Kubota has established three steps for digital transformation.

KubotaSenior executives outlined the plans at the annual dealer conference held in Grapevine, Texas, this month.Digital transformationThree-stage strategy. Todd Stucke, Senior Vice President responsible for marketing, product support and strategic projects, stated that the company's “future vision” will be advanced in three phases.

“We're striving to make it as simple as an iPad,” said Stucke. “You can invest in technology for technology's sake, but if customers find it difficult to use, it won't be utilised, and you won't derive any value from it."

“For the past 50 years, Kubota's core principle has been ‘simplicity’; simple and reliable. We shall apply the same strategy in the next phase.”

Each stage of the transformation builds upon the others, with the ultimate objective of creating “stackable” technologies that add value to the final product. This three-stage strategy extends across all product groups—Construction equipmentAgriculture and lawn care—carried out simultaneously.

“We are working on all three phases simultaneously,” said Stark. “Learning is key. We must understand what works and what does not.”

Kubota is currently applying this process to the equipment.ElectrificationStark explained the three stages of this transition.

Three Stages of Kubota Electrification

He stated that the first phase involved simply replacing the battery with a diesel engine. He added that the second phase builds upon the first.

“You remove the engine; Stark says, “You need to fit a battery with an electric motor.” You switch off all the drives and fit electric drives in their place. You run it with software.

“MechanicaltractorHydraulically driven. Stage 2 100% power supply. Now you begin adding value. Very quiet; no noise. For mowers, belts wear out. No belts. And you have the software, so you can operate it entirely by wire. It's fully electronically controlled.“

Stark stated that the third phase involves specialised equipment, using the concept tractor as an illustration.

Despite Kubota showcasing its concept tractor, fully electric mower and battery-powered miniexcavator,However, Stucke emphasised that regardless of the product domain, the process is designed to maximise value as swiftly as possible. The company has assembled a team in North America to study each market segment and determine where that value resides.

“What if we built an automated lawnmower?” he said. “I wouldn't have to mow my lawn, but what if... one of the children left a ball and bat out there? Not only would you need cloud connectivity, but you'd also have to be able to visually monitor what's happening so you could navigate around it.”

Kubota technology applied to construction

In terms of construction, Stucke indicated that machine control could prove immensely valuable as a tool for mitigating the shortage of skilled labour.

“How do we make every operator the best operator?” he said. “That's machine control. When the operator..."efficiencyWhen efficiency is low, they waste. They waste time, they waste fuel, they waste carbon. If you can improve efficiency, you reduce waste. This is achieved through technology and systems.”

“It must be simple and reliable,” he said. “If you want every operator to be the best operator, things must be simple. You just press a button to dig.”