Environment, Initial Position, Task

Proceeding, Achievement

Company:
US-Specialist Drive Technology, 12.000 emp./2,8 Mrd.$/a; German branch, 500 emp./130 Mio. €/a (2018)

Responsibility:
Executive Consultant in the “Innovation and Growth” department for a business development project

Initial Position:
Strong market position in the area of industrial hydraulics but yet less access and awareness in the mobile hydraulics sector.

Special knowhow in hydraulic control and system technology allows promising solutions also for mobile working machines regarding the trend to further automatisation and (partly) autonomous functions.

Novelty “Intelligent Linear Actuator*” with first application in the prototype phase.

*(control valve, hydraulic cylinder with integrated sensors, manifold, on-board electronics and security functions in soft- and hardware; allows fast and precise force control (<15ms) with high power density)

Task:
Identification of suitable applications for the novelty and positioning of the client as a development partner and supplier for potential customers in the new target market for agricultural and construction machines as well as for material handling.

Proceeding:
Systematic analysis and presentation of the market for mobile machines with segmentation according to branch, type of machine and R&D strategy of the OEMs (incl. listing of relevant contacts).

Segmentation and analysis of different function categories in the machines regarding suitable areas of application for the novelty, i.e. active suspension, damping active level or roll control, autonomous steering, boom stabilization, etc.

Preparation of branch specifics and recommendations for product adaptions, drafting of value propositions/USPs and respectively adapted product/customer presentations in internal workshops.

Targeted individual contacting and information of numerous OEMs of mobile working machines.

Organisation and execution of common visits at OEMs to detail potential applications in technical workshops.

Achievement:
Client is introduced and positioned as an appropriate development supplier at numerous potential customers in the new target market.

Different applications for the novelty are determined and verified in the target market.

Potentials for further optimisation and adaption to the target branch and measures for standardization and cost-optimised series production are pointed out.