Application of a software ecosystem framework for connected vacuum gripping systems

Cost pressure, demand for individual solutions and increasing importance of software challenge manufacturing companies. Platforms are a solution to extend the value of products through modular digital services by transforming them into smart connected products. This contribution presents a recommendation framework for software ecosystems design, which reveals many factors, influencing the decision of a company whether to join a platform ecosystem or not. The framework’s usability for manufacturing companies is tested by applying it on a case study of connected vacuum gripping systems. In addition to the shown decision support, provided by the framework, the case study aims to depict the need for a framework extension, due to additional IoT components of smart connected products and the enterprise software origin of the initial framework.