sustainable manufacturing

What is SIMa – Sustainable Intelligent Manufacturing

Intelligent and sustainable manufacturing is what we do in our business. We have grown fast since we launched our SIMa concept in 2015. Is it all about creating added value for end-customers or just an additional cost? 

The answer is clear; sustainable intelligent manufacturing is the best solution for any business and its customers. Most of all, it is cost-effective. We have talked about the results of our concept at Subcontracting Fair 2019 with one of our long-term customer ISKU and their Procurement Manager Erkki Häkkinen. You can watch it here (in Finnish).

Practical product development in cooperation with suppliers from the beginning

Product design and development has a significant role in business, and that is the reason why suppliers should be taken on board as earliest as possible. Suppliers have their special expertise and knowledge that may not occur inside a company – as companies should have their main focus on their own core business and expertise.

It is much easier to stay on schedule when a supplier understands the purpose or a final product where components will be attached. Whenever there is information not available for all parties, it is more likely to spend time and money on useless prototypes, low volume productions and their airfreights.

Cooperation with a supplier from the very beginning provides the most optimal solutions and suitable manufacturing methods to start with right away. For example, sometimes it is better to change machining to casting, to reduce production waste and gain more cost-effective and durable products.

Durability, lifecycle and recyclability of a product into an active consideration

Chosen materials have a huge impact on the lifecycle of a product. Longer lifecycle is reasonable from many perspectives. End-users appreciate high quality and durability, thus offering a longer warranty can be a great a competitive advantage in the market. The downside should be also considered, repairs increase costs and lower customer satisfaction.

Durable products can be officially tested, and these test results can be used to influence customers’ final decisions. Also, so-called evergreen collections and products support brand development and are more predictable than seasonal products. For example, IKEA is well-known for its evergreen collections and product families.

Providing long lifecycles for products is a challenge that many companies go under nowadays. Although, the final responsibility is always on business when a product comes to its last phase and is supposed to be disposed. It is crucial that products can be easily separated on different materials and recycled properly. In some cases, the recycled parts can be used for new special products. For example, stainless steel is a great option for materials. Even though its price is not the cheapest – its recyclability and long lifecycle will be worth it.

Material and manufacturing options - benefits of existing production capacity

Global production capacity is almost unlimited for all materials regardless if it is about traditional or modern material or manufacturing method (for example, 3D printing). These days lots of investments on manufacturing methods are made, but not utilized with full capacity. Sustainability decreases when capacity usage is not optimized, and unsuitable manufacturing methods are chosen.

Best results occur when focus on own expertise is combined with specialized partners. We provide these results as one partner by using our wide network of other experts and specialized factories.

Reasonable and sustainable packing without plastic

Overpacking is an issue that is not brought up enough. Excessive use of plastic causes severe issues for health and the environment. Using plastic as a packing material is not always justifiable and results sometimes from supplier’s lack of understanding of the purpose of components. Plastic packaging increases the need for resources in a production line and waste management.

Through our No Plastic 2020 development program, we have introduced a new way of packaging that you can read more about here. Non-plastic way of packaging considers the safety of products with entailing cost savings. Less plastic equals to more strategic approach on business, as well, better image for end-customers.

Do consumers require sustainability and should your business react to that?

Sustainability is more and more important for consumers, and they want answers how to for example goods are manufactured. Sustainability is already a crucial factor when it comes to sales. It is a requirement for some B2B customers to even ask for a quotation, not to mention final decisions. Despite the demands on the market, sustainable intelligent manufacturing is anyhow the most cost-effective and smart way of doing to grow your business in the future.

Sustainable manufacturing is the future and that is why we have also joined Sustainable Manufacturing Finland program by Business Finland.

 

Contact us for more!

B2B Sales – Antti Siiskonen – antti.siiskonen@tietoset.fi – +358 40 532 9219

Read more about us here!

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