Industrial innovation for the consumer market and back again
Industrial environments have always been at the forefront of innovation that later enters the consumer world. The sector cracked the code on automation, remote control, and digital maintenance before smart homes and autonomous vehicles were widely accepted. Robotics, digital twins, and the IoT all started within industrial applications and have since morphed into consumer versions. However, there are instances of consumer technology that later makes its way into the industrial space.
- Servitisation
Only the most devoted (and cool) fans still buy physical media such as DVDs, and Vinyl. Instead, as-a-service business models such as Netflix and Spotify have become the go to. Servitisation can be replicated in the industrial space for all levels of operations. Machines, maintenance, energy, or sustainability-as-a-service are all models that mean customers are paying for outcomes rather than assets. This opens businesses of all sizes and specialisms up to advance digital capabilities usually reserved for greenfield facilities from international enterprises. - Augmented reality
What started as head mounted googles before being readily accessible through Instagram filters, augmented reality is an advanced tool now being used by industrial operators to overlay digital information in the real world. Just as social media users can take selfies with Shrek, engineers can assess asset health and internal workings before having to disassemble and potentially disrupt operations. AR also serves to lessen the impact of the skills gap with operators able to collaborate in real-time from anywhere in the world. - Large language models
The world’s first Chatbot, Eliza, was created in the 1960s for research purposes by MIT researcher Joseph Weizenbaum. Asking ChatGPT to help with brainstorming, fact finding, and summarising long form content is now a regular occurrence in every business sector. Interacting with AI through natural language is changing how operators review massive sets of data, asking simple questions that streamline complex maintenance activities. Adding voice recognition, much like using an Alexa, means soon operators will be able to literally speak to their assets.
As technology innovations flows back and forth between the industrial and consumer world it presents an opportunity for marketers in the space to frame new solutions in relatable ways. Innovation that starts in industry must first prove itself and then morph into technology that we all use on a daily basis. Technology that starts for consumers has already built confidence, enabling marketers to tell better stories that don’t just talk specifications but connect capability with real world experiences.
