Allianz Industry 4.0 Award: “Digital Inventory Services” integrates 3D printing into the supply chain

For the joint development of the SaaS platform “Digital Inventory Services” (DIS), generic.de software technologies AG and IMS Verbindungstechnik GmbH & Co. KG have been honored with the Allianz Industrie 4.0 Award Baden-Württemberg. The award ceremony took place on November 5 at the SpardaWelt Eventcenter in Stuttgart. DIS originates from a concept by the Würth Additive Group, whose teams from digital manufacturing and industrial sales defined the need for distributable, quality-assured parts provisioning.

Technically, DIS sees itself as a bridge between digital design and physical production in the additive environment. The platform manages approved 3D models, links them with process parameters, and makes them available to authorized manufacturing partners on demand. Integrated quality assurance, end-to-end traceability, and data-protection functions are embedded in every process step so that parts can be produced close to the point of use and as needed without undermining certifiability requirements. In doing so, DIS addresses typical hurdles to scaling AM, such as version control, process conformity, and evidencing compliance to auditors.

generic.de was responsible for concept, architecture, development, and user experience, bringing cloud, IoT, and UX expertise to implement Würth’s requirements for inventory management and digital approval processes. IMS integrated the solution into existing systems of the Würth Group and validated workflows under real production conditions.

“With Digital Inventory Services, together with the Würth Additive Group and IMS, we have created a solution that takes digital inventory management to a new level—secure, transparent, and scalable. This award shows that the combination of industrial expertise, agile software development, and technological foresight can make a real difference,” commented Sebastian Betzin, CTO, generic.de.

Digital inventory combined with additive manufacturing promises shorter delivery routes, lower residual stocks, and better supply in cases of obsolescence. Beyond cybersecurity and IP protection, the robust qualification of distributed manufacturers remains crucial. With DIS, a building block is provided to standardize the release of AM parts and integrate them into supply-chain IT. The award signals that such platforms have arrived in industry and can now gain broader adoption.