Data-driven model identifies the best manufacturer for the requirements – securely
How FACTUREE ensures data protection in digital procurement
Berlin, January 08, 2025 - Digitalization in procurement opens up new opportunities, but also brings challenges in terms of data protection. In the traditional procurement process, technical data is often forwarded to a large number of suppliers in order to obtain the best offers. This can lead to data being passed on without authorization or inadequately protected. For purchasers and engineers, protecting their intellectual property is essential. FACTUREE (www.facturee.de), a specialist in digital procurement, fully secures its customers' data and thus offers advantages over tenders, for example.
As an all-in-one solution, FACTUREE enables purchasers and engineers to procure all types of drawing parts quickly, reliably and in a timely manner from a single source. To this end, FACTUREE maintains an extensive production network of over 2,000 manufacturing partners from almost all sectors. FACTUREE uses data-based processes, AI and predictive methods to quickly and accurately find suitable manufacturing partners at the best price for customer inquiries. "In this context, it is particularly important that data is exchanged efficiently and securely. This is because sensitive information such as technical specifications must be comprehensively protected. In the absence of reliable protection, there is a risk of data misuse or the loss of intellectual property. FACTUREE therefore takes a consistent approach to ensuring data protection in digital procurement," explains Christopher Walzel, Co-Founder and CTO at FACTUREE.
Complete anonymization of customer data
FACTUREE implements extensive security measures. For example, the digital procurement specialist protects the intellectual property of its customers by anonymizing design drawings, among other things. "Our manufacturers cannot draw any conclusions about the customer placing the order. The manufacturing partners therefore do not know for whom a part is being manufactured, which significantly increases the security of customer data. This is more secure than a direct request from the customer themselves," explains Christopher Walzel. Furthermore, FACTUREE concludes strict non-disclosure agreements (NDA) with all customers and also contractually binds the entire network of manufacturing partners to these agreements. This ensures confidentiality and security along the entire supply chain.
AI-powered manufacturer selection significantly reduces data sharing
FACTUREE relies on artificial intelligence when selecting manufacturing partners. The AI analyzes the requirements for the components and specifically selects the best manufacturers. In contrast to traditional tenders, in which dozens of suppliers are contacted, FACTUREE selects in advance and only addresses the right players. Christopher Walzel says: "We use AI-based algorithms to determine the most suitable manufacturing partner for each inquiry - both in terms of quality and price. Our system takes into account numerous parameters such as material, geometry and finishing requirements. Our data-driven model significantly reduces the number of partners requested, often to just three. So there is no unnecessary sharing of data."
Digitalization and automation enhance data security
FACTUREE is also currently undergoing the certification process for ISO 27001, the globally recognized standard for information security management (ISMS). The standard aims to systematically protect sensitive information by assessing risks and minimizing them through appropriate measures. The standard also requires continuous monitoring and improvement of security processes to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. "Our digital approach to identifying the best vendors for the requirement and realistic and market-driven pricing only brings benefits. Less operational complexity in procurement, the best price-performance ratio and higher data integrity than with conventional approaches. In this way, we show that digitalization and automation do not come at the expense of data security - quite the opposite. And when they work together seamlessly, they create relief, increase efficiency and reduce costs," explains Christopher Walzel.
