Siemens strives for synthesis between hardware and software companies

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Brandes: That's not how I would define it. We are aiming for a synthesis between a hardware company and a IT company. There is no stable status there, rather there are continuous pendular movements that develop on the basis of the respective customer demands. There are customers who want to see us in our traditional business just as there are customers who are in a transformation process and they ask themselves with which software platforms they want to carry out this process. Moreover, we must also provide additional consultancy services that not only put our own concepts, products and solutions in the foreground but also develop customer specific solutions and concepts. And naturally, it can also include products and solutions that are not a part of the Siemens world.

? Probably it will happen faster in the manufacturing industry than in the more conservative process world. How would you like to accelerate it?

Brandes: In Germany as the leading industry the strong automobile industry has shown us how the digitalization must be promoted. In this industry Siemens could make full use of its capacity: A consistency from the engineering process to the automation process right to the operation. Especially, the consistency of data storage and the use of this data right to the Digital Twin, i.e. the digital twin of a system. And with this strategy naturally we want to score in the process industry. We are aware that we have to build a system here which has open interfaces. We are even open for cooperation with other partners for this. Nevertheless, the same philosophy applies: We start intellectually in engineering, we use the data from engineering for the implementation of the system and the same database also helps us later in the operating phase to optimize it.

? You have entered into such a partnership with Bentley to marry the 2D planning with 3D planning. Do such partnerships have a future at Siemens?

Brandes: Clearly, yes. Open interfaces is the biggest topic in the process industry. We will always deal with different information and data from different legacy systems. We must offer a digitalization concept which works with open interfaces. Our partnership with Bentley is a great example for us where we even complement each other in our functionality. When our customers choose us they should not feel like a sword is hanging over their head and that they do not know how far Siemens will be able to keep up a development. Naturally, I am convinced that we will be able to stay the course.

? Is that a clear plea for more cooperation instead of competition?

Brandes: More coopetition is the magic word, a combination of competition and cooperation. In certain areas there is competition, surely even between Bentley and Siemens. In other places we can find a point through cooperation which is convincing for the customer.

? One of your most important promises to customers is the increase in speed, shortening the Time to Market, flexibility and efficiency. Do the answers work similarly everywhere?

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