diff --git a/nuxt/content/handbook/company/strategy.md b/nuxt/content/handbook/company/strategy.md index fca96227e1..780dd033f3 100644 --- a/nuxt/content/handbook/company/strategy.md +++ b/nuxt/content/handbook/company/strategy.md @@ -10,186 +10,123 @@ Please also review: - our [company values](/handbook/company/values/). - our [Messaging Framework](/handbook/marketing/messaging/). -## Core Belief - - - -The physical world must adopt tailor made software like digital companies have -already done, but connecting, moving, visualizing, and interacting with their data -from machines and assets is expensive and error-prone. The wide range of software systems, -assets, machines, some new and some decades old, have made the challenge too big. -As a result, most industrial equipment goes unmonitored and unoptimized, leaving -large gains in efficiency and safety on the table. - -## Our Belief - -Non-software engineers are reliant on software to monitor and interact with -their machines and assets, and to gain insight from them. We believe they -should be able to build, deploy, and govern that software themselves, rather -than depend on a scarce pool of professional developers to do it for them. - -There are far more of these people than there are software engineers to serve -them. The World Federation of Engineering Organisations puts the global -engineering workforce at roughly 30 million people -([WFEO](https://www.wfeo.org/world-engineering-day-engineering-for-a-healthy-planet-celebrating-the-unesco-engineering-report/)), -while the global population of professional software developers was estimated -at about 28.7 million in 2024 -([Statista](https://www.statista.com/statistics/627312/worldwide-developer-population/)). -Even the world's entire population of software developers is smaller than the -world's engineering workforce in every other discipline combined -- and -that's before counting the technicians and operators who work alongside them -and depend on the same software every day. +## Mission + +FlowFuse solves hard operational problems on the line, in the control room, and out in the field. We build the first solution with the customer’s team, on the equipment they already run. Then we hand it over, so they can run it, roll it out to every site, and keep making it better. + +### Company Description + +FlowFuse solves hard operational problems for manufacturers, asset operators, and the companies that service industrial equipment. It works in three areas. + +**Production performance** + +A packaging line loses output to short stops and slow speeds. A CNC cell sits idle between long setups. FlowFuse shows where the output goes and helps teams win it back. + +**Intelligent operations and control** + +Engineers tune hundreds of well sites by hand, one controller at a time. Inspection catches a defect, but the part ships anyway. FlowFuse turns approved operating logic into action at every site, keeps operators in charge, and measures the result. + +**Remote equipment and service operations** + +A worn pump bearing becomes unplanned downtime before maintenance can act. A fault at a remote energy site needs a technician visit just to find out what’s wrong. FlowFuse catches problems early, gives service teams the diagnosis, and gets the fix done remotely, or on the first visit with the right parts. + +These problems persist because operators run a mix of aging machines, controllers, and systems they can’t simply replace, and because more data or more screens alone don’t change what happens on the floor. Rather than selling a platform for customers to assemble, FlowFuse delivers the complete solution: it builds the first system with the customer, adapts patterns from applications customers already run in production, and hands it over. + +Handover is where the customer’s ownership starts. Their team watches each solution run. They spot trends before they become failures, find what’s slowing a line, and fix what breaks. As they refine a solution at one site, they test the change safely and push it to every other site running it. Proven solutions become blueprints that other plants and teams can adopt and adapt. + +The FlowFuse platform makes all of this possible. FlowFuse AI does much of the build, so each new solution ships faster than the last. The same platform lets customers run, change, and roll out what FlowFuse delivers. Equipment makers ship Node-RED on their hardware, so many solutions start on devices already in the field. FlowFuse builds on open-source Node-RED, and more than 36,000 users have trusted FlowFuse. ### Achieving our Mission -At the core of FlowFuse is Node-RED, the Low-Code platform that allows many to -build software with little or no coding knowledge. This enables anyone to be -innovative and develop solutions to be successful in their respective roles. -FlowFuse will only be successful if Node-RED becomes the default way to write -software for hundreds of thousands of people. FlowFuse is, and will remain, the -primary contributor to Node-RED. Our product is the best way to run Node-RED at -any scale. - -Furthermore, FlowFuse aims to make it a great experience to build, deploy, and -maintain software -- especially for non-software engineers. Allowing