Digital procurement solutions accelerate hardware SMEs

The global economy has become increasingly competitive, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the hardware industry face a unique set of challenges in bringing new products to market. These challenges include access to manufacturing resources, cost-effectiveness, and speed to market. Our on-demand manufacturing platform has emerged as a key solution to these challenges, providing SMEs with the resources they need to compete in the marketplace.

Small businesses are the driving force behind innovation, and on-demand manufacturing platforms play a crucial role in enabling these businesses to succeed. Small businesses are able to move quickly and adapt to changing market conditions, think outside the box and build strong relationships with their customers. With the help of InstaWerk, they can quickly and cost-effectively produce prototypes, bring new products to market, and scale their businesses now. In this article, we explore the reasons why small businesses are the true drivers of innovation, and how on-demand manufacturing platforms are supporting these businesses in their quest for growth and competitiveness.

The situation has not changed for the better for tech startups either. As investors increasingly focus on capital efficiency and profitability, VC-funded startups also have to face the same challenges as mid-sized companies. Bootstrapped startups have always been aware of these hurdles anyway.

Innovation is critical for the success of any business, but small businesses face unique challenges when it comes to bringing new products to market. These businesses may lack the resources of larger companies, and they often face obstacles when trying to access manufacturing and supply chain resources. However, the Corona crisis has significantly reduced SMEs’ innovation capacity due to higher financial and structural burdens. This development is part of a trend since the early 2000s, since which SMEs have increasingly lost their innovative power. So it is time to catch up again!

InstaWerk is changing the game by providing small businesses with access to affordable and flexible manufacturing services to boost their innovation potential. We offer convenient and resilient access to over 3,000 CNC machines around the world through our on-demand platform. By focusing on turned and milled parts, InstaWerk provides an advantage particularly in industries where precision and quality are demanded at competitive costs. In recent years, we have been able to support small companies in the robotics, machine building, automation and general manufacturing industries on their journey to growth and successful products. Here are three ways, we are supporting SMEs on their core advantages:

1. Instant Quoting enables Agility and Speed for Hardware Companies

Small businesses are able to move quickly and adapt to changing market conditions. They are not bogged down by bureaucracy and can make decisions and implement changes quickly. On-demand manufacturing platforms enable small businesses to quickly produce prototypes and test new products, allowing them to move quickly from idea to production. Small businesses that use our on-demand manufacturing platform are able to launch new products up to four times faster than traditional manufacturing strategies like in-house manufacturing or traditional outsourcing.

In addition to quick decisions, SMEs place more trust in the hands of their employees and thus do not follow the example of large corporations that distribute responsibilities across several people and departments. As a result, developers from smaller companies can quickly and efficiently source their custom turned and milled parts through InstaWerk’s instant quoting platform. This reduces the time between development iterations and allows engineers spend more time on value creating tasks and developing better products.

2. The Power of our CNC-Manufacturing Network: Boosting Creativity and Resourcefulness

Small businesses are able to think outside of the box and come up with innovative solutions to problems. They are resourceful and can find ways to do more with less. Our on-demand manufacturing platform enables small businesses to produce custom parts and products without the need for in-house manufacturing, expensive tooling or minimum order quantities. This enables small businesses to create unique products that would not be feasible using traditional manufacturing methods. Small businesses report that our on-demand manufacturing platform allowed them to test new product designs more easily and affordably.

With InstaWerk’s manufacturing network, small business developers not only have resources available at all times to test their ideas and conduct market trials. Through digital order placement and instant quoting, small businesses can also rely on excellent terms that measure up to global cost levels. With order bundling, InstaWerk makes the purchasing power of corporations accessible to small businesses – at no extra cost or effort.

3. API based Mass-Customization: Customer Focus and Tailored Products

Small businesses are able to build strong relationships with their customers and understand their needs and preferences. They are able to tailor their products and services to meet those needs, which leads to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. On-demand manufacturing platforms enable small businesses to produce custom products and parts that meet the specific needs of their customers. Small businesses can use our on-demand manufacturing platform which enables them to produce products that were tailored to their customers’ needs.

Through the immediate quotation of turned parts and milled parts, these individually developed components can be ordered like catalog goods. Therefore, we also offer interfaces to ERP systems and other APIs for customers who want to automatically calculate and order individualized CNC parts. Through our online calculation, this process is transparent and traceable at any time.

Leveraging InstaWerk’s On-demand Manufacturing Platform for Competitive Advantage in Hardware SMEs

Small businesses are the driving force behind innovation, and as an on-demand manufacturing service provider, we are thrilled to play a critical role in enabling these businesses to succeed. Through their agility, creativity, and customer focus, small businesses are able to push boundaries and bring new products and services to market. provides small businesses with the resources they need to quickly and cost-effectively produce prototypes, bring new products to market, and scale their businesses. As the global economy becomes more competitive, it is essential that small businesses continue to play a leading role in driving innovation forward, and as an on-demand manufacturing platforms we will do all to make this happen.