These slides use concepts from my (Jeff Funk) course entitled Biz Models for Hi-Tech Products to analyze the business model for Contour Crafting in Home Construction.
Contour crafting involves large-scale 3D printing of concrete homes. A machine is constructed for a specific design and the machine rapidly dispenses concrete for the home thus resulting in rapid construction of the concrete home. This technique is largely based on patents held by Behrokh Khoshenevis, a professor at the University of Southern California. These slides describe the specific value proposition for construction companies and home buyers and other aspects of the business model such as the method of value capture, scope of activities, and method of strategic control.
1. Business Model for Contour Crafting
•Timothee Francois Lanfranc Le QuesneA0133779
•Daniel Berek Giuseppe LolloA0133497
•Huang GuozhuA0132443
•Ho Dalun (Darius)A0129445
2. Outline
Introduction
Value Proposition
Addressable Market
Methods of Value Capture
Barriers to Entry
Scope of Activities
Methods of Strategic Control
3. Methods of Manufacturing
Subtractive Manufacturing
•Waste Material
•Requires Skilled Labour to deliver a good job
•Time Consuming
4. Additive Manufacturing
•Saves Material
•Saves Time
•Requires a good design drawn with CAD program
•Cost of each part remains the same
Methods of Manufacturing
5. Traditional Construction
Disadvantages of Traditional Construction
•Time Consuming
7 Months to build a house with traditional construction techniques
•Not Scalable
Logistics Issues
Manpower Issues
•Requires a huge workforce
•Workers are usually unskilled
•Quality Issues
6. Contour Crafting
How it works
•3D Printing on a larger Scale
•Contours controlled by trowels
Source: http://www.livearchitecture.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/khoshnevis_mega-scale-fabrication.pdf
7. Contour Crafting
How it works
•Patented Layerd Fabrication Technology
•3D Printing on a larger Scale
•Contour Crafting machine follows a path defined in a software just like 3D printing
8. Contour Crafting
Disruptive Innovation
•3D Printing Improved and Innovated
•Able to overtake traditional forms of construction
User Requirements
1900s
2008
2020
2014
9. Contour Crafting
Disadvantage of Contour Crafting
•The foundation has to be built using Traditional Methods
•Existing engineering rules and practices
•High Switching Costs for Construction Companies
10. Outline
Introduction
Value Proposition
Addressable Market
Methods of Value Capture
Barriers to Entry
Scope of Activities
Methods of Strategic Control
11. Value Proposition
•Automation
•Reduction of Accidents
•Improved Quality of Work
•Reduce Wastage
•Stronger Structures Built as Compared to Traditional Construction
12. Value Proposition
Automation
•Makes use of CAD drawings
•Little to No Supervision required
•Saves Time
•Saves Money
13. Value Proposition
Reduction of Accidents
•Number of workplace deaths in the construction industry in Singapore in 2012
•Contour Crafting reduces human labour which reduces the risk of accidents occuring46,400 Deaths
14. Value Proposition
Improved Quality of Work
•CAD imported files tells Contour Machines exactly what to do
•Very low margin of error
•Saves Time
•Saves Money
16. Housing Structures
Traditional Structures
•Traditional wall built with Contour Crafting
•Firstly, the external shell of the wall is built
•Then, the void is filled by pouring concrete
Source: http://www.livearchitecture.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/khoshnevis_mega-scale-fabrication.pdf
17. Housing Structures
Honeycomb Structures
•Used in industries such as aerospace, racing, furniture, etc
•As strong as, if not stronger than traditional structures
•Uses much lesser material
•Saves Money
18. Outline
Introduction
Value Proposition
Addressable Market
Methods of Value Capture
Barriers to Entry
Scope of Activities
Methods of Strategic Control
22. Our market : 3.4 $Trillion per year
Addressable market
23. Our technology : one or two floor houses, that represents 30% of residential construction in the world
•Total addressable market : 1 $ Trillion per year
Addressable market
24. Outline
Introduction
Value Proposition
Addressable Market
Methods of Value Capture
Barriers to Entry
Scope of Activities
Methods of Strategic Control
25. Methods of value capture
Our proposition for a 1 storey house
•A few thousands dollars vs 100000$
•Including :
Foundation
Water + electricity
Roof
26. Methods of value capture
•Build houses and sell it directly to customers.
