The Magic of Many

This is a story of how I experienced technological development over the past decades, and how I believe we have reached the first real digitalization culmination point, and what that entails. As the after-sales industry is about to be turned downside up, this column is meant to be read starting from the end. So, if you want to embrace efficiency, begin at the end to optimise your time.

The Era of Personal Computing 1970-1990

I got my first computer, a Macintosh SE, at the age of 8 in 1988. Back then, computers were quite limited in terms of usability. Apps couldn’t share data and had to be loaded individually. Computers offered limited efficiency gains, and using one for many tasks often felt like moving backwards. They were for modern individuals and fresh companies, and during this era, true visionaries dreamed of transforming manual work through digitalization. In entertainment, particularly gaming, computers were more mainstream.

My First Steps in Automating Manual Work

In 1992, my first professional task was building an invoicing solution for my mother’s consultancy. The result was printed invoices with automated tax calculations, but everything else remained manual. The efficiency gains didn’t justify the cost of the computer, making it more efficient than manual invoicing, but not cost-effective.

The Era of Multitasking and Early Connectivity: 1990-2000

Operating Systems Become Useful

With the rise of multitasking operating systems, computer efficiency soared. Users could run multiple apps simultaneously, boosting cross-app collaboration. Key innovations like copy-and-paste via the system clipboard saved time, later evolving to store 10-20 snippets at once—a major step toward digitalization.

Connectivity Justified the Investment

Connectivity brought another key benefit to computers. With a modem, we could dial into the bank, though sending invoices still required manual effort. Modems sped things up, and as BBS and FTP thrived before the internet, data flow increased. We transitioned from local, closed circles to more open networks, making digitalization more promising.

2000-2005: The Era of Local Networks and Servers. Early Internet

First Professional Pains

When I started working as a repair technician in 2001, copy-pasting had become a mainstream digitalization tool, but it became frustrating and tedious. I had to copy information from one system to another multiple times for each repair. What was once an efficiency gain now felt like manual work.

Expanded Dream of Digitalization with Cost

Applications were local, relying on expensive servers needing constant maintenance. Updates often caused issues requiring on-site technicians, likely due to inadequate testing or limited data access. Many CFOs questioned the value of investing in advanced systems, as the efficiency-cost link remained unclear.

Tech Trends Ahead of Their Time

The internet was still immature in the early 2000s. The IT bubble burst with a horde of new ideas—some good, some bad. Many were ahead of their time. One of the most useful things for a young adult was entertainment. Napster’s brief rise (1999-2001) offered a new perspective beyond the limitations of local libraries and friends’ collections. Business benefits of the P2P technology came much later.

A key realisation for me was that technological ideas often emerged at least 10 years before they become widely adopted.

2005-2010: Moving to Browser-Based Applications. Stable Internet Emerging.

Suffering from Bottlenecks

By 2005, copy-pasting was still an area of frustration. With rising customer demands, we had to copy and paste even more or spend time updating customers and other departments on the status of repairs. Delays in the fragile supply chain often forced us to make 50 calls in a day to update clients on delivery times. In my opinion, there were no modern systems available that solved these problems.

The In-House Journey into Digitalization

In the mid-2010s, we built a repair department solution using an in-house server without a traditional app, relying on the browser and OS. It replaced manual updates for over 50 computers, cutting the update cycle from months to just days or weeks.

Running our own WWW and mail servers allowed easy integration of multiple systems, but maintaining them was a nightmare. Everything outside the HQ relied on internet connectivity, resulting in significant downtime and costly backup solutions or local replica servers.

The Early Success of In-House Systems and API Development

Our early experiences with the in-house system were positive. As API technology standardised, collaboration with external partners improved. We integrated with Apple’s GSX, enabling technicians to check part pricing, warranties, and order parts directly. Internally, everyone could see repair statuses, and customers could track progress online, boosting both efficiency and customer experience.

2010-2015: Reliable Connections, Cloud, and SaaS

Cloud and SaaS

As wireless and mobile networks expanded and fiber connections spread, the internet became more reliable, making cloud systems viable and SaaS products more popular. However, traditional IT departments resisted this shift, especially regarding security and backups (often for valid reasons). Still, the clear business benefits—enhanced functionality, faster development cycles, and cost savings from eliminating dedicated local servers—prevailed, despite the acceptance of some risks.

Customer-Driven Business

We founded our own repair company at the end of 2009 that focused on solving existing customer pain points with device repairs. We fixed devices in less than 24 hours on average, compared to the usual two weeks. We worked to put the customer first, resulting in 99.7% customer satisfaction in our first year of operation.

We embraced cloud services for our in-house solution and never looked back. The effort, cost, and reliability were unparalleled. We were always online, available, and had APIs that became mainstream as SaaS adoption grew.

