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The manufacturing industry is constantly facing disruptions in global supply chains due to various factors such as natural disasters, geopolitical tensions, and the ongoing pandemic. To survive in this industry, innovation is essential. Partfox™ is a solution that utilizes artificial intelligence to overcome these challenges. It is a crucial part of the Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS) revolution, connecting businesses with specialized manufacturing service providers. By harnessing the power of AI, Partfox™ offers innovative solutions that help navigate the unpredictable procurement landscape.
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In the midst of a technological revolution, the manufacturing industry finds itself undergoing a profound transformation. Collaborative models and cutting-edge technologies are fundamentally reshaping the way companies approach production. While Manufacturing as a Service (MaaS) initially claimed the spotlight, it is now evolving at a remarkable pace, driven by the relentless advancement of artificial intelligence (AI). This transformation arises from the industry's need to deliver more than just basic outsourcing; it aims to provide substantial value in an era defined by innovation.
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From researching manufacturers to streamlining the RFQ process, embracing clear communication, and prioritizing transparency and quality assurance: Find out how these practices can revolutionize your business development efforts. You are not sure, where and how to begin? Explore the innovative role of Partfox in helping buyers like you embrace these best practices and take your CNC sourcing and procurement to the next level.
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The CNC industry is at the forefront of embracing Industry 4.0, the fourth industrial revolution that encompasses advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and big data analytics. This transformative era is revolutionizing manufacturing processes and opening new avenues for CNC companies worldwide. In this article, we will delve into the significant advancements achieved by CNC companies through Industry 4.0, highlighting the global implementation of this paradigm shift. By the end, you will understand why investing in Industry 4.0, leveraging external digital tools, and establishing the right partnerships are essential for staying competitive in the CNC industry.
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Are you wondering how your CNC business can keep up with the fast-paced digital age? As technology continues to evolve, digitalization is becoming increasingly important in the CNC industry and procurement. It is now more crucial than ever to understand the power of digitalization and how it can help your business grow and thrive in a competitive marketplace.
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At Orderfox, we believe that our employees are our greatest asset, and we are committed to creating a work environment where our employees can thrive. Today, we are excited to share some ways we are working to make Orderfox a great place to work.
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The world is becoming increasingly interconnected, and AI technology is critical in connecting businesses with potential customers. One of the most significant developments in this regard is the ability to find new customers 24/7 and worldwide with few clicks. Traditional methods of advertising and networking can be time-consuming and costly.
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In recent years, we have observed an increasing tendency to return to local value creation. Increasingly more companies are opting for “glocalisation”, near sourcing and local sourcing, instead of going on a global sourcing tour. There are many reasons for this, for example, continuously rising transport costs, the uncertainties caused by Brexit, trade conflicts between the USA and China, the pandemic and, of course, the war in Ukraine. The demand for sustainable products and the possibilities of digital transformation also play a role.
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The National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) notes that 32% of small business leaders are reporting supply chain disruptions. Another report by Gartner reveals that 95% of senior business leaders are evaluating or executing plans to shift their China sourcing partners, thanks to the increased supply chain bottlenecks in the region.
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COVID-19, war in Ukraine, inflation: In 2022, supply chains around the world were under huge pressure. Operational risks and disruptions threatened several areas of a supply chain and had a very direct, far-reaching and global impact: on logistics, suppliers and the workforce. Additional pressure on supply chains stems from everyday challenges -– unexpected competition, sudden changes in market trends or rapid shifts in consumer buying behaviour. So it is more important than ever that supply chains are designed to withstand the challenges of today – and tomorrow.
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Pandemic, Ukraine war, inflation and exploding energy costs: everything can only get better in the new year 2023, right? Find out in this article what the CNC industry can expect in the coming year, what trends are emerging in manufacturing and how companies can address the challenges of the future.
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For Chief Procurement Officers, the current year was all about continuous crisis management. The war in Ukraine, huge price surges in the energy and commodity markets and galloping inflation have affected supply chains and caused unpredictable cost increases. For decision-makers in procurement, this meant maximum daily performance in order to maintain business operations, eliminate disruptions and keep costs under control. The outlook for the coming year 2023 is not bright either. Chief Procurement Officers are likely to expect ongoing supply chain tensions as well as volatile markets.
