KM.ON, the Karl Mayer Group’s software specialist, has acquired fellow German firm Digitale Strickmanufaktur (Digital Knitting Factory), the developer of digital technology that connects retailers with producers via the cloud. KM.ON offers a range of digital solutions to improve the customer experience across the knitting sector, reduce complexity in its customers’ day-to-day business and ultimately make their business more profitable.
The potential and capacities have now been significantly expanded with the recent acquisition of the cloud technology developed by Digitale Strickmanufaktur, expanding its portfolio of cloud solutions for textiles.
The team from the Krefeld-based start-up has also been integrated into the KM.ON team. Together, they will continue to launch innovative textile solutions. “We are very pleased that our technology has been taken over by the Karl Mayer Group and can thus be made available to a very large customer base even faster in the future. Our solution fits in very well with KM.ON’s approach of offering new solutions on the market via the cloud,” said Christian Zarbl from Digitale Strickmanufaktur.
With the newly acquired cloud solutions, flat knitting machines from Stoll can be networked with the cloud. Customers can therefore take advantage of further digital offerings, for example to transfer their individualized products directly to the machine and produce them without any administrative effort. This eliminates the need to manually individualize the knitting file.
The cloud solution developed can also play a role in industrial-style on-demand manufacturing in the future. More and more products are being ordered directly via online stores, e.g. from major brands or sporting goods manufacturers. With cloud technology, the order can be routed directly to connected production facilities and the goods manufactured and shipped to the customer without detours. This saves on warehousing costs and reduces cost-intensive markdowns.
In addition, there are fewer climate-damaging emissions because the product can be transported directly from the producer to the buyer. The latest acquisition enables KM.ON to make the most of opportunities arising from future scenarios such as these.
“By acquiring the cloud solution of Digitale Strickmanufaktur, we are ensuring that we are prepared for significant future topics such as on-demand manufacturing, mass customization and automated regional production,” added Max Kürig, CEO of KM.ON.