Antwerp-based company Flux is finding success with its software that helps furniture stores and woodworking businesses manage their entire production chain, from design to manual. “If a customer can choose local custom work that only costs a little more than a mass-produced product, they will do it.”
Nobody is more eager to pimp their kitchen than a Belgian, and Germans like a separate sitting area in their built-in cabinet. Since entrepreneur Stijn De Witte has focused his tech company Flux on the furniture sector, he has learned a lot about the interior preferences of Europeans.
But these different customers also have things in common: they want to know as quickly as possible what their custom-made furniture or woodwork will look like and what it will cost. Nobody wants to spend half a day in a showroom only to receive a quote that is far too expensive a few days later.
The Antwerp-based company Flux is capitalizing on this trend with 3D Config, a configurator that allows customers to design detailed, three-dimensional furniture or wooden constructions online and immediately see the price. That information can be sent directly to the production department, where it is linked to ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) software to streamline business processes, as well as to design and production software.
“Thanks to this vertical integration, production can be started from home, and companies can avoid bottlenecks,” says De Witte. “For custom-made projects, furniture makers often have to hire a technical draftsman, but there is a shortage of them. At the same time, we see that many people choose traditional designs. With our technology, producers can process 80 percent of customer requests, so they can use their technical draftsmen for more special projects that yield higher margins.”
With the 3D Config software, furniture makers and woodworking companies can, in principle, digitize and manage their entire production chain, De Witte is confident. Producers can even use the technology to create simple digital manuals for custom furniture.
According to De Witte, this can not only help local companies work on a larger scale, but also compete with giants like IKEA or Chinese competitors. “If a customer has the choice between a standard IKEA cabinet for 2,000 euros or a higher-quality custom local piece that costs 500 euros more, they will be inclined to choose the latter.”
Interest from Italy
Companies can also use the technology to quickly launch new production lines on a large scale, De Witte continues. “Among other things, we have a Dutch customer who was able to successfully launch a new range of chairs in one year. The Antwerp timber trade Martens Hout uses our technology for its subsidiary I Love Maatkasten and for business customers who buy materials from them.”
Major names are also showing more interest. DIY chains Brico and Hubo use Flux’s software to allow customers to order exterior doors online. “At the same time, we are taking our first steps abroad with projects in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy.” Now that the company is gaining ground, De Witte is aiming for a turnover of 2 million euros this year, a third more than last year. The Flux team consists of about twenty people.
De Witte does not want to raise external capital yet. “I want to be careful about the ‘shiny object syndrome,’ where, as an entrepreneur, you get distracted by new opportunities and thus lose sight of your original goal. We have a clear long-term vision and sufficient capital to expand.”
“Our independence allows us to realize the revolution that is coming thanks to AI and robotics for the manufacturing industry, together with our customers, without investors pressuring us to achieve maximum return as quickly as possible.”
