Digitization as the basis for transformation in industry
Only transferring analog processes to the digital world, for example, mapping an ordering process using a software solution to make the process more efficient and automated, falls short. Because digitization goes further. It is about taking strategic considerations as a starting point and asking whether existing processes are still important or can and should be built up in a completely new and different way with the help of new technologies, and what added value can be generated precisely with regard to new processes and business models. Digitalization is thus the basis and enabler for a transformation in industry and enables completely new value creation.
This is clearly evident in the analysis of digitalization in production. Many processes in production are already equipped with digital technology, and advances in IoT technologies mean that more and more data can be collected and analyzed directly in the production process. This means that optimal production strategies can be developed, with access to all data possible from a wide variety of points in order to monitor the process. Networking of processes and machines with each other is also already taking place and includes upstream and downstream processes. The first steps toward digitizing production have been taken. In addition, it offers great potential if all those involved in the production process - from material manufacturers to waste disposal companies - are aware of the potential, for example in terms of system optimization and flexibilization, also using the cloud, and work together. This can generate new types of platform-based ecosystems and thus entirely new partnerships and business models.
Blockchain is not just blockchain
The enormous speed of development in the technological field acts as an accelerator here. One challenge is to always stay on top of the times and be able to assess the potential. One such rapidly developing technology is blockchain technology. It is often equated with bitcoin or cryptocurrencies and is therefore regarded as a niche application that also has a bad image. The majority of stakeholders also lack an understanding of the technology, which means that it cannot be seen as a potential trailblazer for a wide range of application areas. Yet this is precisely where blockchain offers great potential and is being used by companies such as SAP, Allianz or even Bayer and BMW in development and testing projects, but also already in real business processes. It is particularly important for SMEs in Bavaria not to lose touch now and to prepare for the new standards and interfaces.
But blockchain is not just blockchain. Blockchain technology evolves from generation to generation and today's applications often differ significantly from earlier ones, such as. Bitcoin. This leads to new and different functionalities being present, for example in the area of smart contracts. Bitcoin was fundamentally designed as an "open" application, meaning that all operations and transactions could be viewed openly, but the identities of the actors were replaced with pseudonyms so that it was not immediately apparent who was involved in which transaction. In contrast, many new blockchain approaches, often in the B2B environment, are designed to be closed, where no interaction or transaction is required with anonymized participants. This can lead to transactions being applied more quickly and in this context of a different confidentiality that is more manageable for the B2B environment.
New business models thanks to blockchain technology
Blockchain applications are no longer seen only as a "stand alone" application and thus as a replacement for classic applications. Often, on-chain information, i.e. information stored on the blockchain, is used as a "security layer" for example with classic database applications for logging or auditing. This offers the possibility of documenting states and histories in a tamper-proof and permanent manner. Furthermore, in the context of production, there is great potential in exchanging data and information in a trustworthy and secure manner. This can lead to new applications and processes along the value chain and across system and company boundaries, as well as in the production process between machines and thus ultimately to new business models. Blockchain technology thus offers many possibilities and must always be considered in the context of the application in order to also be able to unfold its full potential.
Harnessing synergies in collaboration
Although reports on digitization and blockchain in the media and in trade journals are often only very superficial, it is nevertheless clear that digitization and the technologies behind it, such as blockchain, are a very complex and rapidly evolving, disruptive field. In such a dynamic environment, the potentials, areas of application and opportunities can actually only be recognized and seized if people work together and cooperatively. This is where networks and clusters can play a very important role, as they provide the platforms for such an exchange, know the right experts and contacts, and see themselves as intermediaries and moderators in this process. But networks also have to work together in such a dynamic field. Because here, too, it is true that one person alone cannot unite all the competencies. It is important to recognize synergies in order to leverage the potential inherent in digitization and to help the network players together.
