Introducing maturity scale for connected system

Abstract

A new era of industry competition is coming up and is going over the simple object buy by the customers. The commercial trade, which has already begun, takes place in the field of the data generated by connected things. This short personal note proposes a way to measure the maturity of the connected system within a system engineering lifecycle. Examples are given to illustrate very lightly my purpose and also to get your feeling on this subject moving very quickly.

 Introduction

Nowadays, they are more devices connected to internet than humans, and the foreseen increase of the number of connected products is one of the industry bigger challenges. Companies are not focusing only on objects with mechanical, hardware and software components, but also they are bringing their attention on the “data lake” that is created around these things. Many of them have identified that the connectivity of objects will allow developing new market and driving innovation. Transportation industries are among the first to be interested into this new feature. For example, connected vehicle is the key for creating the future of autonomous ground transportation, and connected aircraft is a future technology to enhance passenger security and comfort in air. Introducing a maturity scale to assess a strategy for developing connected product allied to a system engineering framework could be helpful to build consistent and resilient products (or things) and associated services.

Maturity scale

A maturity scale is a tool specifically intended to help organization assessing its processes against an established standard. As the scale origin has to be defined, for zero connection, the products have no information, no power nor electronic data. Unfortunately it is a still life; many objects exist of this kind, like the pen which serves to write this note.

A 5-level scale is proposed to provide a road map evaluating efforts to get a business growth coming from connected products:

Level 1 - Passive connection: the product seems to be "dead" however information can be retrieved with appropriate tools.

For example, data matrix on a poster can generate a web address on a smartphone.

Level 2 - Active connection: the product generates information on a communication bus‒physical or wireless. Data are received outside the product periodically or at request.

For example, build in test equipment generates information on the health of different aircraft components.

Level 3 - Indirect exploitation: the data coming from the active connection is organized within archives out of the product; they are stored perpetually or for specific duration for further analyses.

For example, government open data web site gives access to recorded information on air quality monitoring.

Level 4 - Direct exploitation: dynamical recording and restitution of data enable real time activities on the product, on the service or on the end-user.

For example, smartphone can send you advertisement close to your geo-localization.

Level 5 - Capitalization & business growth: a whole set of data is capitalized over multiple products enabling innovation emergence and then business growth.

For example, multiple electric sensors put on the electric system distribution of a city can give valuable information on the consumers’ behavior, and then the energy provider can adjust its offers to maximize its benefit.

The strategy for the connected system

During new product development, the companies need to know where to focus their efforts to reach business success. They typically look at internal profitability objectives, customer benefits and end-user benefits. When connected features are introduced these items are essential and a strategy analysis takes into account the lifecycles of a set of elements which includes the original manufacturing object. In fact, the companies are not developing only the original object, but also sensors, services and data platforms that are around this product. All the elements compose a connected system that have to be developed at the same time.

The strategy holistic view obtained with the system engineering framework allows identifying all the requirements needed to generate the maximum profit. The engineering framework usually recommends several milestones during the product lifecycle in order to set up the right support to develop, produce, maintain and exploit the connected system.

The proposed maturity assessment could be evaluated at each system engineering phase. Further, a maturity diagram can be set for the entire system lifecycle during the strategy phase. Furthermore, its evolution could be followed during the development, production, maintenance and exploitation phase.

During the strategy phase, the “why”, “what” and “how” of the connected system are defined. A strategy plan is produced with expectations on human resource, technology resource, data content structure and business case. These dimensions are analyzed against each system engineering lifecycle phase of the connected system with the particular attention on the added-value of the connectivity features. The strategy plan describes then a complete vision of what need to be executed. In the same way, the means to develop all system components are under consideration so that sensors, services and data platforms have their own lifecycle.

The connected system lifecycle phases are executed as per the defined strategy. The question is not only to assess that there is a perfect alignment with the strategy, but also to assess the impact for each phase of the connectivity features on the product, service, company and business.

Example of plan strategy

Let’s pick out some examples and describe what could be the strategy along the connected system lifecycle for each level of the assessment.

Level 1 established for product with passive connection can satisfy the management of product traceability all over its lifecycle; as the product stock management in production. Going to the active connection level, functionalities that increase product resiliency as health monitoring can be set by structuring accurate information on electronic circuit. Within level 3, the indirect exploitation of data can accelerate the non-quality resolution of a specific end-user usage. The challenge is becoming more interesting at level 4 if the direct exploitation of product line manufacturing information can improve the production costs as it is expected with Industry 4.0. Finally, the Graal is reached at level 5, where the business growth can be planned with a real-time changing offer for the end-user.

 Conclusion

The proposed maturity scale for connected system could be used by organization to assess the readiness to manufacture connected system. This activity are much more complex than the manufacturing of simple objects; so that, the system engineering framework helps us to draw a holistic view on what can be the best strategy for developing and sustaining them. Moreover the proposed scale reaches such level that organization could plan their knowledge capitalization and business growth.

What do you think about this proposition?

Do not hesitate to share your opinions. Thanks …