We are happy to announce that we have kicked off the first REMODEL test run with Danish manufacturing company Thürmer Tools’ 3D print-unit TwentySeven. The test run with help us uncover the necessary steps for manufacturing companies to be able to develop new business models based on open source principles.
At the end of January, we kicked off the first REMODEL test programme. REMODEL is an ambitious growth programme for Danish manufacturing companies who wish to explore new business models based on open source principles, and thereby open up new markets and new economies. In practice, this means that the company opens up parts of its design or IP-rights to the public as a strategic move to create a better business, a greater turnover and improved products. The result is new economically sustainable business models which are based on digital possibilities and new ways of creating value. A strategy we’ve already seen implemented in farsighted companies, small and large, in for example the US and Britain, which we’ve written about previously here.
Testing the first module of the REMODEL programme
The first test run is with TwentySeven/Thürmer Tools, who specialises in drilling technologies and are based in Hvidovre, Denmark. Their test run is in the form of a work module which will allow the company to refine a new product idea and sketch a plan and business model which implements open source principles in the product.
In this work module the company goes through a work sprint in four weeks, inspired by the Google Sprint methods. The programme is very focused and only requires two to four hours of effort per week on part of the company. As the programme is decentralized – apart from a start-up meeting and a evaluation meeting at the end – the company works from their own location and under their own supervision.
At the beginning of each of the four weeks, the company receives a digital work package which its REMODEL development team spends two to four hours completing. The assignments are simple and thoroughly described design-driven challenges which help create a series of focused discussions within the team and concrete, written outputs every week. When the assignments are solved, they are returned to the REMODEL team at Danish Design Centre, who provides feedback and prepares next week’s work package based on the results from the week before. After the sprint the company meets up with Danish Design Centre to evaluate the results of the work module and decide if the results are sufficient, or if yet another four week cycle is necessary.
Developing new work modules
The work module described above is just one of multiple modules currently under development. Another module is ‘Community creation’, which lets companies establish co-creation communities that will help the company develop new innovative products, based on direct market feedback and meet the exact needs of their core users turned co-creators.
Other work module titles are ‘Legal issues & ownership’ which focuses on how to ensure clarity in ownership and liability around open source products, as well as ‘Leadership & organisation’ which focuses on how companies can build organisations that support open source business models (ie. perhaps they should hire more community manager than engineers) as well as how these should be managed.
These other REMODEL work modules will be tested during the spring in the same fashion as is currently happening with the Thürmer Tools/TwentySeven test-run of the first module. We will soon be able to uncover the next test run which will be initiated with an established Danish manufacturing company from a completely different industry.
From test run to main programme
The series of test runs lead up to the actual launch of the REMODEL programme in October. The main programme will include 10 companies who will combine up to three different modules to fit their specific individual needs, and which will enable them to build a tailor-made business model based on open source principles. By the end of the programme, the company will be able to implement the business model by market testing it on a designated products from their portfolio, as new product or perhaps as a spin-out business unit.
Documentation and learnings from tests to inform main programme
The collaboration with Thürmer Tools/TwentySeven will be documented closely, and learnings, tools and methods will be shared with the public from early spring and onwards until the launch of the official REMODEL Open Source Business Model Toolkit, which will be freely available in order for other companies to be able to learn from the generated insights, work methods and results.
Join us
Have these themes and initiatives made you curious? We would like to hear from you if your company might be interested in joining the test programme, or the official REMODEL programme this fall.
We would also be happy to hear from you if you or your organisation is interested in taking part in developing and executing work modules within the programme, and use this work in your own organisation as well. We are still planning both the amount of work modules and the themes they will cover.
Eager to discuss? Contact Programme Director Christian Villum at cvi@ddc.dk.