Case | HBS Case Collection | February 2017

Digitalization at Siemens

by David J. Collis and Tonia Junker

Abstract

The case discusses the digitalization strategy of Siemens AG, a German-based company operating in manufacturing and electronics. The increasing impact of digital technologies on all of its business units had prompted CEO Joe Kaeser and his team to put digitalization at the core of the new corporate strategy, alongside electrification and automation. The challenge was to balance this corporate initiative with the many business units within Siemens, which were used to being independent and had very specific offerings for their clients. For its new analytics platform, Siemens had opted for a push and pull approach to involve business units in its creation, rather than conceptualizing the platform centrally and imposing it on the business units afterwards. The jury was still out on whether this approach would drive digitalization within Siemens fast enough, given the exponential developments in data generation and analytics.

Keywords: Company management; corporate strategy; competition; information technology; technology networks; Corporate Strategy; Competition; Information Technology; Technology Networks; Manufacturing Industry; Electronics Industry;

Language: English Format: Print 23 pages EducatorsPurchase

Citation:

Collis, David J., and Tonia Junker. "Digitalization at Siemens." Harvard Business School Case 717-428, February 2017.

About the Author

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David J. Collis
Adjunct Professor
Strategy

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