If companies want to tackle issues such as big data, artificial intelligence or the Internet of Things head on, they need room to experiment. Lufthansa Industry Solutions' Digital Lab is a place where new products and online services can be developed, tried out and tested in order to drive companies’ digitalization.
Digital Lab: a think tank for digital solutions
Lufthansa Industry Solutions was recognized as a relevant player in the digital factory in the three use case clusters “Predictive Analytics & Maintenance”, “Traceability” and “Asset & Plant Performance Monitoring” by teknowlogy. According to teknowlogy, the leading independent European market analysis and consulting company for the IT industry, LHIND has proven to be able to address all related use cases in these categories.
From predictive analytics to sensor solutions to new service apps: those who want their companies to be successful need to translate the new opportunities being afforded by digitalization into their own forward-looking business models – quickly. Because growing customer expectations are increasing the frequency with which new demands are being placed on products and services. But the evolutionary, disruptive development of their business models is often a huge challenge for companies throughout all sectors, as it ties up many resources in addition to those required for daily operations – regardless of whether the companies need to develop digitalization strategies or create use cases. Digital transformation requires companies to think laterally and take action in order to be able to view digital projects holistically and comprehensively.
Room to experiment on the business models of the future
This is why companies now require room to experiment on the business models of the future more than ever before. When software developers, IT experts, engineers and sales staff get together in one place, they create ideas, concepts and prototypes for new digital products and online services. This is why Lufthansa Industry Solutions created the Digital Lab.
The Digital Lab is the first port of call for interdisciplinary questions relating to digital transformation in companies, right up to a specific laboratory situation. It is the umbrella institution for the competence centers Data Insight Lab, Internet of Things Lab and Mobile Lab. There are also cloud and security experts on board. Together, they test a wide variety of scenarios in different applications such as facial recognition or condition-based maintenance. Experimenting with sensors constantly leads to new approaches. For example, in the form of predictive safety functions.
Depending on the plans, the experts, methods and services of each of the laboratories can be called in, meaning that the right know-how is on hand for every use case. This think tank provides the creative framework for filtering out and testing the most promising of a range of different ideas from both inside and outside of the company. In addition to this, Lufthansa Industry Solutions is helping companies to set up their own think tanks and labs.
The design thinking working method
Design thinking is a fixed component of the Digital Lab, as it promotes collaborative creativity and requires new ideas and approaches to be developed holistically while concentrating on the user. Using this method, companies can create digital strategies and innovations together with Lufthansa Industry Solutions before the laboratory phase – across departments and beyond hierarchical boundaries.
In the following laboratory phase, ideas are quickly and agilely turned into prototypes or even “minimum viable products” using modern technologies. This process is an iterative one and comprises the steps “Build”, “Measure” and “Analyze.” The goal of this process is to identify mistakes and successes and to take the insights gained into account as quickly as possible in the design of the solutions. Lufthansa Industry Solutions also helps companies to take further steps once the laboratory phase in the think tank has been completed - from operationalization to the implementation of projects.
Lufthansa Industry Solutions is an official Industry 4.0 testing environment and is supporting the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) on its journey towards the digital company as part of the funding initiative “Industry 4.0 Testing Environments – Mobilizing SMEs for Industry 4.0” (Industrie 4.0-Testumgebungen – Mobilisierung von KMU für Industrie 4.0”).
Lufthansa Industry Solutions is also a Lab Network Industrie 4.0 (LNI 4.0) alliance partner. This network allows small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to try out all kinds of new Industry 4.0 technologies, business models and services simply and in a targeted way in testing environments.
