The manufacturing landscape is undergoing a significant shift. Traditionally focused on operational metrics such as cost, revenue, and product uptime, the industry now prioritizes customer experience, operational excellence, and supply chain resilience. This is posing a dual challenge for service providers, pushing them to bring in digital technologies while addressing cost escalation issues through approaches such as outcome-based service models.
Key parameters such as product innovation, product quality, time-to-market, and sustainability have become crucial for manufacturing enterprises, and to address these demands, providers are leveraging various digital technologies, including digital twins, the industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), and generative AI. The service providers are enabling manufacturing clients to leverage these digital technologies to drive efficiencies and enhance customer service. L&T Technology Services (LTTS), headquartered in Vadodara, Gujarat, is one such provider in this space, with its emphasis on innovation and R&D.
During our recent visit to the LTTS Mysore campus, the head of the Mysore facility, Shashidhara Dongre, discussed how LTTS has streamlined its segments into mobility, sustainability, and high-tech to align with key engineering trends. He mentioned that product innovation remained a key focus area for LTTS, with a patent portfolio of 1,296 patents as of March 2024. Continuous technological advancements enable service providers to actively explore ways to leverage innovations in manufacturing and deliver greater value to their customers. Our Manufacturing Smart Industry Services 2023 RadarView™ report highlights this trend, revealing that 60% of service provider investments target R&D and talent development. Service providers must not only deliver quality services but also focus on innovation and continuously develop new offerings that meet the evolving needs of manufacturers in this dynamic landscape.
Digital engineering remains a key focus where typical engineering practices leverage digital technologies to transform their engineering and standalone product ecosystems into connected, platform-based services. For example, LTTS showcased how its new platform-based services leverage the cloud to scale according to its customer requirements by demonstrating a pontoon boat rental servicing app, which enables boat owners to remotely control their boats while they are in the sea. The technology helps a boat owner offer new services, such as dynamic or surge pricing, based on real-time requests from clients to extend the trip boundaries. Cybersecurity, too, remains a key focus area for service providers as connected devices such as autonomous vehicles and remote patient monitoring are vulnerable to third-party infringements that can significantly impact the client.
Like other leading service providers, LTTS also continues to assess and look at generative AI use cases in engineering. We saw a use case in its Asset Health Framework (AHF), a generative AI-enabled chatbot that identifies potential asset issues, suggests corrective actions, forecasts potential outcomes, and presents comparative data through charts. A growing focus in the healthcare segment, as seen in our Generative AI Strategy, Spending, and Adoption Metrics 2024: Chapter 6: Healthcare Sector Benchmarks report, is the usage of generative AI.
LTTS showcased its capabilities by implementing AI in its Connected Care application to improve diagnostics and workflows. It is exploring next-generation AI platforms using large language models (LLMs) to analyze historical complaint data and generate solutions. It has also developed in-house models to automate ultrasound scanner testing.
Another key trend for manufacturing remains the use of industrial technologies such as 3D printing, industrial IoT, AR/VR/XR, and digital twins. We saw use cases where AR/VR was used to visualize and analyze the space requirements and 3D printing techniques for developing prototypes. In addition, with more industries turning towards developing products with higher levels of connectivity and functionality, electromagnetic interference (EMI)/ electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing is becoming a major focus for digital engineering companies. LTTS’s EMI/EMC lab allowed an offshore setup for pre-compliance testing as US and European clients are looking at low-cost geographies such as India.
Analysis
Here are some of the key takeaways from our visit to LTTS’ Mysore facility:
-
- Digital innovation and patent portfolio: LTTS demonstrates a strong commitment to digital innovation. Its patent portfolio spans technologies, including AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and industrial technologies. Its emphasis on research and development helps it position itself as one of the thought leaders in the manufacturing and engineering services sector.
- Platform-based services and scalability: LTTS leverages cloud-based platform capabilities effectively in servicing its clients. It is enhancing not only customer experiences but also helping its clients find new revenue streams and services. This approach gels well with the current need for manufacturing enterprises to generate newer revenue streams.
- Generative AI and healthcare applications: Generative AI remains a strategic focus for service providers, including LTTS. Several use cases, such as AI-enabled chatbots for asset management, healthcare sector applications around connected care, diagnostics improvement, and workflows, and in-house models that automate ultrasound scanner device testing, showcase LTTS’ commitment to innovation in this area, bringing new solutions and supporting optimization.
- Industrial technologies and EMI/EMC testing: LTTS embraces industrial technologies such as 3D printing, digital twins, AR/VR/XR, and industrial IoT. These technologies enable visualization, prototyping, and process optimization. Notably, the company’s EMI/EMC lab caters to global clients seeking cost-effective pre-compliance testing and completes the value chain by offering end-to-end services— R&D, design, product development, and testing—by addressing regulatory requirements, thus ensuring product reliability and compliance.
Recommendations for LTTS:
In line with the larger market trends discussed above, we feel LTTS can further build on its efforts to enhance global service capabilities and expand the breadth and depth of its digital engineering services portfolio. We recommend that the company should increase its focus in the following areas:
Industrial metaverse: The metaverse offers opportunities for cross-functional collaboration, especially in a geographically dispersed environment. LTTS should further explore the emerging trend of the industrial metaverse by creating virtual collaborative spaces with global clients. This can enhance global teamwork, improve client visibility into processes, and accelerate digital engineering life cycles.
Strengthened cybersecurity: As LTTS continues to innovate, robust cybersecurity measures are critical. It should proactively address vulnerabilities in connected devices, ensuring data integrity, privacy, and protection against third-party infringements while complying with laws related to manufacturing and medical device OEM markets across Europe, the US, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
Strategic partnerships: Collaborations with manufacturers, technology providers, and academia can foster innovation. LTTS should actively seek partnerships with universities and research labs to cocreate solutions, drive R&D, and stay ahead of industry trends.
To conclude, LTTS’s focus on digital excellence, patent-driven innovation, and strategic technology adoption positions them well for sustained growth in the dynamic manufacturing landscape.
By Rohan Sahoo, Senior Research Analyst, Avasant, Jyotika Jain, Senior Research Analyst, Avasant and Praveen Kona, Associate Research Director, Avasant