"For manufacturing to contribute positively to the economy, companies needed to be globally competitive. To achieve competitiveness would also require forward-thinking that gave consideration to technological advancements and global trends, and not only the immediate needs of the enterprise and current demand in the economy." Deloitte Africa manufacturing leader Karthi Pillay
Companies such as CPS Technologies, manufacturer of indoor and outdoor server cabinet and racks, have heeded the call and done exactly that. They have used technological advancements in their manufacturing process to stay ahead of global trends.
Humble beginnings to leading manufacturer
CPS Technologies was founded as a sheet metal fabrication company, by a team with over 50 years' combined industry experience, in 2008. The business grew in leaps and bounds and is now one of South Africa's leading server cabinet and server rack manufacturers. The company started out in a single unit in Kyalami and quickly expanded to four units in Midrand as demand grew. The company now owns an entire block in Midrand (CPS House), with plans for further expansion.
According to CEO, Carlos Vizcarra: "Our server cabinets and server racks are now being exported and in demand because of the favourable exchange rate for buyers as well as the exceptional quality. Locally, we work with some of the largest manufacturers in various industries, including the automotive sector, IT and mining. We have manufactured premium quality server enclosures and accessories for the likes of Mustek, Rectron and Eurobyte Technology. Companies our products go to include MTN, Eskom, Telkom, Vodacom, Jasco, Ford SA and others, either directly or indirectly."
Keys to success
Strong research and development pedigree
"The key factor that has driven our success is our ability to listen to the customers," observes director Reg Lane. "From design through to pricing strategy - we listen to the customer. Our research and development team works closely with leading IT distributors, and we design solutions that solve problems for the entire market, locally and globally."
Some products that have come from listening to the customer include:
The Atlas Range of Server Cabinets for Bulk Blade Servers: Most standard cabinets are designed to handle a weight of up to about 600kgs. However, servers such as the Bulk Blade series require cabinets that can handle over 1 tonne of weight. However, this presents challenges such as mobility, access, power, etc. We took a market problem and designed a solution that is now part of our offering for heavy duty servers, and they are extremely popular with our distributors.
Extra cooling server cabinets: Another example of innovation is server cabinets designed with extra airflow that complement existing cooling systems. These are good for environments that are not necessarily custom cooled. Again, there was nothing on the market that quite met the needs of the customers, so we designed and built the solution they asked for.
Customised low profile castor wheels: Castor wheels that are high off the ground can be clumsy and unsafe. A low profile design puts wheels under cabinets discreetly, without affecting storage space.
Flat pack design concept by CPS Technologies: Our uniquely designed flat pack server cabinets mean you can collapse server cabinets into a flat box to ship and store many more units in the same amount of space than standard server cabinets on the market today.
Looking beyond borders
Innovation has been the key to the success for CPS Technologies. Simply starting by listening to the customers' needs, from design to pricing, has grown CPS Technologies in spite of a decline in the manufacturing sector. "The next big call is for increased trade between African countries and export to the global community," says Vizcarra.
"The rest of Africa has already emerged as a 'bright spot' for manufacturing, with Africa having surpassed the European Union as the largest market for South African manufactured products in 2012," according to Engineering News.
Vizcarra concludes: "Once again, we pay attention to the customers' needs and work to give them exactly what they need locally, continent-wide and globally. We are already making strong inroads into the global markets because our products are superior, and this is because we stay on the cutting-edge of technological advancements."
If all manufacturers think innovatively and use technology to produce superior, cost-effective products, this might just be one of the keys to move the South African manufacturing sector to lofty heights globally.
Contact Carlos Vizcarra and our sales team on: +27 11 312 9310 or e-mail: sales@cps-africa.com.
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