers end up in the newsfeed. In the outlook for the future, we are ready to partner for initiatives & events.

We follow an ecosystem approach: The transformation to a smart service provider is a market opportunity - we look forward to partners who support this transformation with us & develop new services!

APPLICATION

We ensure that the quality of the services developed via the acatech Maturity Hub Smart Services is sustainably guaranteed. In this way, the support services remain evidence-based & practice-oriented.

Quick Asssessment & accompanied acatech Maturity Assessment Smart Services are offered exclusively by the development team. This ensures that the integrity of the maturity model toolkit is maintained.

Code of Conduct ensures quality

There is a Code of Conduct for the accompanied assessment, which structures the implementation of the in-depth evaluation and planning of measures. In this way, we guarantee methodological excellence in practical application.

Companies in the Smart Service Transformation can have their own employees trained as assessors for the accompanied maturity assessment. The development team offers training for this.

Our development team achieves individualisation through the modularity of the maturity model - numerous assessments in the Industrie 4.0 & Smart Service environment substantiate our competence.

All in all, every smart service transformation requires individualised support and experience - we are happy to be your partner!

Are you looking for support in the Smart Service Transformation?

The acatech Maturity Hub Smart Services is the Single Source of Truth - we are the competence partner!

THE OUTLOOK

Updates & Application

UPDATES

As a team of developers, we ensure that all services, all content and all findings on Smart Service Transformation permanently represent the latest scientific status & practical reality.

In the outlook: Regular benchmarking reports

To meet this demand, the acatech Maturity Hub Smart Services is continuously growing. This includes a variety of services:

Regular benchmarking: We regularly publish anonymised evaluations of the Quick Assessment & the Accompanied Assessment. This strengthens evidence on Smart Service Transformation.
Updates of the maturity model: We continuously check whether the acatech Maturity Index Smart Services needs to be updated, restructured or expanded. Adjustments are distributed on the Hub.
Knowledge source for the Smart Service community: Events & developments for Smart Service peers end up in the newsfeed. In the outlook for the future, we are ready to partner for initiatives & events.

APPLICATION

Code of Conduct ensures quality

Companies in the Smart Service Transformation can have their own employees trained as assessors for the accompanied maturity assessment. The development team offers training for this.

Our development team achieves individualisation through the modularity of the maturity model - numerous assessments in the Industrie 4.0 & Smart Service environment substantiate our competence.

All in all, every smart service transformation requires individualised support and experience - we are happy to be your partner!

Are you looking for support in the Smart Service Transformation?

The acatech Maturity Hub Smart Services is the Single Source of Truth - we are the competence partner!

THE CHALLENGE

Smart Service Vision & Initial Situation

SMART SERVICE VISION

"The vision of the smart service world remains attractive. Cloud & edge solutions are on the rise, the treasure of data is increasing.

In the emerging industrial metaverse, entire ecosystems with comprehensive data offerings can be integrated for the development of smart services in the future.

However, the sometimes sluggish implementation in recent years shows the important point for the market success of smart services: the connection of product and service alone is not enough.

Only the effective triad of product, service and customer-oriented value proposition creates real differentiation and brand new market opportunities.

The challenge consists in combining these building blocks into sustainable and competitive smart services and deriving successful business models.

Only the big players can do this independently, but Germany as a centre of innovation also lives from its hidden champions: small businesses and SMEs. They need support!"

Frank Riemensperger - Member of the acatech Executive Committee and co-initiator of the Federal Government's future project Smart Service World

INITIAL SITUATION

Manufacturing companies are sitting on a treasure: connected products deliver large amounts of data via the Internet of Things. Physical products can be further developed into smart services on this basis.

Currently, only 0.7 per cent of the sales of European mechanical engineering companies are generated via digital platforms and value-added services.

This market opportunity is still not being sufficiently exploited in Germany and Europe. Manufacturing companies could thus miss out on a megatrend in the emerging data economy.

Smart service business needs transformation

The reason: for the triad of product, service and value proposition, production-oriented companies not only need to combine smart products with smart services and be digitised for this. It needs more.

An adjustment of the business model is essential: stronger customer orientation, an improved understanding of the ecosystem and the servitisation of sales processes.

