Being innovative to stay always a step ahead of your competitors

“You can’t solve a problem on the same level that it was created. You have to rise above it to the next level.” 

This well-known quote by Albert Einstein captures a key concept for anyone wanting to gain a firm footing on today's ever-changing and competitive market that can be summed up as:

• the need to offer products of ever higher quality, while maintaining or increasing profit margins;
• the need to provide answers to the new needs of customers;
• the need to vary production by exploring new application areas.

After all, most companies face these challenges every day.

The quote can help us focus these problems and challenges – that can also be turned into opportunities – into one simple question: How can I take my company to the next level?

One of the best answers is: By innovating!

Innovation pays off

A company that innovates can be more competitive on the market and also gain access to new sectors. It’s not just a matter of offering new products to customers but also supplying products with the same function that are better than the current ones. Remember, you need to innovate, but so do your customers.

Innovating also means offering better and faster services, being more efficient and being able to become a reference for your customers who – just like us all – do not want to waste time. They demand quick turnaround on quotes. They ask for solutions, not setbacks. They want to be able to rely on someone who invests in innovation, so they are always receiving the best. 

Also, consider that innovation is not only the research and development of new products and/or services. It is a process that embraces a company full circle. Innovating implies training employees to be motivated and to work smarter with goal of making your business grow. This can be achieved by choosing technologies that can simplify jobs and increase efficiency.

Technological innovation gives impetus to the creation of new solutions, as in the case of the latest generation of constructions

How to be innovative in manufacturing

Everyone is different and similarly every company is special and develops a particular way of working, doing business and – above all – innovating. There are no fixed rules, but you need to ask yourself some questions and always keep an open mind.

The creation of a new solution is conditioned by two main factors:

• The emergence of a practical need from users.
  For instance, the introduction of steel into construction. The need to create lighter, taller structures has promoted the use of new types of joints and steel solutions. So, being mindful of current and potential market needs is essential.
• The use of new technology.
  Today's technologies allow us to achieve results that were unthinkable only a few decades ago. Some of the companies that today are successful worldwide owe it above all to having been able to use new solutions. This doesn’t only mean creating products that offer something new using new technology, but also equipping yourself with machines that allow you to make a qualitative leap in manufacturing.

The introduction of steel in the construction field has given a strong boost to innovation in the buildings sector.

2. What new technologies should I buy?

Introducing new technologies means being able to gain efficiency, production quality, productivity and more. It also allows you to create new products with which you can revolutionize the mark. 

• Just think about the advent of fiber laser, for instance, and the many advantages it brought to users, including virtually zero maintenance, lower energy consumption for the same power output, durability, compactness, possibility to cut high-reflective materials such as copper, aluminum and stainless steel alloys, and more. With fiber technology, there are no moving parts or mirrors making it easier to set-up and guide the laser beam. This made it possible to make laser cutting systems of ever larger dimensions and with many degrees of freedom, fostering the transition from laser cutting of sheets to tubes and all three-dimensional parts to create an entirely new variety of mechanical parts.
• Let's consider the world of construction, where over the past few decades builders have realized that reinforced concrete, the go-to building material since the mid-20th century, has become increasingly expensive in terms of maintenance, disposal and soil consumption. An alternative emerged from architecture. Structures are being designed and made entirely of steel, ushering a revolution in building. Steel structures are much lighter and 100% recyclable..

The introduction of fiber laser technology has enabled the development of increasingly advanced laser cutting systems.

3. Do I need a technology partner?

If you’re looking to enter new markets, embrace technology as it is your ally. Finding a technology partner is an important step.

Develop a synergy with a reputable machine tool partner that continually advances its technologies. Not only will you benefit from their experience and expertise, your business will be rewarded with improved productivity, lower operating costs, and better product quality, giving you an edge over your competition.

Technology allows you to think differently about how you manufacture. It brings innovation and new capabilities to your fabrication processes and lets you focus on growing your business and entering new market segments.

Look at your time, something is about to change…

Until the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, athletes usually did the high jump by keeping their body parallel to the bar using a technique known as the Western Roll but something was about to change...

In those Games, an unknown athlete named Dick Fosbury sprinted towards the bar set at the height which was the then world record (7 feet and 4.25 inches).

Instead of turning his body towards the bar, Dick turned his back to it and cleared it in what is still today the customary high jump style called the Fosbury flop.

Be Dick Fosbury, change the way you think about manufacturing to achieve new heights.