South Korean air filtration technology company Clair leverages SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) and SAP Internet of Things (SAP IoT) solutions to innovate its products and provide services to its customers.
An increasing number of organisations are turning to SAP solutions to help meet their needs in developing products and streamlining business operations. SAP’s collaboration strategy with other tech companies has been instrumental in advancing enterprises’ digital transformation journeys.
In an interview, SAP Korea CEO Lee Seong-yeol said that SAP has already established its name in the industry, not only as an ERP and cloud company but also as a partner for digital transformation in South Korea.
“Small and medium-sized companies lack the manpower or costs to independently design software and services they need for their companies. SAP’s solution could be a ‘comprehensive gift set’ for them. It’s cheaper than installation-type service methods in the past, and updates are also provided in real time,” he explained.
Adding to the growing cohort of companies utilising solutions from the multinational software giant is Clair — a fast-growing start-up that manufactures and sells air purifiers. Just recently, the South Korean branch of SAP has announced that Clair has deployed SAP BTP’s IoT technology for its latest non-face-to-face filter subscription service called MyClair.
Leveraging the Capabilities of SAP BTP and SAP IoT
Implemented based on the IoT technology of SAP BTP, the newly launched MyClair service gathers and analyses data using artificial intelligence (AI) sensors connected to the Clair Air Purifier. The AI sensors check the filter status and automatically transfers the filter according to the replacement time. Deploying SAP BTP and IoT solutions ultimately helped Clair achieve automatic order processing after inventory checks and enabled the company to have user-customised smart services.
By delivering services such as database and data management, intelligent technology, application development, and analysis, SAP BTP — a cloud-based development and analysis solution — further promotes the transition towards becoming an intelligent enterprise. SAP Korea CEO Lee Seong-yeol said:
“SAP BTP’s IoT technology provides innovative data analysis capabilities to support the transformation of manufacturing companies into transformative intelligent companies.”
Meanwhile, Clair CEO Lee Woo Hun said that MyClair is a service co-developed using Clair’s manufacturing technology and ATNS Group’s IT capabilities. ATNS Group, an IT solution and SAP ERP consulting company founded in 2002, was the first to sign an agreement for SAP Connected Goods in the Asia-Pacific region. Lee added:
“In particular, the integration and effective analysis of air purifier usage data of each consumer with the SAP IoT solution is the key to implementing the MyClair service.”
Co-Innovation with SAP AppHaus Korea
Even before MyClair came into fruition, Clair has already partnered with SAP AppHaus Korea to innovate their existing services and re-imagine their business model by applying a customer-centric approach. Clair CEO Lee Woo Hun shared:
“We gained confidence during our collaboration with SAP AppHaus who helped us advance our service model by deeply empathising with users and capturing their insights through the design thinking workshop and field research.”
Clair’s employees, industry experts from SAP Korea, and designers from SAP AppHaus worked closely together to create an IoT-enabled air purifier by interpreting and analysing field data then translating them into insights. Redesigning their business model to better fit customer needs, Clair’s innovation runs on SAP IoT and also leverages the SAP Cloud Platform. Additionally, the company has implemented solutions from Qualtrics to further enhance its user experience through feedback from customers.
Although Clair has already built its name internationally for its filter patents that aim to increase filter efficiency, Lee said that the company looks forward to expanding its services in global markets such as the US and Europe in the future.
Meanwhile, SAP Korea will carry on with its commitment to supporting the digital transformation of domestic companies. Recently opening its first data center in the country, SAP continues to deliver cloud services of SAP BTP directly to domestic clients.
