The Next Level of Value Generation: Smart Services for Industry 4.0 by ifm Electronics

ifm electronics is a mid-sized world market leader in sensor electronics for industry and automotive applications. The hidden champion shows an impressive growth trajectory in the last 20 years from around 200 million euros to 1 billion euros in 2019. The company started as a sensor manufacturer in 1969, became an automation specialist for industry 4.0, and is developing toward a full digital solutions company. In this case study, the ambitious leadership team starts to discuss options for organizing the transformation of the company for the age of smart services. Thus, students will discuss the implications of strategic decisions for servitization in industry 4.0 on customer relations from different perspectives.