The networked treadmill
At a glance
The customer was an OEM manufacturer of fitness equipment for the Chinese market. He wanted to offer his equipment as part of a fitness platform. Instead of purchasing expensive new equipment, we developed a strategy with which the existing (heterogeneous) equipment park could be integrated into one system.
The Client
As an original equipment manufacturer, the customer supplied the Chinese market with fitness equipment. He wanted to change his value chain and offer the equipment as part of a fitness platform that works in conjunction with the company’s own fitness tracker. This was intended to close a gap in the market: current fitness trackers have little functionality in the studio so far.
The Challenge
The manufacturer’s equipment was very heterogeneous and included ancient as well as advanced devices that were able to actively communicate with apps. In order to bring all devices to the same system, we had to examine their capabilities and develop a strategy to ensure connectivity across the entire product line. In addition, the equipment had to be usable by users of the system as well as by all other fitness studio visitors after the conversion.
The Outcome
Instead of relying on expensive new equipment, the customer could continue to use the existing equipment line. Despite the heterogeneity of the equipment park, the platform was supported by all products. Connectivity was ensured with Bluetooth or NFC chips. In combination with a fitness tracker and the app, the training data could be collected centrally so that users of the customer could centrally monitor and control their fitness goals independently of the equipment.
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