Smart Home & IoT Strategy for Connected Heating and Ventilation Systems
Milani supported a leading Swiss manufacturing company in the heating and ventilation industry in developing a strategy for Smart Home and the Internet of Things (IoT). The goal of the project was to identify future business models around connected devices and strengthen the company’s competitiveness in the age of digitalization.
New Perspectives for Connected Devices
The increasing digitalization of buildings is also transforming the market for heating and ventilation systems. Connected devices, data-driven services, and integrated smart home platforms open up new opportunities for comfort, energy efficiency, and service offerings.
For the company, this raised a central question: what role could its own products play in the future smart home and IoT ecosystem?
While the company had already implemented several individual digitalization initiatives, it lacked an overarching strategy for connected products and services. At the same time, a number of complex questions had to be addressed: What functions and interfaces will B2B and B2C customers expect in the future? Which smart home standards are likely to prevail in the market? And what new business models can emerge from connected devices?
Developing a Smart Home and IoT Strategy
To address these questions, the company commissioned Milani to develop a smart home and IoT strategy. Working together with an interdisciplinary, trans-European sprint team, Milani conducted a multi-month innovation and strategy process.
The project included an innovation process in Switzerland as well as field research in several European markets. In addition, sales organizations from multiple countries were actively involved to ensure that market requirements and customer expectations were considered from an early stage.
Based on this work, the team developed strategic future scenarios, identified relevant innovation fields, and defined potential product and service offerings for connected heating and ventilation systems. The structured process helped the company systematically bring together technological developments, market needs, and internal capabilities, resulting in a clear strategic positioning in the smart home and IoT landscape.
Strategy and Roadmap for Accelerated Implementation
At the end of the project cycle, a clearly structured smart home and IoT strategy was developed, including a concrete roadmap for the next development steps. The strategy was approved by the executive management team and received the majority of the requested budget for implementation.
By combining strategic analysis, interdisciplinary collaboration, and market-oriented validation, Milani helped the company structure the complexity of the IoT landscape, identify new business opportunities, and develop a practical strategy for connected products and services. The early involvement of international stakeholders played a key role in strengthening the strategic alignment within the organization and accelerating implementation.
Milani Services
- Front-end innovation & innovation consulting
- Expertise in design for investment goods / industrial design
- Smart home and IoT strategy
- Trend and market analysis
- Stakeholder workshops
- Development of product and service concepts
- Strategy and roadmap definition