complex -things to be achieved. Two good examples are - -1. FlowFuse Dashboard - Allowing to build Dashboards and interactive - applications -1. Project-Link - Linking Edge devices to the Cloud, enabling broadcasts and - point-to-point connections - -A key differentiator for FlowFuse is our approach to licensing of our software. -The core is open, free as in beer and as in speech. Our product is open for -scrutiny, usage, improvements, for the world. While there's a subset of the -product proprietary licensed, the source is available to read. We believe that -Open Source Software plays a key part in education, reducing vendor lock-in, and -community building. +We achieve our mission by delivering solutions, not by selling a toolkit. Every engagement follows the same path: + +1. **First solution.** We work alongside the customer's operations and technical teams on one agreed operational problem, with success criteria agreed before the work starts, and take it into production use. +2. **Reusable foundation.** While building it, we create the architecture, data models, governance, and integration patterns that later solutions and sites will reuse. +3. **Customer ownership.** Joint development, documentation, and knowledge transfer leave the customer's team able to run, change, and extend the solution without us. +4. **Rollout.** The customer reuses that foundation at their other plants and sites, so each new deployment needs less engineering than the one before. + +Three things make this repeatable: + +1. **Each build is faster than the last.** FlowFuse AI does much of the build, and we adapt patterns from proven applications rather than starting from scratch. Proven solutions become blueprints that other plants and teams can adopt and adapt. +2. **The platform is how customers own the result.** The platform we build on is the same one customers use after handover: to watch each solution run, test changes safely, and push them to every site running it. We configure and extend it around the customer's operations, and bring in third-party applications or hardware where the problem needs them. If the customer's team can't run and change what we delivered, the handover isn't finished. +3. **Node-RED is already in the field.** FlowFuse builds on open-source Node-RED, and equipment makers ship it on their hardware, so many solutions start on devices the customer already owns. FlowFuse is, and will remain, the primary contributor to Node-RED. + +Open source is part of why customers can trust the handover. The core of FlowFuse is open; a subset of the product is proprietary, but its source is available to read. Customers aren't locked in to us to keep their solutions running, and the Node-RED community keeps improving the foundation those solutions are built on. ## The market -We focus on -[Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)](/handbook/marketing/messaging/) -companies, which are those in manufacturing, logistics, and other data-intensive -industrial sectors where operational efficiency is critical to providing value. +We serve [Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)](/handbook/marketing/messaging/) companies in three groups: manufacturers, asset operators, and the companies that service industrial equipment. What they have in common is a defined operational problem, on the line, in the control room, or out in the field, that costs them output, uptime, or service margin, and that they can't solve by replacing the equipment they already run. + +We prioritize customers where solving that problem at one site can grow into a rollout across many sites. Our sales, solution engineering, and delivery effort goes to those opportunities first. -Within those companies, we focus our outreach and marketing activities on people -who are responsible for improving engineering processes. These individuals are -often Architects, Engineering Managers, and specialists in IT or OT. +Within those companies, we work with an executive sponsor who owns the operational outcome, and with the operations and technical teams who will run the solution after handover. These are often plant and operations leaders, engineering and automation managers, and service or field operations leaders, alongside the OT and IT specialists who keep the systems running. ## The problems -1. Data is in Silos and Inaccessible: Industrial data is often hard to access - and extract, fragmented, and trapped within disparate systems, making it - difficult to access and consolidate for analysis. Engineers need a way to - break down these silos and unify their data sources. -1. Lack of Visualization and Feedback Loops: Existing industrial data systems - often fail to provide intuitive visualizations and real-time feedback - mechanisms. Engineers need a platform that allows them to easily visualize - data, monitor performance, and quickly identify areas for improvement. -1. Barriers to Building Solutions: Many industrial engineers lack the correct - tools and resources to build custom applications for their specific needs. IT - departments typically are focused on business operations and don’t have - expertise on industrial systems or processes. However, data analysis - applications for industrial