Thomas Johnsen

Data-driven services in mechanical engineering - optimizing sawmill production and reducing downtime

This podcast episode is about a use case from the field of the timber industry, in which a globally operating machine and plant manufacturer for sawmills is accompanied on its way to digitization. The company logicline accompanies and prepares the way for the digital transformation by implementing a mobile app, cloud application and digital platform for the customer and cleverly networking it with its products and employees. There is no “one-size-fits-all solution” for this – according to logicline, it relies on customized solutions and operates according to the principle: technology is a means to an end and not an end in itself. The user that the use case is about manufactures sawmill technology, such as band saws or cut-in saws. His goal was to expand his product portfolio to include digital offerings and services, and to stop being “just” a machine builder in order to create digital added value for his customers. Added values, such as: Inventory (“Where is machine X in use?”), Condition Monitoring (“How is the condition of my machine right now?”) or Predictive Maintenance (“When might the condition of my machine get worse and when do I need to intervene?”). Other relevant keywords are: Customer proximity, customer loyalty and profitability. The data is transported to a cloud via an edge gateway, ensuring maximum data integrity: Only those who are relevant for the respective data get access to it. A major concern of all digitization newcomers is thus eliminated and no external actor in the value chain can derive production or company-relevant information. Via a mobile app, which can be easily downloaded via smartphone, specific data such as downtimes, productivity, and causes of faults can be accessed from anywhere. In this podcast episode, it becomes clear that Sales, Service and I(o)T are moving closer together. New business models are being conceived across all industries – away from the seller of machines and systems to the all-round service provider. Digital solution provider logicline takes companies by the hand on this journey or helps already digitized service providers to achieve even better performance.