UX design driving Servitization for Engineering

New Service Opportunities

Initially, manufacturing companies only added basic services to their product offerings, such as maintenance and support. The main goal was to differentiate their products in competitive markets and build long-term customer relationships.

New digital tools enabled the offering of more advanced services. The introduction of various new sensors, IoT devices, and data analytics platforms allows real-time data collection and analysis. This enables companies to implement proactive and preventive service models, such as:

• Project or process monitoring

• Performance analysis

• Predictive maintenance

• Helpdesk support

• Online parts stores

• Product-related training

And more...

All with a focus on a customer-centric approach: delivering value and enhancing the customer experience through tailored services and solutions. Ensuring that you remain relevant to the customer. Turning services into products or turning products into services.

However, this new digital relationship heavily depends on an overall user-friendly experience through good UX design.

No UX, No Success

User experience can make or break the customer relationship. Good UX design ensures that customers have a smooth interaction with the offered services, leading to trust that their order is in good hands.

Good UX delivers the service interaction intuitively. It turns raw data into valuable insights and possible next steps. Failing to incorporate UX design expertise results in misunderstandings across various levels and human errors.

At Okapion, we design digital user experiences for companies with an intensive relationship with their customers. Most digital services start even before the actual product is delivered. A customer portal provides transparent insights before and during the design and construction process of a product.

An intuitive digital user experience ensures that your project benefits in areas such as:

• Acceptance of digital tools by the user

• Meaningful insights for better data-driven decision-making

• Fewer human errors

• Time-saving efficiency

• Maximum performance

• Accelerated onboarding process

• Improved communication and collaboration

One of our practical case studies was Huisman. After delivering their cranes, Huisman remains actively involved in the performance of their product. By owning the performance data of those cranes, they proactively predict maintenance and share data insights with the customer based on a subscription. We designed the customer portal as the accessible central platform for these types of services.

“Good UX design helps reassure customers and builds their trust in you as a supplier.”

How Not to Mess Up

Based on our experience, we've gathered some takeaways on how not to mess up your digital servitization:

• Ensure you have people on board who understand digital channels.

• Prepare your digital relationship strategy before you start. Know your goals and your customers.

• Your most valuable services are those that alleviate your customers' greatest concerns.

• Invest in good UX design and do it in a timely manner. Give yourself the room to explore multiple design solutions.

• Know what your customer knows so you can tailor your tone.

• Always present data insightfully and in the correct context.

• Be easily reachable and follow up.

• Never stop listening to your users. Let their feedback inspire improvements.

What's Next?

The future of digital servitization will involve more integration of emerging technologies such as:

• Blockchain for secure and transparent service transactions.

• Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) for immersive service experiences.

• Further developments in AI for autonomous service delivery.