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Who doesn’t like to build their own customized applications without tying up resources and time? Is that a realistic scenario?
As discussed in previous posts about platform products, there are some challenges to overcome but there also some great reasons why and when they work most successful.
Here are the reasons:
- Having a wide range of application software ready to run in order to cover as much as possible different types of machines. This enables OEMs to use and install an application without a big investment in development time and less risk for machine liability.
- While having a wide range of applications ready is the ultimate goal, this undertaking still becomes quite difficult especially for unique machines where existing solutions don’t fit, and for machines with very low volumes. Platform Products are often the only economical solution in that case even considering an individual software solution.
- Some applications like aerial working platforms (e.g. http://www.oilsteel.com/web/oil/prodotti) seem to be easier to cover with pre-existing solutions than others. Experience is that switching similar applications from one to another OEM in that market require just a few weeks of development and testing. That also applies to MOBA’s solutions for aerial platforms where a wide coverage is existent.
- Telescopic boom crane solutions also fall into that category (e.g. http://www.bmccranes.com/ic-400.html). They are easier to cover with existing applications with the result that these applications can be almost effortlessly transferred from one to another machine and OEM. MOBA also has a strong presence here.
Question becomes what is the next big application to cover? Where does it make sense to develop pre-existing software and applications?
There will be markets and machines that will have applications ready out of the box, and there will be applications where that is not the case. In the end, that is what platform products are about: standard hardware with customized software.
Being a leading player in an application and/or having the trust earned in the market with similar successful applications is a great benchmark for customers to choose the right partner.
How do you make your selection for a Platform Solution and why?
