Everything’s going smart – what’s next? 5 theses on the future of Smart Products

Smart products are far more than just a technological gimmick. They’re woven into the fabric of everyday life and industrial operations. They’re helping companies meet the ever-increasing expectations of customers — and today, they must also account for constant advances in data science and AI. But what do these new possibilities mean for manufacturers? And what truly defines a smart product? We’ve distilled the most important insights into five key theses.

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2025? 6? 4?

Technology

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by Alexandra Luchtai

Thesis 1: Smart products are real problem solvers

Smart products are no longer a thing of the future – for many companies, they’re already part of day-to-day operations. More than that: given their numerous benefits, they’re fast becoming the norm. Smart products drive efficiency, cut costs, increase safety and sustainability, and improve customer satisfaction.

More efficient control: Take smart heating systems, for example. They automatically adapt to environmental conditions using algorithms that factor in location and weather data — boosting efficiency while lowering energy consumption.
Higher first-time-fix rates: With remote access, predictive maintenance, and AI-powered service assistants, smart products often enable issues to be resolved on the first contact.
Centralized fleet management: Manufacturers of mobile machinery — cranes, utility vehicles, etc. — can monitor entire fleets in real time, maximizing availability and utilization while reducing downtime.
Pay-per-X models: Data-driven services like pay-per-performance open up new revenue streams and allow for usage-based billing models tailored to smart products.
Operational data for product development: Usage data helps companies optimize and evolve their products to better meet customer needs.

To learn which technologies will serve as a springboard in the future and what companies should focus on, read the blog post by our IoT specialist Device Insight.

Everything’s going smart – what’s next? 5 theses on the future of Smart Products

Read the whole article on the Device Insight Blog

About the author

Alexandra Luchtai writes regularly about technology innovations, latest projects and market insights around IoT, IIoT and any kind of smart products connected by IoT specialist and KUKA subsidiary Device Insight.