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Our team members make Orderfox a special, vibrant company. While having different backgrounds and personalities, every colleague has a passion for their field of work and our collective mission. This month, we talked to Andres Sahun, our Frontend Lead
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Companies in Germany are facing new legal challenges coming next year. In this article, you will find out whom the Supply Chain Act concerns and what action your company must now take.
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Remote access to production machines is increasingly becoming the focus of attention as digitisation progresses. Almost all manufacturers now offer service packages that enable remote access to their machines. While production companies benefit from significantly shorter response times in the event of malfunctions and lower costs for maintenance visits, new business models arise for machine manufacturers, which ideally lead to optimised, long-term customer retention. But in reality, not all that glitters is gold, even when it comes to remote services. Excessive implementation costs, disinterested end users or security concerns are just some of the pitfalls lurking for machine manufacturers.
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There is hardly any other occupational sector where more vacancies are currently being advertised than in the area of procurement. Digitalisation does not stop at procurement, but hardly any industry insiders assume that digital solutions will become a job destroyer. On the contrary: digitalisation will make the profession more diverse, more dynamic and more challenging. Salaries in strategic and operational purchasing are already over 45,000 euros a year for career starters, and with growing experience up to 90,000 euros are possible. Nevertheless, a dangerous trend is currently emerging. The supply chain is losing a disproportionately large number of qualified employees, especially at the lower levels. This article explains the reasons for the "talent exodus" and how companies can counteract it.
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A particularly good order situation in mechanical engineering is currently encountering global challenges that are causing problems for the industry – but also bring opportunities. We have taken a look around the current market for CNC machines and compiled the most important industry information for you in a concise form.
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Incorporating more diversity into your supplier base can deliver considerable benefits for your organisation, including increased innovation and improved quality. Numerous studies have shown that diverse suppliers produce superior results and improve the top and bottom line. But while the advantages are clear, it’s not always obvious to companies how they can start sourcing from diverse suppliers, especially if their current supplier base lacks diversity. Undertaking the development of a more diverse supply chain may seem like a formidable task but, if the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that it’s time to move from words to actions in achieving your organisation’s diversity objectives.
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The rise of Industry 4.0 has spawned a mini revolution of its own - Procurement 4.0. By harnessing the potential of cyber-physical systems, Procurement 4.0 is empowering Chief Procurement Officers and other supply chain professionals to leverage better data to their advantage. Enter Procurement 4.0.
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Climate change is impacting every populated region in the world, and it seems likely that the effects of climate change are only going to worsen in the future. In 2021 alone, the United States suffered 20 separate billion-dollar weather events, and Australia has seen a 16% decrease in rainfall since 1970. In considering the havoc that wildfires, floods, and freezes are wreaking on supply chains around the globe, it’s quite clear that doing nothing is no longer an option.
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Supply chain disruptions and bottlenecks have become an unpleasant fact of life for many businesses over the last few years. With no foreseeable end to these problems on the horizon, what can businesses do to ensure that their supply chains keep running efficiently? We take a look at some of the causes of supply chain bottlenecks and explore how businesses can implement technology to help navigate these unexpected disruptions
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The role of a Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) in most industries has been more fundamentally transformed over the last couple of years than almost any other leadership role. In fact, according to LinkedIn Economic Graph Research, Chief Procurement Officers are one of the fastest-growing C-suite hires with 15% growth in 2020. With this additional influence comes change, which begs the question: What does the role of the CPO look like, today and in the future?
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Digitalised manufacturing makes processes more transparent, workflows more efficient and supports companies in the continuous improvement of products. Digitalisation can reduce energy consumption, maintain supply chains in a stable manner even in difficult times, reduce unproductive downtime and relieve the workforce of time-consuming routine tasks. However, Industry 4.0 also makes manufacturing companies a target for cybercriminals.
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Workpieces weighing several tons and material costs per piece the equivalent to the value of a small car: In the field of heavyweight machining, everything is slightly larger; except for the tolerances because high-precision production in the hundredth or even thousandths of a millimetre range is the rule rather than the exception in modern large-part machining and heavy machining. More and more manufacturing companies are meeting the high customer demands with powerful multifunctional machines. Turning, milling, drilling and grinding in one set-up ensures significantly increased process reliability – and at the same time reduces unproductive set-up times.
