By Sebi Joseph, President, Otis India
Post the pandemic, industries were quick to realise the value that can be accrued through a digital-first agenda, not just for business growth and savings, but also for an elevated customer experience. In 2020 and 2021, hygiene was at the center of business operations and the elevator and escalator industry pivoted to embrace digital approaches in its core products , service offerings, and even marketing strategies. While deep diving into the digital trends that rose to prominence in 2022, we will crystal gaze into the digitalisation efforts that will further pick up in 2023.
2022, the year of digitalization
2022 was a year of recovery for India’s real estate sector and its allied industries. Given the boom in real estate projects across the country, especially in Tier II & III cities, the demand for vertical transportation was at its all-time high. To cater to this demand, leading elevator and escalator companies like us (Otis) have enabled online booking platforms to expedite the lift purchasing process within 2 months irrespective of the number of orders. Developers can customize their orders, get a live quote, and book their elevators from their mobile phones or laptops. Elevator and escalator companies have seen inquiries going up per day and this facility will be a game changer for the business.
Since output needs to match the rising demand, this year, we also witnessed digitalisation in manufacturing processes. Factories are fully connected, networked, and integrated to allow manufacturers to use real-time data analytics to futher improve productivity and quality in the manufacturing process. We saw huge investments in autonomous systems, use of sensors, and machine learning technologies to improve the scalability, performance and reliability of elevators.
Additionally, we witnessed a more advanced touchless approach in elevators. While previous technologies allowed passengers to interact with the elevator from their smartphones, new communication tools include video and voice interactions. Via a two-way voice network, in the event of an emergency, passengers can now speak to a helpline and the engineering team through a voice device. Similarly, for video interactions, elevator cabs equipped with an LCD (liquid crystal display) screen, mean the elevator company can centrally manage any information the customer requests to share with passengers while they are moving from one floor to another. With centrally managed systems, elevator companies can now look at the functioning of all lifts at the same time enabled by predictive maintenance and remote service.
Emerging trends that will take further shape in 2023
In my opinion, in the coming year, the elevator industry is going to be more focused at the intersection of technology, customer preferences and sustainability. Elevator manufacturers are exploring new technology and security features to make elevators more energy efficient, space efficient, and easier to install and maintain. For the customer experience, future elevators will offer programmable lighting and music systems that can be set up to turn on when sensors detect users in the lift.
The growing digital wave in the industry will benefit all stakeholders – passengers, customers and elevator manufacturers and service providers by unlocking efficiencies while improving the user experience.
