RS launches design support and procurement hub
Following the challenges of the chip shortage, UK component distributor RS has launched a digital hub to help engineers and administrators find the parts they need and get support.
RS already has its DesignSpark platform for hobbyists and engineers with design tools, but RS Think Hub is instead aimed at professional engineers and procurement specialists to compare a wide range of components offered by multiple suppliers of electronic components.
“DesignSpark is the world’s largest online community for students, makers, start-ups, and professional design engineers from all walks of life. The platform promotes design resources that help members improve productivity and innovate responsibly. ThinkHub is targeted towards a professional community, providing tools and services to support industrial engineers. Underpinned by best-in-class product data it provides an enhanced experience that supports the engineer during product discovery and solution design,” said RS.
“Whilst each platform is targeted to a particular community, our vision is to provide a digital ecosystem that will support an end-to-end service for our customers, allowing them to move seamlessly between both platforms.”
RS says it has carried out extensive research to better understand, define and improve the digital experience for engineers, and to understand their pain points. Some of these include the time-consuming nature of product selection, with the need to contact multiple vendors; the usability of many online tools, where users can be either overwhelmed or frustrated by the complexity of these tools; and the issue of component and product data, which is often inaccurate or entirely absent.
Another issue faced by engineers, especially those in small-to-medium-sized enterprises, which can constitute anything from 30 to 50% of manufacturers’ sales volume, is suppliers who may focus their efforts and levels of technical support on their largest customers.
“RS Think Hub has been designed to address all of these pain points that are regularly experienced by engineers working across a variety of industrial applications,” said Subhas Patel, Senior Director Research and Development, Digital Innovation at RS. “Our mission is to make their lives easier by providing an advanced digital tool that delivers fast and easy access to a huge amount of accurate information, all in one place.”
There are two parts to the site, a product comparison tool, and a questions and information area. A major feature is the quick and simple comparison of products from multiple companies rather than just supplier-specific brands, while also providing the specification differences between products.
For example, the tool has thousands of proximity and photoelectric sensors available in the site’s multi-supplier database and shows the top 100 sensors best suited for an application. In addition to sensors, future key component categories will include contactors/breakers, relays, push buttons and switches, and test and measurement devices.
Engineers can also search for information about products, watch video tutorials, and find answers to product-related questions in the “What the Expert Says” section of the site. Or, if they have a specific product-related question, they can email it to an RS engineer and receive a reply within 48 weekday hours.
RS Think Hub is available now to engineers in the UK at https://rs-thinkhub.com/.
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