•Sell or rent contour crafting machines to construction firms.
•Sell special cement to firms that have already bought contour crafting machines
•Sell a software for easy contour crafting
•Sell entire neighborhoods to governments.
•Target countries with high growth: India, Indonesia, China, Nigeria..
•Sell contour crafting equipments to NGOs and governments for natural disaster zones.
27. Methods of value capture
•Build higher buildings with contour crafting : target the other 70% of the residential market
•Find new methods of contour crafting for more than 3 floors buildings
•Invest in R&D
28. Outline
Introduction
Value Proposition
Addressable Market
Methods of Value Capture
Barriers to Entry
Scope of Activities
Methods of Strategic Control
29. Barriers to Entry
Just need concrete mixed with composite fiber: not expensive, not rare
30. Price of the machines
•Investment required for companies
•Easier for large companies
Large companies has more resources
•20% less expensive to finance
•25% less expensive materials
•45% less expensive labor
But the technology is needed
Barriers to Entry
31. Barriers to Entry: Patents
Deployable contour crafting -US 7814937 B2
•Period of legal protection: 2006-2026
•Owner: BehrokhKhoshnevis- University Of Southern California
•Composition:
Vehicle
Nozzle configured to extrudecementitiousmaterial
Gantry system configured to becollapsed on the vehicle
32. Barriers to Entry: Patents
Contour crafting extrusion nozzles -US 8801415 B2
•Period of legal protection: 2008 -2028
•Owner: BehrokhKhoshnevis- University Of Southern California
•Composition:
an extrusion nozzle
a nozzle positioning system
a controller configured to direct thenozzle positioning system to move the extrusion nozzle
33. Barriers to Entry: Patents
Multi-chamber vibrating valve for cementitiousmaterial US 7878789 B2
•Period of legal protection: 2009 -2029
•Owner: BehrokhKhoshnevis- University Of Southern California
•Composition:
Outlet to extrude the cementitiousmaterial
Material flow pathway configured to channelthe cementitiousmaterial to the outlet
Vibration-actuated valve interposed in thematerial flow pathway
34. Barriers to Entry: Patents
Professor BehrokhKhoshnevis
●Professor at University of South California
●Own almost every Contour Craftinng Patents
●Only his company is currently developing the technology with the support of the NASA
Good Strategy: Work with him in order to get patent protection until late 2020’s
35. Outline
Introduction
Value Proposition
Addressable Market
Methods of Value Capture
Barriers to Entry
Scope of Activities
Methods of Strategic Control
36. Scope of Activities
Maintenance
•Supported maintenance service for customers
Fabrication & Installation
•Build house and electrical &mechanical installation
Design
•Design of house or designs from customers
Sales & Marketing
•Contour crafting service & contour crafting machine for rent
Manufacturing
•Outsource manufacturing of machine and material
R&D
•Contour crafting machine(hardware &software) and material
37. Outline
Introduction
Value Proposition
Addressable Market
Methods of Value Capture
Barriers to Entry
Scope of Activities
Methods of Strategic Control
38. Methods of Strategic Control
First Mover Advantages
Economies of Scale in R&D
Legal Mechanisms of Protection
Complementary Assets
Strategic Collaboration
39. Methods of Strategic Control
First Mover Advantages
•Brand loyalty
•Technological leadership
•Secure scarce resources (contracts)
•High switching cost for traditional construction companies
Disadvantages
•Uncertainty of customers’ requirements
•Immature contour crafting market and complements
40. Methods of Strategic Control
•Economies of Scale in R&D
•R&D on contour crafting machine and contour crafting material for big firms (better products, higher profit)
Improve the speed, reliability, accurracy, multi-functions of machine
Improve the properties of material, such as waterproofing, fire-resistance
41. Methods of Strategic Control
Legal Mechanisms of Protection
Build patent portfolio for Contour Crafting technology
Patents of Contour Crafting Technology:
US 7814937 B2 -Deployable contour crafting
US 8801415 B2 -Contour crafting extrusion nozzles
US 7878789 B2 -Multi-chamber vibrating valve for cementitious mater
42. Methods of Strategic Control
Complementary Assets
•Consultation service
•Maintenance service
•Customized design of house for customers (CAD, BIM)
•Online platform & community –sharing of designs
43. Methods of Strategic Control
Government Agencies
Property Developers
Construction Companies
Strategic Collaboration