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Maverick spending causes higher procurement and administrative costs, as well as a loss of control over spending and suppliers. In fact, it’s estimated that organisations lose on average 10-20% of their savings because of maverick spend. In addition, maverick spending makes achieving ESG goals harder and poses a major risk when it comes to legal standards. Here we look at what exactly maverick spending is, the reasons behind it, and how your organisation can tackle maverick spending through digital procurement.
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A new report by Gartner - Shockproof Your Supply Chain for the New Age of Disruption - states that CPOs are so busy focusing on putting out fires in the short term that they are missing the opportunity to build resilient supply chains that can not only survive but thrive in this new age of disruption. Over the last two years, as one crisis has segued into the next, CPOs have had little time to recover from any of them and, as a result, many “are confusing risk mitigation with resilience.”
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Medium-sized production plants are currently confronted with several challenges. A steadily growing cost pressure meets an increasing complexity in production, the quality requirements of the customers are increasing significantly and innovative competitors are already in the starting blocks on the international market. Added to the list of challenges is the acute shortage of skilled workers. There is a shortage of fitters, technicians, and machinists everywhere. The labour market has long been unable to meet the demand.
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When the media talk about Industry 4.0, smart factories and networked production lines, the focus is usually on international corporations. Yet, the "digital workshop" provides immense advantages, especially for small and medium-sized production plants. Simplified customer communication, streamlined processes in administration or spare parts warehouses "on demand" are just some of the competitive advantages that SMEs can achieve by transitioning to Industry 4.0
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When used correctly, digital procurement platforms can serve as a “single source of truth” for both clients and suppliers. In this blog post, we take a look at what transparency in procurement means, potential obstacles encountered in achieving this transparency and, of course, how to overcome them.
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The primary concern of many business leaders today is cutting costs without losing profitability. However, one area that is constantly overlooked in this respect is digital procurement.
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In today’s competitive markets, the efficiency and sustainability of a company’s supply chain can not only impact profit margins but can also have a profound effect on how the brand is perceived. Supply chain capabilities are developing rapidly and the majority of recent fundamental developments in this field have been technological. In order to survive – and thrive - keeping abreast of these improvements to transparency and efficiency is crucial.
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Even though classical sheet metal working strategies such as punching are still indispensable in sheet metal working – especially for larger order volumes – more and more sheet metal processors are also using focused laser beams to cut sheets. Laser technology is becoming increasingly relevant, especially in the area of prototype production or small to exceedingly small batch sizes. But where exactly can "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation" show its advantages – and why?
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The 3D printing industry stands for innovative spirit like hardly any other industry – and the past "Covid-19 years" have done nothing to change that. On the contrary: 2022 seems to be the year for 3D printing providers! New materials, the use of artificial intelligence and a recognizable democratization of printing processes: it is really difficult for us to filter out the top trends from the many innovations. As part of our innovation blog series, we have researched the market for you and summarized the most important news.
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Digitally networked manufacturing plants make almost autonomous production possible. In the context of Industry 4.0 and increasingly comprehensive digitalisation, machines, systems, operators and products communicate with each other in real time. This enables unprecedented flexibility in production - and significantly reduces unproductive, expensive non-productive time.
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The rapid development of prototypes will continue to ensure the competitiveness of companies in 2022. Additive manufacturing in particular - and also 3D printing - will bring a lot of speed to the development of new products this year. New synthetic resins and optimised printing processes are further trends this year that we would like to present to you in our innovation blog.
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Before the crisis is after the crisis: after the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine and new lockdowns in Shanghai are sending new shockwaves through the global supply chain. How can companies better position themselves for materials sourcing?
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Our team members make Orderfox a special, vibrant company. While having different backgrounds and personalities, every colleague has a passion for their field of work and our collective mission. This month, we talk to Mirali Hosseini, our Revenue Operations Specialist
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The machining of large and largest components will remain firmly in the hands of German SMEs in 2022. Even though the large parts processors had to accept significant losses in turnover in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, there are currently signs of a recovery on the market. The "classic" areas of application for the components – mechanical engineering and automotive – are currently being supplemented by increased demand in the field of renewable energies. As part of our blog series, this time we will be looking at the current trends and important innovations in the processing of large parts.
