AGP Support: Growth Strategy, Market Research, Competitor Benchmarking
Industry: Industrial Automation, Technology & Software
Industry: Industrial Automation, Technology & Software
Industrial IoT Platform Competitor Benchmarking
Client
The product strategy team of a European Fortune 500 industrial conglomerate was preparing to bring their IIoT solution into the Chinese market and required insight into the competitive landscape.
Situation
A European industrial conglomerate was preparing the bring their Industrial loT platform into the Chinese market. Due to the relative immaturity and rapid growth of China’s IIoT platform market, the client had limited insights into the competitor landscape and was uncertain how to position their solution. They also expected that the Chinese market would require modifications to their sales approach and business model to meet customer expectations.
Approach
Asia Growth Partners supported the client's product strategy team to identify, prioritize and evaluate competitors in China. These competitors included multinational industrial technology leaders like PTC Thingworx, local technology conglomerates like Huawei, manufacturers developing vertical solutions like PCITC, and system integrators like BONC. These players we rigorously analyzed to understand their technical capabilities, use case coverage, target markets, market share, business models, and future strategic direction.
- Assess market adoption traction in China across end user industries and use cases.
- Benchmark the technical capabilities and business scope of competitors.
- Analyze competitor product and service portfolios and identify competitive overlap.
- Map the partner ecosystems of competitors, including solutions and sales channels.
- Track adoption trends for emerging domains, such as AI and edge computing.
Results
- The initial competitor scan identified 169 companies selling IIoT platforms in China. Categorizing these players provided insight into the level of competition across end customer verticals and use cases.
- After assessing these 169 companies, 6 direct competitors were prioritized for detailed benchmarking. This competitor analysis was integrated into the market entry plans to inform segment focus, business model design, partner strategy, and value proposition communication.
- During the benchmarking, 338 case studies were identified across 25 use cases. Analysis of these case studies provided insight into where Chinese customers are investing in pilot projects and full scale deployments.