Simultaneously, the organisation, culture and strategy must be aligned with the smart service business. This shows: The smart service transformation is a business challenge!

How does the support of companies in their transformation succeed?

We define the approach in the goal setting - evidence-based & application-oriented!

THE CHALLENGE

Smart Service Vision & Initial Situation

INITIAL SITUATION

Currently, only 0.7 per cent of the sales of European mechanical engineering companies are generated via digital platforms and value-added services.

This market opportunity is still not being sufficiently exploited in Germany and Europe. Manufacturing companies could thus miss out on a megatrend in the emerging data economy.

Smart service business needs transformation

An adjustment of the business model is essential: stronger customer orientation, an improved understanding of the ecosystem and the servitisation of sales processes.

Simultaneously, the organisation, culture and strategy must be aligned with the smart service business. This shows: The smart service transformation is a business challenge!

AUSGANGSLAGE

Produzierende Unternehmen sitzen auf einem Schatz: Vernetzte Produkte liefern über das Internet der Dinge große Datenmengen. Physische Produkte lassen sich auf dieser Basis zu Smart Services weiterentwickeln.

Aktuell werden erst 0,7 Prozent der Umsätze von europäischen Maschinenbauunternehmen über digitale Plattformen und Mehrwertdienste erwirtschaftet.

Noch wird diese Marktchance in Deutschland und Europa nicht ausreichend gehoben. Produzierende Unternehmen könnten so einen Megatrend in der entstehenden Data Economy verschlafen.

Smart Service Geschäft braucht Transformation

Der Grund: Für die Trias aus Produkt, Service und Leistungsversprechen müssen produktionsorientierte Unternehmen nicht nur smarte Produkte mit smarten Services kombinieren und dafür digitalisiert sein. Es braucht mehr.

Eine Anpassung des Geschäftsmodells ist essenziell: stärkere Kundenorientierung, ein verbessertes Ökosystem-Verständnis sowie die Servitisierung von Vertriebsprozessen.

Gleichzeitig müssen Organisation, Kultur und Strategie auf das Smart Service Geschäft ausgerichtet werden. Das zeigt: Die Smart Service Transformation ist eine unternehmerische Herausforderung!

How does the support of companies in their transformation succeed?

We define the approach in the goal setting - evidence-based & application-oriented!

THE MATURITY MODEL

STRUCTURING FORCES & MATURITY LEVELS

STRUCTURING FORCES

With the acatech Maturity Index Smart Services, we comprehensively measure the transformation of production-oriented companies into smart service providers. Each of the two principles covers a design field:

Product & Networking: indicates the extent to which a company has a smart product in order to offer smart services on this basis.
Service & User Experience: highlights the extent to which the service offer interacts with the smart product and creates added value for users.
Business & Ecosystem: highlights the extent to which a company is able to adapt its business model and stakeholder interaction to smart services.
Technology & Data: shows the extent to which a company has the necessary IT and data infrastructure to offer digital services.
Organisation & Management: evaluates the extent to which organisation & processes and corporate strategy are aligned with smart services.
People & Culture: highlights the extent to which a company sees itself as an agile, innovative, fault-tolerant and interdisciplinary organisation.

Each principle is assigned a number of defined capabilities. Each of these capabilities evaluates a concrete indicator of the Smart Service Transformation with a question.

This broad scope of design fields, which can be configured modularly via capabilities, can be used to evaluate all necessary aspects of the Smart Service Transformation with precision.

MATURITY LEVELS

The progress of companies in their smart service transformation is determined at capability level and evaluated along 6 maturity levels - the ideal-typical stages of smart service transformation:

Digital Starter: Companies that focus on product business, and are developing initial ambitions for smart service development.
Smart Product Manufacturer: Companies that already successfully sell Smart Products, but do not yet offer smart services themselves.
Smart Service Pilots: Companies that are testing Smart Service Solutions, but which are not based on physical digital business models.
Smart Service Providers: Companies that have established a Smart Service in a specific area on the market.
Smart Solution Integrator: Companies that link smart products with Smart Services in their core business via a digital business model.
Ecosystem Pioneer: Companies that shape Smart Services for an entire ecosystem and cooperatively develop future-oriented services.