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For more than half a century, CNC controls have had a firm grip on the machining industry. Whether workshop-oriented programming directly at the machine or CAD/CAM applications: Modern manufacturing would be unthinkable without "computerised numerical control". Trends 2022 would also not be complete without an insight into current innovations with which the large and small control system manufacturers want to make production a little faster, more intuitive and, above all, more productive. In the context of our innovation blog, we have taken a closer look at the most important trends of the year.
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Procurement is an exceptionally complex process, involving a lot of paperwork, discussions, and analyses of bids - to name but a few tasks. As a result, it is an extremely time-consuming practice that can result in possible mistakes being made along the way. Fortunately, using technology has the potential to simplify the procurement function greatly and lead to increased efficiency, as well as time and cost savings for businesses. Here, in the first of our series of ebooks on the buyer benefits of digital supplier sourcing, we take a look at how this method of procurement can save you time.
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No machining without tools – nothing will change in 2022. However, the current year will usher in a whole range of innovations. Tool and clamping device manufacturers are confronted with new challenges – keyword electromobility. Another driver of innovation is the digital revolution in industry. The Internet of Things connects machines among and with each other, provides many terabytes of data per day and company, and ensures that tools are also becoming increasingly smarter. As part of our innovation blog, we scouted around the tool manufacturers and have summarised the most important trends of the year for you.
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The primary concern of many business leaders today is cutting costs without losing profitability. However, one area that is constantly overlooked in this respect is procurement. According to a new study by A.T. Kearney, procurement accounts for around 30% of a service company’s revenue and at least 50% of a manufacturing company’s revenue, representing both a sizable expense and a major opportunity to transform business performance. Still, even today, research shows that half of CFOs continue to view procurement as a mere admin function, and not one that could play a crucial role in achieving their business objectives. In addition, over 60% of businesses still run their procurement departments using pens, paper and Microsoft Office. Here we take a look at how your business can actively reduce costs by switching from manual to digital procurement.
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Our team members make Orderfox a special, vibrant company. While having different backgrounds and personalities, every colleague has a passion for their field of work and our collective mission. This month, we talk to Product Manager Andreja Torkar
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The metalworking industry will continue to be characterised by comprehensive digitisation in 2022. “Industry 4.0” is no longer just a buzzword, but it is fundamentally changing manufacturing strategies, production processes and even customer relationships. In the third part of our blog series on current technological innovations in metal working, read about the current technological trends in welding technology
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Our team members make Orderfox a special, vibrant company. While having different backgrounds and personalities, every colleague has a passion for their field of work and our collective mission. This month, we talk to Product designer Maic Fankhauser
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The vision of completely networked sheet metal production will also remain primarily a vision in 2022. Because in reality, the “smart factory” with its completely networked production processes, AI-supported manufacturing and a higher-level, intelligent manufacturing system is still being thwarted. This is because the vast majority of sheet metal manufacturers use different machines and different software – and from different years of manufacture.
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What is the minimum amount of maintenance work you need to do in order to keep your equipment in peak condition and avoid costly delays and breakdowns? The answer can be found by exploring predictive maintenance.
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“Sustainability” is a word that’s used a lot these days. But what exactly is sustainability and how does it relate to the metals industry? In this blog post, we attempt to define sustainability and take a look at some of the key issues the metals industry is facing, while identifying some possible solutions.
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The metalworking industry will continue to be characterised by comprehensive digitisation in 2022. “Industry 4.0” is no longer just a buzzword, but it is fundamentally changing manufacturing strategies, production processes and even customer relationships. Read about the current technological trends in injection moulding in the second part of our blog series on recent technological innovations in metalworking.
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The metalworking industry will continue to be characterised by comprehensive digitalisation in 2022. Industry 4.0″ has long since ceased to be just a buzzword, but is fundamentally changing manufacturing strategies, production processes and also customer relationships. To kick off our blog series on current technological innovations in metal processing, we have focused on CNC machining.
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