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The insurance industry in Germany has been dominated by a commission-based sales model for over seventy years. Intermediaries sell insurance contracts to end customers and are paid a commission depending on the value and type of insurance. This commission-based approach incentivizes salespeople to keep adding new policies to customers in order to make a living, and customers do not get the insurance solutions and advice that suit them the best. A financial services provider has now developed a novel business model that aims to disrupt the insurance industry in Germany. It replaces commission-based insurance with commission-free tariffs and instead includes a flat fee for managing the client's insurance policies. However, the business idea can only be realized profitably if the administrative expense per client is significantly reduced. Due to strict regulations in the insurance industry, many activities within the process are mandatory.
The goal of this work is to automate the business process behind the idea through the use of digital technologies and to reduce the workload in order to make the business model profitable. We used design thinking as a mental framework to carry out the digital transformation of the business model in a structured way. As part of this qualitative research, we conducted expert interviews and a document structure analysis to define hurdles for the realization and to develop detailed process maps. We carried out a process workshop, during which we analyzed the process and identified requirements for a digital prototype, which was developed using the low-code framework bubble.io.
Through workload time measurements, the impact of digital transformation on the performance of the process was confirmed. Finally, different digital options were compared with each other. The findings of this work support the thesis that design thinking has a positive influence on the success of digital transformation and in particular in the development of solutions tailored to people. This success is underlined by a reduction in workload times by 71,2% for bottleneck activities. The comparison of the various digital options implies that the development of customized digital applications is preferable for unique and complex problems.
This bachelor thesis addresses the topic of digitalization in the healthcare industry and the resulting integration of Artificial Intelligence into medical care. The aim of this thesis is to develop new business model ideas for an international medical device manufacturer, enabled by the integration of a digital solution into the product portfolio. Furthermore, measures for the successful implementation of the business model ideas and positioning of the organization are to be developed.
To achieve this goal, a market research on the impact of digitalization in the healthcare industry and the resulting integration of Artificial Intelligence into medical care was conducted based on the relevant literature. In addition, the resulting opportunities and risks for the specific use case were identified.
Within the scope of this thesis, the following business model ideas were identified:
- BMI 1: Individual module-based offering,
- BMI 2: Comprehensive product and service solutions,
- BMI 3: Integrated supply and patient pathway solutions,
- BMI 4: Data platform provider.
Recommendations for successful positioning include (1) strengthening organizational structures for process orientation, (2) placing the digital solution not only as a solution for the patient pathway, but also as an enabler for ambulatory procedures, (3) expanding the digital solution with secondary process applications, (4) building a skilled workforce, and (5) partnering with technology companies to manage implementation of the platform-based business model idea.
This bachelor thesis is about the digital transformation and the resulting need for new business models. Additionally, the Servitization is changing the business environment as well. Together with new technologies such as the Internet of Things, this digital Servitization is creating threats and new opportunities for businesses. Therefore, the goal of this thesis is to conceptualize a Smart Home as-a-Service business model for a drive- and control technology manufacturer with the example of Somfy and to test it in qualitative expert interviews with potential Business-to-Business customers.
The research questions addressed and answered in this thesis are:
(a) „How can a concept of an as-a-Service business model in the field of smart home to expand the market segment from single to multi-family houses by a new target group of a drive and control technology manufacturer look like?“
Question (a) is answered with a concept based on the Service Business Model Canvas. It is a Business-to-Business-to-Consumer business model, where the residential construction companies build in the necessary hardware in new residential buildings. This is the prerequisite for the focal company Somfy to offer tenants smart home applications in a subscription model.
(b) „How is the relevance, value, and feasibility of the Smart Home as-a-Service concept assessed by residential construction companies?“
Question (b) is tested with qualitative expert interviews. The results indicate a high relevance for the Business-to-Business customers. Additionally, offering Smart Home as-a-Service would create various values for residential construction companies, such as an additional selling feature, while the model is being assessed as generally feasible. Further research is suggested for example in the take-rate of the tenants.
Global key account management is the use of the key account management system aimed at global accounts; these global accounts can also be known as multinational companies. These types of companies are key players for business-to-business model companies as they might account for as much as 80% of all sales. At this level of importance, to lose a customer like that could be a death sentence for the business. Adopting a global key account management to keep these essential types of customers is a good strategy, knowing the tremendous value they provide. The company MinebeaMitsumi, being aware of this, brings up the case study for the initiation of a global key account management system, that will bring a best in class service to the key accounts of MinebeaMitsumi in the automotive market. To start this project, it is needed an assessment of the current situation in which MinebeaMitsumi operates to its key accounts. At the same time, it is intended to upgrade the digital infrastructure MinebeaMitsumi uses for its operations. The case study is presented as an exploration and analysis of MinebeaMitsumi and how should this new system be implemented in an early stage. This way, preparing the ground for a larger project at the time of full implementation.