The determined maturity level in the capabilities can be aggregated as desired - per principle, at the design field level and also with regard to the complete smart service transformation.

In this way, the maturity model can be used to measure the transformation of companies in any granularity and benchmarkings - maturity comparisons between organisations - can be carried out.

How can I apply the maturity model as a company?

We enable self-assessment with the Quick Assessment - fast & intuitive!

THE MATURITY MODEL

STRUCTURING FORCES & MATURITY LEVELS

STRUCTURING FORCES

Product & Networking: indicates the extent to which a company has a smart product in order to offer smart services on this basis.
Service & User Experience: highlights the extent to which the service offer interacts with the smart product and creates added value for users.
Business & Ecosystem: highlights the extent to which a company is able to adapt its business model and stakeholder interaction to smart services.
Technology & Data: shows the extent to which a company has the necessary IT and data infrastructure to offer digital services.
Organisation & Management: evaluates the extent to which organisation & processes and corporate strategy are aligned with smart services.
People & Culture: highlights the extent to which a company sees itself as an agile, innovative, fault-tolerant and interdisciplinary organisation.

Each principle is assigned a number of defined capabilities. Each of these capabilities evaluates a concrete indicator of the Smart Service Transformation with a question.

MATURITY LEVELS

The progress of companies in their smart service transformation is determined at capability level and evaluated along 6 maturity levels - the ideal-typical stages of smart service transformation:

Digital Starter: Companies that focus on product business, and are developing initial ambitions for smart service development.
Smart Product Manufacturer: Companies that already successfully sell Smart Products, but do not yet offer smart services themselves.
Smart Service Pilots: Companies that are testing Smart Service Solutions, but which are not based on physical digital business models.
Smart Service Providers: Companies that have established a Smart Service in a specific area on the market.
Smart Solution Integrator: Companies that link smart products with Smart Services in their core business via a digital business model.
Ecosystem Pioneer: Companies that shape Smart Services for an entire ecosystem and cooperatively develop future-oriented services.

The determined maturity level in the capabilities can be aggregated as desired - per principle, at the design field level and also with regard to the complete smart service transformation.

In this way, the maturity model can be used to measure the transformation of companies in any granularity and benchmarkings - maturity comparisons between organisations - can be carried out.

How can I apply the maturity model as a company?

We enable self-assessment with the Quick Assessment - fast & intuitive!

THE ACCOMPANIED ASSESSMENT

In-depth evaluation & planning of measures

IN-DEPTH EVALUATION

As the development team, we offer a accompanied assessment. The acatech Maturity Assessment Smart Services includes a detailed maturity assessment and an individualised roadmap of measures.

For the in-depth evaluation, you define your objectives in the Smart Service Transformation in interaction with our assessors. From this, we compile an individualised maturity assessment.

Accompanied assessment identifies fields of action

Together with you, our assessors evaluate the relevant functions and areas in your company in great detail, down to the level of capabilities, and determine the transformation status - the actual maturity level.

Based on this current maturity level, the company's goals and external influencing factors, the assessors then define the target maturity level of your transformation together with you.

This is followed by a detailed evaluation by our assessors in the form of a gap analysis. Here we identify areas for action that your organisation needs to work on for a successful Smart Service Transformation.

This is combined with comprehensive benchmarking. On the basis of our data base, the transformation status of your organisation is positioned in relation to your peer group. This is how we identify areas where action is needed.

Begleitetes Assessment Tiefenevaluierung

PLANNING OF MEASURES

The detailed accompanied assessment creates evidence for the development of the individualised measure roadmap. This enables your organisation to achieve the strategic transformation goal based on the current status.

We develop the roadmap together with the company management and the affected functions and areas. We develop customised measures according to the structure of our maturity index.

Roadmap services create sustainable transformation

Arranged in a roadmap, we describe the measures in detail, show which strategic goals they contribute to and which market position your organisation can achieve in comparison with its peers.

We support the implementation of the roadmap by implementing and managing a consistent transformation programme. This is also oriented towards the acatech Maturity Index Smart Services.

