The new Performance Advisor Technology (PAT) option is part of Heidelberg Digital Assistant, and is available as a ‘freemium’ option to users. 

Heidelberg’s Cloud includes data from more than 13,000 connected machines worldwide, encompassing “information relating to more than 60 million makeready processes”. 

The manufacturer said the PAT module would help improve customers’ profitability by providing performance data with “easily digestible” charts and tables; along with practical advice on ways to operate efficiently. 

It plans to add an anonymised benchmarking function in the future. 

“The growing demand for performance consulting services under the subscription model, and also in general, is driving the automation of the actual consulting process using AI,” Heidelberg stated, describing the move as a “further logical step in the digitisation of relationships with customers” that would benefit its customers by improving their overall performance.

The firm has more than 3,100 users of Heidelberg Assistant. 

Tom Oelsner, head of digital innovation at Heidelberg’s Digital business unit, commented: “The focus of our activities in this area is on improving customer performance. At the same time, the company benefits from the enhanced scalability of its new data-driven business models.”

Customers can sign up to use PAT immediately, either through their existing Heidelberg Assistant account, or by creating a new one. It is accessible via PC, laptop or smartphone. 

Heidelberg's worldwide press performance statistics have helped chart the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic across the industry. 

Separately, Heidelberg has announced that sales of its Wallbox charging units have “far exceeded expectations” with around 45,000 sold, and sales doubling to more than €20m (£17.2m) in the financial year just ended. 

Heidelberg said it was looking into future options around expansion, co-operation and financing for the operation, and is spinning the business off into a separate company. 

CEO Rainer Hundsdörfer commented: “We’re separating our Wallbox activities from our core business to ensure they can develop even faster and more flexibly. We’re also open to working with strategic partners who offer complementary products. The move into e-mobility and wallboxes has become a real success story for us.”

Heidelberg’s share price slipped by 2.5% to €1.32 on the news.