Blue Room – CMLS Customer & Need
CMLS – Customer & Need
The Blue Room clarifies: Who is the target customer – specifically? Not “all factories”, but precisely defined segments with real people, real problems, and real goals. This is where personas, stakeholder maps, and a deep understanding of Pains & Gains take shape.
- Which customer segments are prioritized?
- Who decides, who uses, who pays?
- What really drives these people?
The result: 3 validated Personas (Ulrich, Dora, Christian), a Stakeholder Matrix, and a clear picture of Pains & Gains as the foundation for the value proposition.
- Market Segmentation
- Stakeholder Matrix
- Personas
- Pains & Gains
Market Segmentation
The target group was assessed using five criteria. Segment 1 (SMEs, Europe, complex products) was identified as the focus segment.
| Criterion | Options | Segment 1 (Focus) | Segment 2 | Segment 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company Size | Small / Medium / Large | Small to Medium | Medium | Large |
| Product Type | Complex / Simple | Complex | Simple | Complex |
| Location | Europe / USA / Asia | Europe | USA | Asia |
| Strategic Fit | High / Medium / Low | High | Medium | Low |
| Size of Need | Small / Medium / Large | Large | Small | Medium |
| Summary / Relevance | High / Medium / Low | 🎯 High | Medium | Low |
Small to medium-sized manufacturing companies in Europe with a high parts mix, low quantities, and high strategic fit. This type suffers particularly from unplanned downtime and has clear ROI pressure.
Stakeholder Matrix
Stakeholders are positioned in a 2×2 matrix by influence (y-axis) and proximity to the problem (x-axis).
| Quadrant | Actors | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Actively Engaged (high influence + close to problem) | Production Manager / Production Responsible, Production Process Responsible (Lean & others) | Actively involve, co-design, regular updates |
| Keep Satisfied (high influence + far from problem) | CEO, IT & Network Responsible | Keep informed, communicate ROI |
| Keep Informed (low influence + close to problem) | Product Manager / Sales & Marketing, Shift Manager, Machine Operators | Regular updates, training |
| Monitor (low influence + far from problem) | "Digital tinkerers" (employees with data analysis interest), Internal Service Technician | Monitor, deploy as champions if needed |
Production Manager (Ulrich) is the primary user and operational decision-maker. CEO (Christian) makes the economic purchase decision. Both must be addressed – with different arguments.
Personas
Three personas were developed for the CMLS use case. They represent different roles and perspectives in the purchase decision process. Description: Long-term employee with deep practical knowledge in manufacturing. Responsible for production processes, quality, and efficiency. Technology-interested but cost-conscious. Knows production machines and their weaknesses in detail. Demographics: Male, mid-50s | Technician or master craftsman in mechanical engineering | 20+ years of experience | Management responsibility for approx. 70 employees Description: IT Manager in a medium-sized manufacturing company. Responsible for system integration, network management, data management, and data security topics. Bridge between IT and production. Demographics: 35–45 years | Technical/IT background, possibly dual study | Works at manufacturing site in Southern Germany | Experience with older infrastructure (~10 years) Description: CEO of a medium-sized manufacturing company. Responsible for strategic and economic direction, compliance, and ensuring competitiveness. Sees digital solutions as an opportunity, but often struggles with implementation. Demographics: approx. 50 years | Long-standing industry experience | Executive with technical background | Produces in Southern Germany with focus on individual and small-batch production | Company with approx. 100 employees🧑🔧 Ulrich – Production Manager (Primary Persona)
Category Details Problems Outdated equipment, manual planning processes, skills shortage, insufficient IT competence in the team, limited investment budget Goals Make maintenance more predictive, avoid production outages, increase transparency over machine conditions, improve planning reliability Jobs-to-be-Done Analyze and reduce machine failures, stabilize production processes, optimize maintenance intervals, ensure spare parts availability Daily Responsibility Daily monitoring of machine availability, coordination of maintenance and servicing, resolution of disruptions and bottlenecks, reports and KPIs Purchase Emotions Uncertainty in investment decisions, concern about loss of control, risk assessment regarding ROI, hope for long-term relief Usage Emotions Relief when disruptions are resolved, satisfaction through better planning, confidence in stable operations Triggers Acute production outage, customer pressure due to delivery delays, successful pilot projects in the vicinity, digitalization funding programs Barriers Costs of system introduction, resistance to change in the team, technological complexity, doubts about data and IT security 👩💻 Dora – IT Manager
Category Details Problems Lack of expert knowledge in the team, security concerns due to outdated systems, little IT support for production IT, high risk with system failures, limited investment willingness Goals Reliable, integrable IT systems, reduction of downtime, secure data management, automation of IT processes Jobs-to-be-Done Select and implement IT systems, create interfaces to production, ensure network security, optimize data management Triggers System failures or security incidents, requirements of new projects, management demands, new legal requirements Barriers Uncertainty with new technologies, insufficient budget, complex integration into existing systems, lack of time 👔 Christian – CEO / Managing Director
Category Details Problems Complexity of digital transformation, lack of IT competencies, outdated manufacturing equipment, missing smart factory infrastructure, security concerns with IT/OT integration Goals Increase competitiveness through digitalization, raise productivity and flexibility, plan investments better, create future viability Jobs-to-be-Done Evaluate and prioritize digital solutions, define maintenance strategies, make investment decisions, continuously improve process efficiency Purchase Emotions Uncertainty whether investment is worthwhile, pressure to keep up with technological developments, doubts about feasibility Triggers Increased customer requirements, technological trends in the market, funding programs, competitive pressure, recommendation by consultants Barriers Internal resistance, complexity and lack of transparency of digital solutions, unclear cost-benefit ratios, lack of qualified personnel
Pains & Gains
Ulrich (Production Manager) – Operational Perspective
| Pains | Gains |
|---|---|
| Unplanned downtime | Minimization of unplanned downtime |
| Low OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) | Improved OEE |
| Skills shortage | Short-term access to experts |
| High spare parts inventory / high capital tie-up | Lower spare parts stock |
| Long changeover times | Better predictability of downtime |
| – | Transparency over conditions, stock, and spare parts |
| – | Changeover time optimization (frequency and duration) |
Christian (CEO) – Business Perspective
| Pains | Gains |
|---|---|
| High cost pressure | Longer machine runtime / higher residual machine value |
| Unplanned delivery failures (contract penalties) | Fewer threatened contract penalties |
| Regulation / documentation requirements | Lower need for skilled workers |
| Skills shortage | Improvement in quality / less rework |
| Quality assurance & rework | – |
| Complex IT infrastructure | – |
| Unclear ROI | – |
The pains of Ulrich (operational: downtime, OEE, spare parts) and Christian (strategic: costs, contract penalties, regulations) are complementary. A good value proposition must address both levels – with different language and different KPIs.