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Installed Base and traceability

Installed base data include data about products at the customer site and the configurations of these products. Futhermore, it can include additional data about products and their components, such as serial numbers, hardware and software versions, service history and modifications done over the product's life-cycle. Depending on the level of detail of the data, installed base can support many functions, such as service event preparation, product planning, sales planning and service planning. Typical service event related questions are:
  • What is the current configuration of the product to be serviced?
  • Where is the faulty product physically located and where is the part to be replaced located?
  • Are there any access, safety or tool related issues to be taken into account?
  • What is the service history of the product?
  • What is the usage history and self-diagnosis data of the product?
  • What are the software and operating system versions of the product?

Typical questions related to the whole installed base include:
  • What type of new development should we invest in - product replacement, a major version upgrade, or just some new features?
  • What type of cross-/up-selling opportunities are there for a specific customer or a specific region?
  • What service offerings should we propose to this particular customer?
  • What marketing campaigns should we launch to which customers to replace obsolete products?
  • How much spare parts and field service capacity do we need?
  • There is an epidemic failure with this product batch - where are the products located?
Industrial internet, new communications, analytics, cloud- and sensor technologies can bring the understanding of the installed base to a new level. Not only knowing what has been delivered to whom, but how the product has been used creates a number of opportunities for product maintenance, new service offerings and warranty control.
Installed base information is often fragmented in different databases and even in paper-based files. Companies who sell through the sales channel may lose track of the actual end-customer and timing of the sale. The installed base information may also degrade over time, as new service activities are conducted, new parts installed, and software versions upgraded.​
Image: Pixabay