Periodic focused milestone assessments monitor the implementation. To enable your organisation to continue the transformation independently, we empower you through customised workshops.

How does the development team ensure the quality of the Maturity Hub?

In the outlook: We standardise via assessment procedure models - practice-oriented & independent!

THE ACCOMPANIED ASSESSMENT

In-depth evaluation & planning of measures

IN-DEPTH EVALUATION

As the development team, we offer a accompanied assessment. The acatech Maturity Assessment Smart Services includes a detailed maturity assessment and an individualised roadmap of measures.

For the in-depth evaluation, you define your objectives in the Smart Service Transformation in interaction with our assessors. From this, we compile an individualised maturity assessment.

Accompanied assessment identifies fields of action

Based on this current maturity level, the company's goals and external influencing factors, the assessors then define the target maturity level of your transformation together with you.

PLANNING OF MEASURES

We develop the roadmap together with the company management and the affected functions and areas. We develop customised measures according to the structure of our maturity index.

Roadmap services create sustainable transformation

Arranged in a roadmap, we describe the measures in detail, show which strategic goals they contribute to and which market position your organisation can achieve in comparison with its peers.

We support the implementation of the roadmap by implementing and managing a consistent transformation programme. This is also oriented towards the acatech Maturity Index Smart Services.

Periodic focused milestone assessments monitor the implementation. To enable your organisation to continue the transformation independently, we empower you through customised workshops.

How does the development team ensure the quality of the Maturity Hub?

In the outlook: We standardise via assessment procedure models - practice-oriented & independent!

THE QUICK ASSESSMENT

Benchmarking & Action lines

BENCHMARKING

The challenge in the smart service transformation is structuring it - the acatech Maturity Index Smart Services provides a remedy. However, the model alone does not help with orientation.

That's what the acatech Maturity Quick Assessment Smart Services is for: In just 20 minutes, a single person can determine the current maturity level of their company online using the six design fields.

Actual-goal comparison identifies fields of action

For this purpose, the two capabilities that are most significant for the progress of an organisation in its orientation towards the Smart Service business are questioned for each design field.

This determined actual maturity level is compared with an intended target maturity level. In this way, fields of action are identified in which there is a need to catch up in adapting to the smart service business.

Moreover, the evaluation also includes benchmarking. This enables a company to assess its own transformation progress in a sector comparison. But what conclusions can be drawn from this?

ACTION LINES

The acatech Maturity Quick Assessment Smart Service defines lines of action per design field on how a company can increase its actual maturity level to the target or benchmarking maturity level.

These action lines are defined specifically for each design field and maturity level. They provide orientation for necessary adjustments if a company wants to establish or deepen a smart service business.

Transformation design needs structuring

The Quick Assessment is thus a helpful tool to create awareness within a company for the need & possibilities of structured Smart Service Transformation.

It is important to note that the highest level of maturity is not desirable for every company. What makes sense is harmonised progress in Smart Service Transformation across all design fields.

Which maturity level is desirable for which company and how this can be achieved - this requires a detailed gap analysis and, above all, individualised support for the transformation.

How can I increase my Smart Service maturity level in a structured way?

We support you with the accompanied assessment - in a detailed & individualised way!

THE QUICK ASSESSMENT

Benchmarking & Action lines

BENCHMARKING

The challenge in the smart service transformation is structuring it - the acatech Maturity Index Smart Services provides a remedy. However, the model alone does not help with orientation.

Actual-goal comparison identifies fields of action

Moreover, the evaluation also includes benchmarking. This enables a company to assess its own transformation progress in a sector comparison. But what conclusions can be drawn from this?

ACTION LINES

Transformation design needs structuring

The Quick Assessment is thus a helpful tool to create awareness within a company for the need & possibilities of structured Smart Service Transformation.

It is important to note that the highest level of maturity is not desirable for every company. What makes sense is harmonised progress in Smart Service Transformation across all design fields.

Which maturity level is desirable for which company and how this can be achieved - this requires a detailed gap analysis and, above all, individualised support for the transformation.

How can I increase my Smart Service maturity level in a structured way?

We support you with the accompanied assessment - in a detailed & individualised way!

