(Production) company
Manufacturers continue to provide replacement or additional parts even after a product’s regular production run has ended. The supply of parts is typically ensured by aftermarket suppliers, who produce parts at significantly higher costs than during mass production, with long lead times and in moderate quantities. This results in negative consequences for the company in the after-sales sector.
If a component needs to be remanufactured, the process usually takes several weeks. Customers who are unable to use their products during this time develop a negative perception of the manufacturer. Once the parts are produced, the parts shipped by the spare parts supplier are repackaged—so they can be used individually—and stored.
The resulting additional costs and tied-up capital generate personnel and administrative expenses and reduce the company’s profitability. Our system for managing rapid manufacturing portfolios enables a continuous transition from batch-and-queue to single-piece production.
By continuously aligning requirements, drawing data, and specifications across existing systems, the entire portfolio of manufactured parts is captured, and their production requirements are aligned with current and future rapid manufacturing capabilities.
This is how our AI builds a constantly growing range of options for manufacturing parts using rapid manufacturing processes—at the right time, in the right quantity, and with the required quality—ideally locally, right where they’re needed. In practice, this means that buyers now have the option to order a single component when needed, rather than 5,000. Costs are transparent upfront, and orders are placed with a single click in the system.
There is no need for outer packaging, complex logistics chains, or warehousing. The fulfillment process for customers is reduced to the shortest possible timeframe, and costs are significantly lower than with a “traditional” spare parts supply system.