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> * There are lots of industrial products which need heavy customization. Offer on-line ordering tools for such products as a service to industrial sellers. Yu

by DevX101 11y ago

> * There are lots of industrial products which need heavy customization. Offer on-line ordering tools for such products as a service to industrial sellers. Yup. This definitely should have started out as a B2B play. Industry will pay an arm and a leg for customization for lots of random parts. Use the cash to build the foundation of the biz then go after the finicky consumer market later.

Animats 11y ago
Yes, and there's a business model. There are industrial companies that are good at making things, but not so good at making web interfaces for ordering complex products. So there's a niche for an online service. There are lots of things a good online service could do that few industrial companies now offer. Consider: * proper cross-checking of compatibility of items ordered * generate image of finished product * on-line generation of installation drawing/CAD file, including mounting holes and electrical connections. Let users play with the options. Huge win for designers - "If we add option B, will it fit?" This, in fact, is the big win - let users try your options and see what works for them. * generate manufacturing data in format the seller's production system can use * provide cross-company integration. If you need something that requires parts from several companies, and they're often used together, give the user help in getting everybody going in the same direction. Most industrial sites have a big parts list and a "call for details" phone number. Getting all the right pieces together is hard. The automation level in this space is low, except for a few big companies.
discreteevent 11y ago
In Germany at least there is a big initiative backed government. See industry 4.0 and mass customization. They see it as the next thing that will give then a competitive edge
discreteevent 11y ago
In Germany at least there is a big initiative backed government. See industry 4.0 and mass customization. They see it as the next thing that will give then a competitive edge

by DevX101 11y ago

Animats 11y ago

Yes, and there's a business model. There are industrial companies that are good at making things, but not so good at making web interfaces for ordering complex products. So there's a niche for an online service. There are lots of things a good online service could do that few industrial companies now offer. Consider: * proper cross-checking of compatibility of items ordered * generate image of finished product * on-line generation of installation drawing/CAD file, including mounting holes and electrical connections. Let users play with the options. Huge win for designers - "If we add option B, will it fit?" This, in fact, is the big win - let users try your options and see what works for them. * generate manufacturing data in format the seller's production system can use * provide cross-company integration. If you need something that requires parts from several companies, and they're often used together, give the user help in getting everybody going in the same direction. Most industrial sites have a big parts list and a "call for details" phone number. Getting all the right pieces together is hard. The automation level in this space is low, except for a few big companies.

discreteevent 11y ago

In Germany at least there is a big initiative backed government. See industry 4.0 and mass customization. They see it as the next thing that will give then a competitive edge

discreteevent 11y ago

In Germany at least there is a big initiative backed government. See industry 4.0 and mass customization. They see it as the next thing that will give then a competitive edge