processes also need to meet company security and - compliance requirements. The industrial side of the organization requires a - solution that empowers them to create solutions, within compliance - guidelines, without relying heavily on IT departments or external developers. -1. Overwhelming Complexity of Industrial Systems: Industrial environments are - characterized by a vast array of protocols, technologies, and legacy systems. - This complexity makes it difficult for teams to integrate and leverage data - from different sources into a view of operations that can help identify - optimizations. +The problems we solve fall into three areas, described in the [Company Description](#company-description): production performance, intelligent operations and control, and remote equipment and service operations. They persist for the same reasons: + +1. **Equipment can't simply be replaced.** Operators run a mix of aging machines, controllers, and systems from different vendors and decades. Any solution has to work with what is already on the floor and in the field. +2. **More data doesn't change the outcome.** Collecting data and adding screens shows what is happening, but it doesn't stop the short stop, catch the defect before it ships, or get the fix done. The value comes from closing the loop back into operations. +3. **Building the first solution is hard.** Most operations teams don't have the time or specialist skills to design, build, and prove a solution on their own, and a platform they have to assemble themselves leaves them with the hardest part of the work. +4. **Solutions stay stuck at one site.** Even when a fix works at one plant or site, rolling it out means repeating much of the engineering, keeping every site in step, and improving it safely over time. Most good fixes never spread. ## Why these problems are significant -1. Suboptimal Decision-Making: When engineers lack access to comprehensive and - timely data, they are forced to make decisions based on incomplete or - inaccurate information. This can lead to missed opportunities, inefficient - processes, and costly errors. -1. Slow Response to Issues: Without real-time feedback loops and interactive - visualizations, it can be difficult to detect and respond to emerging - problems promptly. This can result in production delays, quality issues, and - increased downtime. -1. Missed Opportunities for Innovation: The inability to easily build custom - solutions stifles innovation. Engineers may have brilliant ideas for - improvements but lack the means to implement them, leaving valuable potential - untapped. +1. **Lost output and margin.** Short stops, slow speeds, and long setups quietly take capacity the customer has already paid for. +2. **Unplanned downtime and quality escapes.** Problems that could have been caught early turn into failures, scrap, or defective parts that reach customers. +3. **Costly service.** Technicians travel just to diagnose a fault, or arrive without the right parts, and remote sites stay down longer than they need to. +4. **Improvements that don't scale.** When a solution can't be safely changed and rolled out, every site solves the same problem separately, or not at all. ## The Value -The FlowFuse Platform addresses the problems status above by providing our ICP -with the tools they need to: - -1. Unify and Access Data: FlowFuse breaks down data silos, aggregate data from - disparate sources, and make it easily accessible for analysis and decision - making in a secure way. -1. Visualize and Interact: FlowFuse offers intuitive visualizations, real-time - feedback loops, and interactive dashboards that enable engineers to monitor - performance, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions. -1. Build Custom Solutions: The low-code platform empowers engineers to create - custom applications, dashboards, and automation workflows without extensive - coding knowledge. -1. Simplify Complexity: We abstract away the complexities of industrial systems, - providing a comprehensive user-friendly interface that allows engineers to - focus on solving problems, not wrestling with technology. See also our - [Messaging page](/handbook/marketing/messaging/). - -FlowFuse uses Open-Source technologies like Node-RED and MQTT to help our -customers being successful in remedying their problems. +FlowFuse addresses these problems by delivering the complete solution and handing it over, not by selling a platform for customers to assemble: + +1. **Solved, not scoped.** We build the first solution with the customer's team, on the equipment they already run, and prove it in production against the success criteria agreed at the start. +2. **Owned by the customer.** After handover, the customer's team runs the solution, watches it work, spots trends before they become failures, and fixes what breaks. +3. **Rolled out everywhere.** Changes refined at one site are tested safely and pushed to every site running that solution. Proven solutions become blueprints other plants and teams can adopt and adapt, so each new site reuses the work instead of repeating it. +4. **Faster every time.