Created a way for digital innovation to be incorporated into product engineering, a creative approach in the product/digital-platform-enterprise enterprise code field, i.e. ready to change industry norms. SPDS – Intelligent Platform Design Sprint, created by prospective researchers, heralds the era of collaborative cooperation between physical product engineering in the form of mechanical systems and digital platform business models in the form of business models in the SGE – System Generation Engineering Model. SGE describes the development of systems over several generations, in which the development of systems takes place at the subsystem level. New development of subsystems occurs through attribute changes (AV) and major changes (PV), while adaptability is performed through carry-over changes (CV). SPD not only added digital capabilities as an afterthought, but also strategically integrated digital capabilities from the outset. SPD aims to simplify the product engineering process and resonates with the dynamic needs of today’s digital business landscape. It acts as a bridge that connects the concrete world of product engineering with the ongoing digital realm. Entering this new era, SPD reveals future production products and digital platforms, thus bringing innovation, efficiency and attention to user needs.
Through practical applications, bridging visionary thinking, detailed investigations conducted by a team of experts have turned this concept into a tangible reality. This groundbreaking approach is thoroughly validated and outlined in a study by Patrick Brecht, Sandra Keller. Manuel Niever, Dr. Carsten Hahn, Felix Pfaff and Dr. Professor. Dr. HC Albert Albers, Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HKA) and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). It proposes a structured and effective approach to developing digital platforms. The insights from this study were shared in the journal process.
Lead researcher Patrick Brecht explains the nature of SPD: “SPD is a tool to co-create product and digital platform business models and bridge the world of physical products with digital platforms.” He further clarifies its comprehensive nature , combining professional design tools and collective expertise.
Brecht emphasized the advantages of methodology, “Our approach ensures that the user’s perspective is considered from the very beginning. This is to fake the real customer experience for the platform, focusing on user interaction and value creation.” This attention to users stimulates A culture of innovation that shortens discussion cycles and meets complex challenges ultimately reduces risks and saves time and resources.
However, SPD faces its own challenges. It requires a solid foundation in methodological skills, process understanding, and effective leadership and guidance during the sprint stage. Successfully addressing these challenges is crucial for SPD to flourish in a corporate environment.
At the end of the study, the research team suggested that more practical applications of SPD were needed to confirm its adaptability and effectiveness in a variety of environments. Customizing the method to meet specific industry needs and refine it based on real-world feedback and results will increase its utility. In summary, SPD – Smart Platform Design Sprint provides a promising strategy for developing digital platform business models in SGE system generation engineering models. Its potential to revolutionize product engineering processes makes it a valuable tool for companies that navigate the complexity of today’s digital age.
Journal Reference
Brecht, Patrick & Keller, Sandra & Niever, Manuel & Hahn, Carsten & Pfaff, Felix & Albers, Albert. (2023). Product Digital Platform – Corporate Co-design: A systematic sprint method. Process CIRP. 119.495-500. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2023.03.111.
About the author
Patrick Brecht Begin to be a leader in the research group [x]The laboratory of Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences Institute (IAF) has completed industrial engineering research. As a research assistant, he focuses on innovation processes, methodologies and digital platform business model development. During his PhD study at the IPEK-IPEK-Product Engineering Institute at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), he works in the design methodology and design management of the research group. In his work, he developed a method for developing a business model of digital B2B platform in the SGE-system generation engineering model.
Sandra Keller As a research assistant [x]The laboratory of the Institute of Applied Sciences (IAF) of the University of Karlsruhe completed international management research, specializing in digital research. Her research focuses on the verification and further development of business models for digital platforms. Building on her academic foundation, Sandra has practical experience in strategic purchasing, project management and event management.
Manuel Niever Have a doctor’s degree in mechanical engineering. In his work, he supports the company in shaping its overall business towards a digital, sustainability and people-centered future. As Senior Digital Transformation Manager at Esentri AG, he focuses on strategy development, innovative processes, business model development and transformation management.
Felix Pfaff IPEK-Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) research assistant at IPEK-Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), he focused on innovative processes and methods after completing his mechanical engineering research in 2020. He has been working in the group. Since 2022, research team design methods and design management. In his work, he analyzed the evolution of electromechanical systems through SGE-system generation engineering models to gain insight into the relationship between innovation success, changing context factors and mutating activities.
Carsten H. Hahn He is the Director of Research and Innovation at SAP and also has a professor of innovation and entrepreneurship at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences. After studying business informatics at the University of Mannheim and earning a PhD in marketing from Mainz University, he began his career as an assistant to the SAP Executive Committee. Carsten serves as a visiting lecturer at the Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In his academic work, he established [x]Laboratory, involving entrepreneurial and innovative concepts in research, teaching and practical applications.
Albert Albert Professor Albers, Professor and Head of the IPEK of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) since 1996, served as head of the development department and served as vice chairman of the executive committee. He is a founding member and chairman of the Association for Product Engineering Sciences (WIGEP) and a member of the National Academy of Sciences and Engineering (ACATECH). In addition to his commitment to the German Institute of Engineers, he also serves on advisory committees of many companies. Professor Albers’ basic research philosophy is a simultaneous study on product engineering methods and processes, and considers the synthesis and verification of new technology systems, while also considering the important role of engineers in product development. Only the combination of research on systems, methods and processes can the new development methods and processes be immediately verified during the system research project.
