Use Case Apps
Use case apps are industry-specific or functional software applications that solve concrete industrial challenges – pre-configured, quickly deployable, and directly tailored to a defined use case. They sit at the top of the IIoT stack and turn data into immediate business value.
While the building blocks below – platform, integration, analytics – provide generic infrastructure, use case apps solve a specific problem: condition monitoring for pumps, track & trace for containers, energy monitoring for compressors, or predictive maintenance for machine tools. The user does not need to develop from scratch, but configures and deploys.
Use case apps can be sourced as SaaS solutions from a provider, as apps from an IoT app store, or as individual development on low-code platforms. For machine builders, they are simultaneously a new business model: as part of the product offering, they provide customers with data-driven value-added services – recurring and scalable.
Which use case apps are concretely used in practice?
These app categories are deployed in real IIoT projects from our network – with fast time-to-value and scalable rollout.
Condition monitoring apps
Real-time monitoring of machine conditions with automatic alerting when thresholds are exceeded – for pumps, compressors, drives, and other rotating machinery.
Energy monitoring & ESG apps
Consumption capture and visualization at machine, line, and plant level. Automated ESG reporting, CO₂ accounting, and efficiency benchmarks for sustainability and compliance.
Track & trace apps
Seamless tracking of materials, containers, batches, or products through production and supply chain – for traceability, compliance, and inventory transparency.
OEE and production apps
Automatic OEE calculation, downtime classification, and production KPIs in real time – directly from machine data, without manual recording.
Predictive maintenance apps
AI-supported prediction of failure probabilities with automatic maintenance recommendations and seamless integration into CMMS and ERP systems.
Customer and service portals for machine builders
OEMs offer their end customers digital service experiences: machine performance, service history, spare parts ordering, and remote diagnostics – as a differentiating product feature.
Why is the path from infrastructure to a finished app so long?
Most companies have data – but no ready-to-use application. These hurdles stand between the data foundation and a measurable use case.
High custom development effort for individual solutions
Those who develop a use case app themselves invest months in requirements analysis, development, testing, and rollout. For many companies, this is not economically viable.
Lack of standardization across industries and equipment
A condition monitoring app must be adapted for different machine types, protocols, and industry requirements. Without standardization, every deployment becomes a one-off.
Integration into existing IT and OT systems
Use case apps must receive data from OT systems and write results back to ERP, MES, or other systems. Integration is often the most complex part.
Scaling from pilot to series deployment
What works on the first pilot must be transferable to 50 or 500 systems. Without modular architecture, rollout becomes the main challenge.
Build vs. buy vs. configure – the decision is difficult
Custom development, standard software, or low-code configuration? Without clear decision criteria, expensive and later regretted choices are made.
What does the use of pre-configured use case apps concretely deliver?
Companies in our network report: use case apps significantly shorten the path from infrastructure to measurable outcomes.
Drastically shorter time-to-value
Pre-configured apps with industry-specific templates reduce implementation time from months to weeks or days. ROI becomes visible sooner.
Focus on use case instead of infrastructure
Teams can focus on the business problem – not on database architecture, APIs, and frontend development. The app layer abstracts technical complexity.
Scalability from pilot to series production
Modular app architectures enable rapid rollout to additional machines, lines, and sites – without rebuilding the architecture.
New business model for machine builders
Apps as part of machine sales create recurring revenues: license fees, subscription models, and data-driven service contracts sustainably differentiate from the competition.
Standardization across systems and sites
One app for all similar machines – with a unified data foundation, user interface, and reporting. This creates comparability and facilitates management.
Low entry barrier through app store models
IoT platforms with app ecosystems allow use case apps to be evaluated and introduced step by step – without large upfront investments or long-term commitment.
Our experts for Use Case Apps
These companies successfully use Use Case Apps.