** FlowFuse AI does much of the build, and each solution draws on patterns customers already run in production, so each new solution ships faster than the last. + +FlowFuse builds on open-source Node-RED, which equipment makers already ship on their hardware, so many solutions start on devices already in the field. ## Measuring Success -There's multiple ways to align a company around business goals, and at FlowFuse -we've identified [KPIs](#kpi). A KPI is a tool to identify problems and areas for -improvement. +There's multiple ways to align a company around business goals, and at FlowFuse we've identified [KPIs](#kpi). A KPI is a tool to identify problems and areas for improvement. + +For each solution we deliver, we judge success by four outcomes: the solution is in production use, it measurably improves the operation, the customer's team can run and extend it on their own, and it is reused at other plants and sites. ### KPI -A KPI, or Key Performance Indicator, is a heuristic metric for company-wide -success. At FlowFuse we're engaged in many initiatives to grow our offering and -assess product-market fit. - -We review KPIs every Tuesday as part of our recurring strategy meeting. -At this time, we review the following KPIs: -* Product & Engineering - * Engineering Time to Value (Median) - * Engineering Time to Value (P75) - * Active Node-RED Instances -* Marketing - * Pipeline Generated -* Sales - * cARR Projected (This Q) - * cARR Closed (This Q) - * cARR Goal (This Q) +A KPI, or Key Performance Indicator, is a heuristic metric for company-wide success. At FlowFuse we're engaged in many initiatives to grow our offering and assess product-market fit. + +We review KPIs every Tuesday as part of our recurring strategy meeting. At this time, we review the following KPIs: + +- Product & Engineering + - Engineering Time to Value (Median) + - Engineering Time to Value (P75) + - Active Node-RED Instances +- Marketing + - Pipeline Generated +- Sales + - cARR Projected (This Q) + - cARR Closed (This Q) + - cARR Goal (This Q) #### Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) -Now that FlowFuse has a stable and maturing product, we're trying to verify -product-market fit. This requires sales, and ARR is a good metric to track this. +Now that FlowFuse has a stable and maturing product, we're trying to verify product-market fit. This requires sales, and ARR is a good metric to track this. -Incidental revenue that's _not_ recurring does not factor into this metric, as it's -hard to build a business on unpredictable revenue streams. Furthermore, it's usually -harder to scale. +Incidental revenue that's _not_ recurring does not factor into this metric, as it's hard to build a business on unpredictable revenue streams. Furthermore, it's usually harder to scale. ## Strategy Meeting To maintain high velocity and accountability, the strategy team gathers every two weeks. This meeting is not for status updates; it is strictly for decision-making, unblocking strategic initiatives, and translating strategy into immediate tactics. **Meeting rules** -1. Pre-Read Mandatory: KPIs and the agenda must be in the doc 24 hours prior. -2. Exception-Based Reporting: We only discuss "Red/Yellow" metrics (blockers/risks). -3. [Disagree & Commit](/handbook/company/values/#disagreeandcommit): Strong debate is encouraged, - but once a decision is made, it's made and everyone executes as one. -4. The Kill List: To add a new initiative, we must explicitly define what we are stopping to free up capacity. + +1. **Pre-read mandatory.** KPIs and the agenda must be in the doc 24 hours prior. +2. **Exception-based reporting.** We only discuss "Red/Yellow" metrics (blockers/risks). +3. **[Disagree & Commit](/handbook/company/values/#disagreeandcommit).** Strong debate is encouraged, but once a decision is made, it's made and everyone executes as one. +4. **The Kill List.** To add a new initiative, we must explicitly define what we are stopping to free up capacity. ### Meeting agenda @@ -198,4 +135,4 @@ To maintain high velocity and accountability, the strategy team gathers every tw | 00:00 - 00:05 | Quarterly OKR | Re-anchor on Quarterly OKR. | CEO | | 00:05 - 00:15 | [KPI](#kpi) Scoreboard | Review *only* off-track numbers (The Brutal Facts). | CEO | | 00:15 - 00:40 | Strategic Topic | Discuss *one* major strategic topic or signal. | Topic Owner | -| 00:40 - 00:55 | Tactics & Kill List| Update the action list, and assign owners. Review open list of last meeting, review Say vs Do ratio. | Chief of Staff | +| 00:40 - 00:55 | Tactics & Kill List | Update the action list, and assign owners. Review open list of last meeting, review Say vs Do ratio. | Chief of Staff | diff --git a/nuxt/content/handbook/marketing/messaging.md b/nuxt/content/handbook/marketing/messaging.md index 0e15b75cbc..31139b1de0 100644 --- a/nuxt/content/handbook/marketing/messaging.md +++ b/nuxt/content/handbook/marketing/messaging.md @@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ For guidance on how to express our brand in writing and communication style, see [Brand Personality, Tone of Voice & Character](/handbook/marketing/brand-voice/) Please also read the -[Company Mission](/handbook/company/strategy/#our-belief) before +[Company Mission](/handbook/company/strategy/#mission) before diving into the messaging. ## Product Pillars Alignment