Working with after-sales partners was challenging, with integrations taking 6-12 months. Many companies could only manage a few at a time, and maintaining them was a burden for in-house IT. Custom-built systems, focused on internal operations, often overlooked broader integrations. After-sales systems weren’t a priority for companies, as they didn’t offer quick profitability for first-cycle resellers.

2016-2020: The Rise of Customer Voice and Circularity. Long live in-house development.

Customer Centricity at Last—With Rising Demands for Software

There’s often a business reason behind changes in processes or the need for new systems. Customer centricity received a boost from the saturation of price competition between first-hand resellers. Prices couldn’t go any lower, so many companies began focusing on providing more value to customers through better services.

Focusing on the entire customer journey, especially after-sales services, made sense. In our repair company, we grew to tens of millions in revenue with little marketing by consistently going the extra mile for clients. Maintaining this level of service required strong systems to track not just our operations, but also those of partners, OEMs, and logistics providers. A single repair could involve over 100 touchpoints, all crucial for ensuring a great customer experience.

Early Signs of Circular Business Models

Significant advancements in device technology made circular business models more viable, enabling real second-life cycles for devices without sacrificing user experience. Though cheap production kept the linear model dominant, the shift toward circular models began in consumer electronics, showing promise over a 10-year adaptation cycle.

The Last Samurai and the new.

For decades, digitalization and automation have reshaped how people work, but the need for human labour has increased because of the vast number of devices, new IT jobs, and individual research and development.

I’ve helped develop three in-house solutions to address efficiency issues, leading to improvements in efficiency, visibility, and customer experience. Despite challenges like limited resources and distractions from the core business, these projects have proven to be worthwhile investments.

Even with top developers and talent on our in-house projects, we realised that SaaS companies are shaping the future of commodity services. That insight led us to found our own SaaS company, Fixably.

2020-2025: ESG, Automation, and Data ESG bubble

The after-sales software industry experienced a surge in investment during the post-pandemic ESG wave, peaking before the next human crisis. Many companies secured funding before markets froze. The hype resembled the 2000 IT bubble, but this time, not all ideas were a decade ahead of their time. Fixably and other SaaS companies began to commercialise and continue to thrive. In four years, we’ve expanded our After-sales Operating System to 40+ countries—almost one country per month. Expanding our repair business once took 2-3 years per country to get established. The current pace seems fast, but is likely to accelerate further.

Our mission is to extend the life of over 10 billion devices may seem ambitious, but a mission should inspire. We don’t plan to accomplish this alone and for this purpose our founding core value, Magic of Many, is an endless cornucopia of inspiration. Teamwork is where it starts. This time we don’t have to wait for the technology to develop, as we have everything it takes already. We have the diversity of thousands of professionals working in six continents using our software and providing their insight. The voices of our clients are also considered. We have vast amounts of data, a unique asset in this field that provides answers to questions we’ve yet to ask. We already have endless resources compared to the in-house solutions I outpaced in terms of speed of development. When 100.000 parties touch 100.000 devices, we’re at 10 billion–mission accomplished. Magic of Many at its best.

Technology of today takes over

We’ve been in a passive state with legacy systems in place and past decades’ stuff in use, but not for long. SaaS is spreading fast and bringing all the modern technologies together: automation, data transparency, integrations, collaboration, and modern ways of thinking. The necessary future for many applications is readily available today.

2025-2030 AI, and the era of reuse

The Digitalized…

We’re on the brink of revolution. The competitive edge derived from great customer experience, circular business models, and business efficiency is driving rapid change. Instead of developments taking decades or halfs, we’ll likely see each year bringing unimaginable advancements in digitalization. Growth will now be generated through AI-catalysed research and development collaboration, and resources will be used more sparingly.

Singularity is around the corner and has happened already with some work-related tasks. Real digitalisation is here and it’s thrilling.

Big masses are on the move already and the change will be so quick, most of the current inhouse systems won’t be able to make it through. To accommodate rapid development and the bright future ahead, even the last samurai wielding their swords need to be equipped with modern tools.

…Re-volution
Reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, recycle and other re-words will mean business. It will become mainstream as it already is in some parts of the world. There’s an ever-growing pressure to put more effort into the circularity of everything.

Previously known as the “necessary evil” after-sales business will bypass new sales in revenue and become the winner. There are vast business opportunities after manufacturing and selling devices for the first time, reaching trillions of dollars’ worth per annum. The demand for 2nd over 1st hand devices is likely at 30-40% already in some regions, from consumers, corporations, and the public domain.

Professionals in the after-sales space have a golden opportunity, but it’s also the 11th hour to seize it, as the consumer electronics world is being turned upside down. We are here to win together, to embrace the Magic of Many.

That future is for us.

Note: Most images in this article are AI-generated. By the end of next year, you won’t be able to tell the difference.