A user experience that the customer loves
Among other things, the digitalisation teams in Digital Base Camp are working to expand Linde's core business – production and distribution of industrial gases as well as plant engineering – further into the digital realm. Ideas come from experts within the various business units of the technology group; they are then developed in conjunction with the crew from the camp before becoming fully fledged digital products. Apps, for example, can help make processes faster and more efficient, offering a clear benefit for both Linde and its customers. Many projects are based on data that Linde already possesses which holds immense value to the business. Meanwhile, the thought leaders at the Digital Base Camp are working feverishly to make ‘Big data’ ultimately become ‘Smart data’ through creative ideas. The camp’s mission, in the words of Philipp Karmires, Head of Digitisation at Linde: "The focus of our activities is on one question: How can we use the data Linde has at its disposal to not only help our customers, but also help Linde build new business areas?"
For example, Karmires’ team worked closely with Linde's core business to launch the PlantServ Portal. It essentially provides Linde’s industrial gas customers with a digital spare parts marketplace which means quicker repair of their plants. Components are no longer recorded manually by tally and Excel spreadsheets, but by swiping fingers on a display. Sure, it is convenient for customers, but there’s more to it than that: "Essentially, it's about two things. First, to create an application with a user experience that the customer loves," explains Mathias Mostertz, Senior Business Development Manager, "Second, to prove it has significant savings in terms of time or cost."