idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
AUTOMATICA 2008
10-13 June 2008
Neue Messe München
Hall B2, Booth 538
Fraunhofer ISI has developed a software tool for assessing the life cycle costs of new robotic business models that integrate customer-focused services. By providing industrial services such as robot layout planning, training, financing models or guaranteed availability, robot manufacturers and system integrators are able to reduce the customer's effort and expenditure associated with the purchase and use of modern robotic solutions. However, especially SME customers (SME = small and medium-sized enterprise) may at first sight regard such services as additional categories of costs. In order to demonstrate the value of these services, a cost-benefit comparison needs to be conducted, for which a life-cycle cost (LCC) approach should be adopted. If the LCCs for the "robot with industrial services" alternative (i.e. new business model) are lower than for the "robot without industrial services" alternative (i.e. traditional business model), then investment in the new business model would be worthwhile. Since LCC calculations require a high degree of data processing, the presented LCC tool will help SMEs to assess the benefits of new business models.
Contact:
Steffen Kinkel / Fraunhofer ISI
Phone: +49 721 6809-311
Fax: +49 721 689-152
E-mail: steffen.kinkel@isi.fraunhofer.de
Heidi Armbruster / Fraunhofer ISI
Phone: +49 721 609-319
Fax: +49 721 689-152
E-mail: heidi.armbruster@isi.fraunhofer.de
http://www.smerobot.org
http://www.automatica-munich.com
Life Cycle Costing Tool - starting page
Life Cycle Costing Tool - results
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