Today’s start-up manufacturers are born out of agile thinking. They identify the traditional processes that take up valuable time and money, and find ways to make them more efficient and effective. This can deliver multiple benefits, such as lower costs and better customer care.
An agile start-up can seize a major competitive advantage, and leapfrog legacy players by embracing new processes and technologies to gain a significant edge. Here’s how:
Meet regulations
Digital tech solutions are helping start-ups manage the recent surge in ‘right to repair’ laws being passed around the world. In response to environmental concerns, legislation has been passed in the UK which aims to end ‘planned obsolescence’ and compel manufacturers to provide repairers with access to spare parts and technical information by July 2023.
Providing detailed repair and maintenance manuals for every product will be a nightmare for any start-up that sticks to the traditional paper-based support approach. This headache can be avoided, however, by deploying a digital platform, like SamsonVT’s digital parts catalogue Partful.
This will provide customers with access to online parts information and instructions that are accompanied by interactive 3D models of their product – shown to help speed up repairs by up to 50%.
Support customers in the aftermarket
The end of planned obsolescence is also very likely to initiate an era of ‘manufacturing for maintainability’ – with there now being a need to design products in a way that makes it easier to maintain and repair them throughout their life span.
As a result of this change, part sales are likely to become an ever-more critical element of manufacturers’ revenues. This will inevitably require manufacturers to enhance customer support in the aftermarket.
Spare parts already contribute around one fifth of overall revenues for the average SME, but with products set to last longer, that income stream is set to grow. To protect and nurture this revenue stream, start-ups should be looking to provide their customers with a quick and easy parts purchasing portal.
With major change happening in the manufacturing industry, digital solutions offer agile start-ups an opportunity to gain an edge and leapfrog legacy players who will need to adapt before deploying newer practices. This is clearing a path for start-ups to seize the advantage and, in some cases, even overtake established brands.
For more information on digital parts catalogues and work instructions visit samsonvt.com
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