INTERNET OF THINGS-ENABLED
SERVITIZATION FOR SMES
COURTNEY THORNBERRY
WMG, UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK
26 MAY 2015
OUTLINE
• About me and the EngD
• Research challenge
• Research aims and objectives
• Research design
• Case study
• Next steps
• Questions
ABOUT ME
• Final year, Engineering Doctorate, sponsored by PTC
• Portfolio of work- CAD, PLM tools, collaboration, SMEs, Servitization, IoT
• Background:
• Physicist (research areas- Astrophysics and Photovoltaics)
• Technologist (research area- Alkaline Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells)
• Future plans: work in UK, perhaps with Catapult and Innovate UK (TSB)
RESEARCH BACKGROUND- HOW DID I GET HERE?
• Open Source Hardware Design, Collaboration, SMEs (Formula Student)
2012 • UK Manufacturing industry (Submission 1)
• Placement with PTC- direction towards Servitization and IoT (Submission 2)
2013 • Relationship established with case study SME in London
• Concluded two year investigation into UK Fuel Cell Industry (Submission 3)
2014 • Developed final research idea merging SMEs, Servitization and IoT
• Case study work with SME (Submission 4)
2015 • Innovation for PTC- feedback (Submission 5)
RESEARCH CHALLENGE
• Merging of three main research interests
• SMEs in the UK (Scope is
Engineering/Technology/Manufacturing)
• Servitization
• IoT, Cloud, Big Data
SMEs
IoT
Servitization
• How to make this of value to PTC?
RESEARCH AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
1. Conceptual framework from literature
2. Testing of framework
3. Prove innovation and value to sponsor company, PTC
RESEARCH DESIGN
• Literature review to design first iteration of conceptual
framework
• Single case study (“common case”
• Observations
• Action research
• Semi-structured interviews
• Coding
Yin, 2014)
RESEARCH AIM 1: CFW FROM LITERATURE : SMES
RESEARCH AIM 1: CFW FROM LITERATURE : IOT
RESEARCH AIM 1: CFW FROM LITERATURE :
SERVITIZATION
RESEARCH AIM 1:
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FROM THE LITERATURE
CASE STUDY: COMPANY BACKGROUND
• Technology SME based in London (small scale PEM Fuel
Cells)
• Evolving towards a more Servitized and IoT-based
offering
• Specific project to determine the feasibility of a
collaborative, service-based venture
CASE STUDY: PROJECT
• Exploring the feasibility of a service offering through a
collaborative venture (Using IoT- remote monitoring)
• To be concluded in September 2015
• Observations:
• Align with challenges seen from literature- defining and understanding the
service, knowing what technology is suitable for the application, resourcestarved
RESEARCH AIM 2:
INITIAL FINDINGS AND NEXT STEPS
• Initial interviews and observations have confirmed:
• Similar general challenges faced by SMEs
• Use of the IoT to develop service offering
• Desire to develop service
• Challenge to define and understand how service will be
offered
NEXT STEPS: RESEARCH AIM 3
• Feed back findings to PTC
• Obtain feedback on findings from current/potential PTC customers
to prove innovation to sponsor
CONCLUSIONS
• Further observations, conclusions of feasibility study will produce
interesting results showing an application of IoT technology to
develop Servitization at an SME
• This learning can be extended to create a framework that can be
used to help SMEs realize a potential opportunity with innovative
technology and business approaches.