Husqvarna sees an increased need for flexibility in its business model and wants to contribute to a more sustainable society. Anders Johanson, CTO Husqvarna, gives us their thoughts on the issue.
“Innovation and the ability to adapt to changes has made us successful in 330 years, but nowadays we are competing against ‘eco systems’ where success is based on new kinds of partnerships with both large and smaller, agile companies.”
Anders Johanson, CTO Husqvarna
It is exciting times for Husqvarna Group. Changes in consumer behaviour, new channels for customer relationships, education, and sales, as well as new digital technologies and an acceleration towards increased battery use, affect market dynamics and thus the Group’s strategy. The company sees an increased need for flexibility in its business model. Sustainability is important for both customers and the company, and is no longer an elective issue. Here Husqvarna has the opportunity to think in new ways to reach increased competitiveness, and at the same time contribute to a more sustainable society.
What role does innovation have in your strategy?
“Our goal is to be market leader in 2020, based on innovation leadership. Innovation and the ability to adapt to change have made us successful for 330 years, but one thing that is different now from the past is that we are increasingly competing in different ecosystems, where success is based on new types of partnerships, with both large companies and smaller, “agile” companies. We need to test both new technologies and new business models combined by a high degree of creativity, discipline, and quick decision-making, to learn and find successful concepts.”
What are you doing to achieve this?
“Since summer, we have been testing a new concept in Stockholm called The Battery Box. We went from decision to customer testing in 6 months, through a peer-to-peer partnership with large and small companies. With The Battery Box, we are testing a new business model based on renting battery products per day, all through a digital service. The project has given us important knowledge of the sharing economy by giving our customers access to climate-smart products and services in a new way.
Another example is Gardena smart system, which we have also launched in Sweden this year. Here we meet customers’ demand for a perfectly cut and irrigated garden. Smart sensors, irrigation and lawn care, anytime, anywhere, all gathered in one app. With Gardena smart system, customers get a unique overview of their garden with individually adapted care and optimization of both energy and water consumption.“
What challenges do you have going forward?
“We focus on different components that are required for our transformation. This includes creative areas such as new innovations in different environments, but also areas of a completely different nature. In the digital economy, our customers place changing demands on availability and speed and thus our product lifecycle management (PLM). This concerns digital channel strategies, product data and master data management as well as areas for development in our supply chain. Developing our capabilities in areas such as these will be important in order to quickly scale up innovations in the digital economy.”
Husqvarna Battery Box
Gardena Smart System
Updated 2022-02-4