New whitepaper examines how financing drives innovation and digitalisation
– SFS whitepaper identifies innovative financing approaches for technology investment
– Solutions can be customised to support highly specific technology applications
– Technological developments increasingly focus on digitalisation of processes
A new paper from Siemens Financial Services (SFS) examines how innovative financing techniques are helping to drive growth in industry, healthcare and infrastructure by enabling investment in the digitalisation of processes and technologies. Digitalisation enables the output of real-time performance data from processes and systems. The analysis of such smart data can then be used to improve productivity and efficiency, leading to higher cost savings and an increased competitive advantage.
The paper notes that an increasing range of tailored financing methods is available on the market to support equipment, technology and software acquisitions and technology upgrades. These include Total cost of ownership (TCO) financing, performance-based financing, energy efficient technology financing, multiple jurisdiction financing and solutions to enable ongoing investment with built-in points of refreshment. Such financing solutions are increasingly obtained from specialist financiers who command technological expertise and profound knowledge of specific industries. Solutions can therefore be customised to support very specific technology applications and customer requirements.
Financing is becoming an increasingly important investment-enabler as organisations seek to harness technological innovations to enhance effectiveness. In the manufacturing industry, technological innovations in drives, automation, additive manufacturing, and software solutions are speeding up product and plant development, resulting in greater productivity, flexibility, resource efficiency and shorter time to market. New developments in healthcare technology, automation and robotics help improve patient throughput and diagnostic accuracy, as well as reducing the need for invasive surgery. And in the infrastructure arena, smart building technologies are reducing energy costs. Integrated mobility solutions also help achieve greater traffic flow and optimize the performance of transportation networks. Against a background of accelerating technological advances, the availability of flexible and appropriate funding is a vital component in helping both public and private organisations fully embrace digitalisation.
Julian Hobbs, sales director, Siemens Financial Services, said: “We are seeing a rising demand for intelligent financing techniques from public and private organisations alike. Increasing technology sophistication has driven a need for tailored financing methods that can address specific requirements such as financing non-productive setup periods or across multiple countries.”
The report also highlights the new mindset of finance managers in funding the investment of new technologies. These professionals are focusing on a set of desired outcomes, including improved performance and productivity, cost savings and/or return-on-investment, before appraising the best financing method with which to achieve their business goals.
