Demanding consumers, increasing costs, tighter delivery deadlines...
Demanding consumers, increasing costs, tighter delivery deadlines and calls for more customized designs are all making it harder for manufacturers to remain profitable while still producing high-quality pieces of furniture.
One key way to streamline their processes and meet these challenges is through adopting automated technology, like virtual prototyping or CNC cutting machines.
As such, it’s no surprise that 47% of upholstered furniture manufacturers say they want to use more technology than they currently are. This certainly seems to be backed up by their current spending plans, as over 70% say they have a medium or high propensity to invest in it over the next few years.
These are some of the findings from a recent study, Researching the Global Upholstered Furniture Manufacturing Industry. For the survey, the Centre for Industrial Studies (CSIL) questioned leading upholstered furniture manufacturers in Europe, Asia and North America to determine their key challenges and what they’re doing to combat them. The report also shows how manufacturers view the use of technology in manufacturing, what part it plays in their business, and what they’re planning on investing in.
With virtual prototyping, designers can determine design feasibility much earlier in the process and reduce the number of physical prototypes they need to produce. This can help to significantly reduce costs, improve time to market, and it also makes creating customized furniture a more viable option.
Similarly, by using CNC cutting machinery, manufacturers can avoid costly errors, reduce non-quality costs and optimize fabric use from the start. This all helps to streamline production, improve margins and increase profitability, while maintaining quality.