Hilti’s step from being a seller of products to becoming a provider of complete B2B solutions goes beyond additional services and traditional after sales services or spare part provision: it is called fleet management. The fleet management idea at Hilti is derived from the automotive industry and comes as a one-stop package. Customers, and especially economically-savvy business customers, appreciate a one-stop service which is tailored to their individual needs and optimizes their own productivity. In return, they are prepared to pay a significantly higher price.

Hilti’s Fleet Management means that the company is no longer selling drills but holes. This business model aims at establishing a long-term maintenance system with leasing contracts, and to enable long-term, sustainable, and stable customer relationships. Having adopted a market-oriented IP culture and having adapted its IP management to its business model, the company now benefits from the protection of its business model through the use of IP. How they did this can be learned in the MIPLM (CEIPI Master for Intellectual Property Law and Management) case study Hilti: “Business model transformation to adapt to the digitalization in the construction industry”. Here you can download the case study: MIPLM_Industry_Case_Study_Series_Hilti.pdf

For a better overview of the implementation of fleet management with its multiple aspects and use cases, such as predictive maintenance, inventory management, exchange of broken tools etc. please also watch the case study video.

Cannot open the video? Please click: https://youtu.be/at0oNpdF6G8

Questions:

1 – Which use case of Hilti’s fleet management is protected against imitation by the following patent? (Please give reasons for your assessment)

  • Group 1: EP2213421B1 “Pneumatic striking mechanism and control method”
  • Group 2: EP3426441B1 “Handheld machine tool and amplifier antenna”
  • Group 3: EP2931483A1 “Handheld or semi-stationary tool appliance and method for operating a tool appliance of this kind”
  • Group 4: EP2397260B1 “Method for operating a bolt setting device”

Group 1: 

  • Anahita AHOURAEI
  • Audrey BASTARD
  • Maria Daniela BOTTICELLI
  • Valentine FAVROD
  • Alexander GANGNUS
  • Ivan GAUCI
  • Jan GLUECKERT

Cannot open the video? Please click: https://youtu.be/BenDXkWaIjY

2 – Can you find other patents of Hilti in your own search that can be assined to this use case?

Group 2: 

  • Nataliya HIRSKA
  • Tobias LIPP
  • Pierre LORIN
  • Aurélie MESSIER
  • Matthieu NORRANT
  • Rudina Ann PESCANTE

Cannot open the video? Please click: https://youtu.be/A8Xjnq9TzLU

3 – Which further protection instruments would you consider useful for this use case? (Please also consider non-technical property rights)

Group 3: 

  • Nicolas RENAUD
  • Adrien RENOULT
  • Martin REYNARD
  • Ricardo RODRIGUEZ CORTASA
  • Vijay SHELKE
  • Christian SLISSE

Cannot open the video? Please click: https://youtu.be/cjKiPiLJFi8

4 – How could the use case be expanded to include another element that is desirable for the customer and that could be made exclusive through IP rights?

Group 4: 

  • Erica SMITH
  • Russell THOM
  • Rodrigo TRONCOSO
  • Christine WALMSLEY-SCOTT
  • Astrid WOOLLARD
  • Xiaoqing ZHANG

Cannot open the video? Please click: https://youtu.be/Yjr8q2a9Zvk

Thanks to the coauthors from Hilti Stefan Nöken and Oliver Söllner, and thanks to Centre d’Etudes Internationales de la Propriété Intellectuelle – CEIPI If you want to learn more: Follow us at IP Business Academy #digitaltransformation