Jobs to be Done (JTBD)
for Manufacture of engines and turbines, except aircraft, vehicle and cycle engines (ISIC 2811)
The Manufacture of engines and turbines industry is characterized by high capital intensity, long product lifecycles, and deeply integrated customer relationships. Customers are often making significant, long-term investments in critical infrastructure, meaning their ultimate goal is not just a...
Strategic Overview
The Jobs to be Done (JTBD) framework offers a critical lens for the Manufacture of engines and turbines industry (ISIC 2811), enabling a shift from product-centric thinking to understanding the fundamental 'jobs' customers are trying to accomplish. Given the industry's challenges such as 'Declining Demand for Legacy Products' and 'High R&D Investment for New Technologies' (MD01), traditional product differentiation based on technical specifications alone is becoming insufficient. JTBD helps uncover the deeper functional, emotional, and social needs that drive purchasing decisions, especially as the energy landscape undergoes significant transformation towards sustainability and decentralization.
By focusing on these underlying 'jobs,' manufacturers can innovate more effectively, develop truly differentiated solutions, and justify premium pricing (MD03) by delivering superior outcomes. This approach moves beyond simply selling a turbine to offering 'sustainable energy independence' or 'guaranteed uptime,' aligning product development, service models, and customer engagement with the evolving needs of the market. It's particularly powerful in an industry characterized by complex, long-term contracts and highly specialized applications, where customer success is intrinsically linked to the performance of the core machinery.
4 strategic insights for this industry
Shift from Product Ownership to Outcome Achievement
Customers in ISIC 2811 are increasingly hiring engines and turbines to achieve specific operational or strategic outcomes (e.g., 'reduce carbon footprint by X%', 'guarantee 99.9% uptime for critical operations', 'achieve energy independence') rather than simply purchasing equipment with certain specifications. This shift is critical given 'Declining Demand for Legacy Products' (MD01) and market pressures for sustainability, moving the value proposition towards 'power-as-a-service' or 'efficiency-as-a-service'.
Unmet Needs in Distributed and Decarbonized Energy
The 'Market Fragmentation by Fuel Type' and 'Uncertainty in Energy Policy' (MD08) highlight a complex landscape where customers struggle to find comprehensive solutions for their evolving energy needs. JTBD can uncover specific 'jobs' related to flexible, localized, and low-carbon power generation for new applications like remote data centers, microgrids, or industrial heat recovery, which existing offerings may not fully address.
Integrated Solutions for Energy Security and Resilience
For many industrial and infrastructure clients, the core 'job' is 'ensuring uninterrupted and secure power supply' or 'managing energy costs predictably.' This suggests that the solution extends beyond the engine or turbine to include integration with energy storage, smart controls, grid services, and lifecycle management. Addressing this holistic job can justify 'Sustaining Premium Pricing' (MD03) through bundled value, rather than competing solely on hardware cost.
Service and Support as Integral Job Components
The 'job' of operating an engine or turbine inherently includes aspects like maintenance, predictive diagnostics, regulatory compliance, and spare parts management. With the 'Industrial Archetype (with strong Digital overlay)' (PM03), digital services become crucial for addressing the 'job' of maximizing uptime and operational efficiency. Neglecting these service components means only partially addressing the customer's overall job.
Prioritized actions for this industry
Establish Cross-Functional 'Job Discovery' Teams
To genuinely understand customer jobs, dedicated teams comprising engineers, sales, marketing, and service personnel should conduct ethnographic research, in-depth interviews, and observational studies. This moves beyond traditional market research to uncover latent needs and pain points, providing rich insights for innovation.
Develop Outcome-Based Product-Service Bundles
Shift the business model from selling engines/turbines to selling 'guaranteed performance,' 'carbon reduction credits,' or 'uptime-as-a-service.' This aligns the manufacturer's incentives with customer success and allows for 'Sustaining Premium Pricing' (MD03) by delivering measurable value beyond the hardware.
Innovate for 'Decarbonization Jobs' with Integrated Solutions
Focus R&D (MD01) and product development efforts on creating integrated systems (e.g., hydrogen-ready turbines combined with storage, advanced heat recovery systems) that help customers meet their specific decarbonization targets and regulatory compliance requirements. This targets a growing, unmet 'job' driven by 'Uncertainty in Energy Policy' (MD08).
Map End-to-End Customer Journeys for Critical 'Jobs'
For high-value 'jobs' like 'maintaining continuous operation in a remote oil and gas facility,' document the entire customer experience from procurement to decommissioning. Identify all pain points, workarounds, and unaddressed needs across the lifecycle to pinpoint opportunities for new product features, digital services, or support models.
From quick wins to long-term transformation
- Conduct initial qualitative interviews and observational studies with 5-10 key clients to uncover immediate 'job' pain points.
- Train sales and marketing teams on fundamental JTBD concepts to reframe customer conversations from features to outcomes.
- Analyze customer complaints and service requests through a 'job' lens to identify recurring unmet needs.
- Pilot an outcome-based service contract with a willing customer to test new business models and value propositions.
- Integrate JTBD methodology into the initial stages of the R&D pipeline for new product development.
- Develop 'job stories' and customer personas to guide product design and communication efforts.
- Realign organizational structure and KPIs around customer 'job success' rather than just product sales targets.
- Build a robust data analytics infrastructure to track customer 'job progress' and solution performance over time.
- Cultivate a company-wide innovation culture centered on continuously identifying and solving customer jobs.
- Superficial application of JTBD as a marketing buzzword without deep organizational commitment.
- Resistance from an engineering-centric culture accustomed to feature-based competition.
- Failure to translate 'job' insights into actionable product development or business model innovations.
- Underestimating the complexity of changing internal processes and incentive structures to align with outcome-based selling.
Measuring strategic progress
| Metric | Description | Target Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Customer 'Job Success' Rate | Percentage of customers who report successfully achieving their core 'job' using the company's products/services, measured through surveys or objective outcome tracking. | >85% |
| New Service/Solution Adoption Rate | Percentage of customers opting for new outcome-based bundles, digital services, or integrated solutions identified through JTBD. | >20% increase YoY in relevant segments |
| Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) | Increased revenue and profitability from customers over their entire relationship with the company, indicating deeper integration and value delivery. | >10% increase over traditional models |
| Market Share in 'New Job' Segments | Percentage of market captured in emerging categories or 'job' segments identified through JTBD research (e.g., hydrogen-power-as-a-service). | >15% in targeted new segments within 3-5 years |
Other strategy analyses for Manufacture of engines and turbines, except aircraft, vehicle and cycle engines
Also see: Jobs to be Done (JTBD) Framework