THE SCOPE

Development Team & Maturity Approach

DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Breaking down the visions of digital transformation and servitisation to enable production-oriented companies to adapt their processes and structures in a target-oriented way is challenging.

Interdisciplinarity and experience as the keys

It takes an interdisciplinary team with the necessary experience to meet this challenge holistically. Our development team, consisting of five partners, meets these requirements:

acatech (consortium leadership): The academy has a systemic understanding of transformation as a developer of Industrie 4.0 and through the implementation of the future project "Smart Service World".
Fraunhofer IEM: The institute investigates the servitisation of production companies from a business model perspective.
FIR: The affiliated institute of RWTH Aachen University creates organisational foundations for digital networked industrial companies of the future.
Industrie 4.0 Maturity Center: The spin-off of RWTH Aachen University supports companies in their Industrie 4.0 transformation and servitisation.
Heinz Nixdorf Institute: The research centre of the University of Paderborn explores digital transformation from an engineering & computer science perspective.

In this composition, the development team aims to build a one-stop support shop for the Smart Service Transformation.

MATURITY APPROACH

Supporting companies holistically in their Smart Service Transformation is complex. It requires the right balance between comprehensibility & detail and simplicity & completeness.

Our consortium has developed the successful Industrie 4.0 Maturity Index. This is now followed by the maturity model of the Smart Service Transformation - the acatech Maturity Index Smart Services.

New support tools based on maturity model

We are breaking new ground: building on the maturity model, we are developing intuitive support services for companies:

acatech Maturity Quick Assessment Smart Services: Quick online self-assessment of individual transformation status with benchmarking information & general recommendations for action.
Accompanied in-depth assessment Smart Services: Detailed on-site evaluation of the Smart Service Transformation & accompanied development of measures to deepen the transformation process.
acatech Assessment Code of Conduct Smart Services: Definition & communication of a standardised, methodologically sound & field-tested procedure for the maturity assessment.

These services are bundled centrally for the first time - on the acatech Maturity Hub Smart Services as a one-stop support shop for the smart service transformation of companies.

How did the team develop the acatech Maturity Index Smart Services?

We define the structure in the maturity model - evidence-based & practice-oriented!

THE SCOPE

Development Team & Maturity Approach

DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Breaking down the visions of digital transformation and servitisation to enable production-oriented companies to adapt their processes and structures in a target-oriented way is challenging.

Interdisciplinarity and experience as the keys

It takes an interdisciplinary team with the necessary experience to meet this challenge holistically. Our development team, consisting of five partners, meets these requirements:

acatech (consortium leadership): The academy has a systemic understanding of transformation as a developer of Industrie 4.0 and through the implementation of the future project "Smart Service World".
Fraunhofer IEM: The institute investigates the servitisation of production companies from a business model perspective.
FIR: The affiliated institute of RWTH Aachen University creates organisational foundations for digital networked industrial companies of the future.
Industrie 4.0 Maturity Center: The spin-off of RWTH Aachen University supports companies in their Industrie 4.0 transformation and servitisation.
Heinz Nixdorf Institute: The research centre of the University of Paderborn explores digital transformation from an engineering & computer science perspective.

In this composition, the development team aims to build a one-stop support shop for the Smart Service Transformation.

MATURITY APPROACH

Supporting companies holistically in their Smart Service Transformation is complex. It requires the right balance between comprehensibility & detail and simplicity & completeness.

New support tools based on maturity model

We are breaking new ground: building on the maturity model, we are developing intuitive support services for companies:

acatech Maturity Quick Assessment Smart Services: Quick online self-assessment of individual transformation status with benchmarking information & general recommendations for action.
Accompanied in-depth assessment Smart Services: Detailed on-site evaluation of the Smart Service Transformation & accompanied development of measures to deepen the transformation process.
acatech Assessment Code of Conduct Smart Services: Definition & communication of a standardised, methodologically sound & field-tested procedure for the maturity assessment.

These services are bundled centrally for the first time - on the acatech Maturity Hub Smart Services as a one-stop support shop for the smart service transformation of companies.

How did the team develop the acatech Maturity Index Smart Services?