Industries around the world are realizing the key to true revenue and company growth lies in the ability to embrace change and innovation. By creating shortcuts for design and innovation, our clients save both time and money.  

Lännen Tractors is part of LMCE Group (Lännen Mobile Construction Equipment Group), which is an international provider of smart and mobile multipurpose solutions. LMCE Group’s product portfolio covers Lännen multipurpose backhoe loaders, Lundberg municipal and urban maintenance machines, Watermaster multipurpose dredging machines and Meclift multipurpose forklifts. LMCE Group is also a representative agent for Ljungby wheel loaders in Finland.  

“Our goal is to develop intelligent services that create value both for our customers and for their end-customers as well.”

– Heikki Haapakoski, Lännen Tractors 

Lännen Tractors aims to create new value for their customers with digital services. To fully understand their needs, Lännen Tractors interviewed customers on how they utilize their machines. However, the development efforts lacked direction and focus.  

Lännen Tractors, Lundberg and Symbio assembled a team to overcome this challenge. Symbio’s Design Sprint workshop was selected to clarify the vision and to ideate more concrete service concepts. In addition to the design thinking methods, Symbio included digitalization skills in the process. 

UNDERSTAND – DEFINE – IDEATE   

We modified the Design Sprint to a three-day sprint to meet the Lännen Tractors challenge. The goal was to ideate new digital service concepts and to select the best one(s) for further development.  

First, we focused on understanding the obstacles ahead by visualizing Lännen Tractors’ current business on an ecosystem map. We were able to form a common understanding in the group about the current situation and the direction that Lännen Tractors wants to take in the future. In the Design Sprint, it is critical to spend time analyzing what the problem is before starting to create solutions for it. If you jump straight to the ideation, a lot of information stays hidden, and the solutions may not fulfil the customer’s needs.  

Working on the visual idea map together with Lännen Tractors, Lundberg and Symbio people  

The next step in the Design Sprint was ideation. At the end of the three-day sprint, we developed a new service concept with a value proposition, business model and a high-level plan for the first technical prototype implementation. Our results gave us a wall full of new service concepts where the best ones were selected for further development The other numerous ideas and concepts can be developed further by Lännen Tractors at a later time.   

“The challenge was explored thoroughly. Now we compile the ideas, evaluate them and make a project plan for implementation.”    

– Heikki Haapakoski, Lännen Tractors  

FAST TRACK TO THE FIRST IMPLEMENTATION   

After the Design Sprint, a Proof of Concept phase was started with the selected concept. Symbio developed an IoT platform that is used to collect and analyze CAN bus data from Lännen Tractors machines. The data can be analyzed in the cloud and processed further to develop value-added services for customers.  

Before starting the implementation, the Design Sprint ensures that you are solving the right problem and then ideating solutions for it. The impact of the sprint is even better when the software development team participates in it. When the developers participate in the Design Sprint, the transition to the development phase goes smoothly. Symbio’s experts help our clients throughout the development pipeline, from ideation to implementation.  

SYMBIO DESIGN SPRINT – WHAT YOU GET  

1. Facilitator from Symbio to run the Design Sprint  
2. In the Three-day Sprint, a concept with a business model   
3. In the Five-day Sprint, a prototype with real-user feedback for your business case 
4. Lots of new ideas generated that can be used later 
5. Clarity and direction on where to put development efforts  
6. Boosted team spirit among the participating team 

Does your team need a sprint for the future?