Welcome to the 6th edition of our KREATIZE newsletter: Cloud Manufactured!🗞 In this issue, we focus on the following topics.
Market Overview
Manufacturing showed growth but slowed again due to the various supply-chain issues. We will look into new factory operations in Europe, how the chip shortage continues to haunt the automotive industry, and how Africa is becoming a continent where European carmakers are increasing their operations.
KREATIZE World
This month we show you how KREATIZE kills black-box pricing. We also look back at our highly successful Launchpad IV, and revisit our comprehensive whitepaper on cloud manufacturing.
Innovator Of The Month
The company we’re featuring this month has received millions in funding and seeks to expand throughout Europe after success in its home market: Romania.
KREATIZE Product
KREATIZE deployed new features designed to make our customers' and partners’ experience with KMS and Kaktus systems even better. Our top-notch security systems also received further enhancements.
Our Second Playbook
We introduce our second playbook, which illustrates how cloud manufacturing reduces procurement costs for hardware businesses. This guide is an in-depth and yet digestible content piece that illustrates the cost reduction of our plug-and-play cloud manufacturing technology.
Fun Stuff
Read to the end for the fun stuff that won’t disappoint! This month we’re featuring the manufacturing process for two very different, but common objects. Two objects that you probably use or at the very least see every day.
Let’s build! 🛠⚙️📦
MARKET OVERVIEW
Some key points and fresh news to help you better assess the state of the manufacturing industry. ⚙️🔩
🏭 Manufacturing in Europe 📊
Global supply-chain issues remain a problem for business activity in the eurozone. Growth slowed to a six-month low due to large order backlogs in factories, increasing congestion at ports, and general shortages. The IHS Markit composite purchasing managers’ index, which is an average for eurozone manufacturing and services, remained above the 50 mark signaling growth, but fell to 54.3 in October, from 56.2 in September, according to the Financial Times. The drop was larger than economists expected and is a sign that the rebound that came about after the loosening of corona restrictions is losing steam due to supply bottlenecks.
Foxconn announced that it's looking to produce electric vehicles in Europe, India, and Latin America during a business forum in Taipei this past October, reported the Financial Times. Liu Young-way, Chair of the Board for Foxconn shared this insight in a meeting with reporters but did not give a lot of details or a timeline. Simply stating that Europe is foreseen to be the first to see production, followed by India and Latin America. Young-way also mentioned “indirect” cooperation with German car manufacturers but did not provide any details for this statement, according to Reuters.
Weber Barbecues - a leading U.S based company in the outdoor cooking products and technology space - has opened a new manufacturing and distribution center in Poland, according to Manufacturing Global. The new facility is expected to shorten delivery times, allow for better production reactivity, as well as reduce its environmental footprint in transportation. The factory in Poland will manufacture high-quality barbeques in its 50,000 square meter building, reported Manufacturing Global.
The head of Europe’s auto association warned that the continent’s carmakers must reduce their reliance on Asia for semiconductors or face future factory shutdowns again, reported the Financial Times. Large European carmakers, such as BMW, Volkswagen and Renault are among the many that have been forced to halt plants due to stiff competition for chips. Sales for cars in Europe dropped by 23 percent in September (their lowest level since 1995) as carmakers could not meet demand due to chip shortages, according to the Financial Times.
The European car industry is becoming more involved in Africa from both a production and a consumer market standpoint, reports DW. Places like Morocco are becoming an emerging automotive manufacturing hub, and players with a history in the sector like South Africa are strengthening their position. Multinational vehicle manufacturers have also begun to set up production plants in countries like Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, and Nigeria, among others according to DW.
Find out what we're working at KREATIZE on as we take cloud manufacturing from the fringes to the mainstream! 👨🚀🚀
How KREATIZE Kills Black-Box Pricing For Custom Parts
One of the many benefits of working with KREATIZE is our clear price calculations for every part ordered. We are challenging the lack of transparency in the custom parts market by offering a solution that annihilates black box pricing with open-book-calculations.
The 4th edition of our Launchpad series concluded with yet another record number of attendees! The theme of the event was, “Learn From The Champions!” This title was a nod to the racing tradition of motor vehicle companies, but also to the very real race to innovate that is taking place across the industry.
Dive into our whitepaper for the first time, or again, to get an in-depth understanding of cloud manufacturing. Read it to get an overview of this game-changing technology, and find out how it will change the way hardware businesses operate in the future.
Bob Concierge, is a Bucharest-based company that has built a smart system of automated tech units that provide quick meals, groceries, goods, and services to individuals within residential complexes and office buildings. It brings automatic mini-shops, with food and drinks, and an online platform, Uncle Bob, which offers essential products and a range of home services that can be ordered. The automated units also feature delivery compartments that allow couriers to drop off or pick up packages, as well as special dry cleaning compartments where users can leave their laundry for pick up.
How are they doing? 💪
Bob Concierge has received an investment of 6 million euros from the NYC-based fund NCH Capital. This new round brings the total investments in Bob Concierge to over 11 million euros, according to Business Review. Bob Concierge currently has a network of 64 devices in Romania and is in the process of installing another 100.
What are their plans? 🌍
The new funding will be used by Bob Concierge to further strengthen its network of machines within Romania, and for international expansion. In the coming years, Bob Concierge aims to have a network of 5,000 units in Romania and a whopping 50,000 in Europe. They plan to also further innovate their product and become a major player within Romania and Europe, according to Business Review.
We’d like to introduce new product features which improve our service offering. These upgrades strengthen our transparent, and quality-driven approach to cloud manufacturing. ⚙️📊
What Are These New Features?
For Customers:
KMS users now benefit from consistent naming for file downloads. The name will be based on the parts name, and respective file ending. Our KMS system has also undergone a security upgrade.
Key Benefit :
The consistent naming conventions will allow KMS users to better track their parts and provide them with a better user experience. The additional security features are also ensuring that our already safe system is even stronger
For Partners:
Our partners now benefit from better material name visibility in Kaktus. In order to make it easier for our manufacturing partners to know the material required for parts, all material names are going to be displayed on our suppliers portal. Consistent naming for file downloads has also been introduced, which will also be based on the parts name, and respective file ending. Our Kaktus system has also undergone an upgrade as far as its security features.
Key Benefit:
Our partners now have a better user experience as a result of the enhanced naming features. With our security enhancements, they can also enjoy an even safer experience with our system.
We would like to invite you to download our whitepaper: “Cloud Manufacturing: A Simple Strategy For Reducing Procurement Costs”
What is it about?
It is a detailed look at how cloud manufacturing reduces procurement costs for hardware companies. The playbook is also a step-by-step guide that illustrates how we at KREATIZE are able to shave off the procurement expenses of our clients through our plug-and-play cloud manufacturing network, plus services.
Download the playbook to learn:
Why cloud manufacturing is a driver for procurement
How KREATIZE achieves the cost savings
How easy it is to incorporate cloud manufacturing into your procurement processes and decrease your costs
Here is some content that showcases the beauty and fun of making things. 🤹
💷 Money 💵
Money is made through work and innovation. Of course, it is also literally made in a factory. Take a look at this cool video showcasing how it is made.
The wheel is a common early example of how technology can make life easier, and radically change things for humans. Find out how this useful tool is made in this fun video.