News & Blogs

UX in Manufacturing: Design for people, not just for machines

When we talk about UX, UI and design, attention often shifts quickly to aesthetics: attractive buttons, sleek colours and a modern look. But that is not what good design is really about. Good UX (User Experience) is about clarity and predictability. It is about systems that feel logical, even under time pressure or in challenging conditions. In manufacturing, where processes are often complex and mistakes can be costly, good UX design makes the difference between efficiency and frustration. The sector is digitalising at high speed and during such a transition it is crucial not to lose sight of people. New systems must align with the needs of their users. People are not machines; their needs differ from system requirements. Thoughtful UX design bridges this gap.

Emixa Wins Multiple Awards at Siemens EMEA Partner Summit 2026

During the Siemens EMEA Partner Summit (EPS) in Faro, Emixa was honored with an outstanding number of partner awards — the highest number of recognitions received during this year’s event. While these awards celebrate technology, innovation, and commercial success, they ultimately represent something even more important: the dedication and collaboration of our people across the Emixa Group. Across the multi-day event — and especially during the closing awards evening — our colleagues proudly represented Emixa on stage, accepting awards that reflect the strength of our partnership with Siemens and the impact we deliver to customers every day. Award Highlights We are proud to share that Emixa and its companies received the following recognitions: Nordic Cloud Partner of FY25 – Emixa Nordics A fantastic achievement driven by strong cloud growth and major customer milestones — including one of the largest global NX X deals. This recognition highlights the strategic direction we are taking with customers as they move into the X journey. FY25 Top Solution Partner EMEA – Emixa UK Recognizing excellence in delivering high-impact solutions and customer value across the region. Top EMEA Partner 2025 – ACV New Business Celebrating outstanding performance in driving new business growth and expanding our footprint within the Siemens portfolio. Top EMEA Partner 2025 – NX Awarded for leadership and impact in delivering Siemens NX solutions across industries. Top EMEA Partner 2025 – Mendix Recognizing innovation and success in low-code transformation and digital application delivery. Top Sales Benelux – Joost Laureys A well-deserved recognition for exceptional commercial performance and dedication — a fantastic achievement representing the strength of our Benelux organization. A Collective Achievement Although a number of colleagues proudly stepped onto the stage to receive these awards, the success behind them is the result of a much broader team effort. From sales and presales to delivery, technology, marketing, and support — these recognitions belong to all the hard-working people across Emixa who contribute every day. Not everyone is pictured in the photos — but everyone played a role. We are incredibly grateful for the energy, commitment, and collaboration that continue to drive our growth and partnership success. Strength in Partnership These awards highlight the power of our collaboration with Siemens and the value we bring together to customers across industries. By combining deep domain expertise with leading technologies — from NX and PLM to Mendix and Cloud — we enable organizations to accelerate their digital transformation journeys end-to-end. Leadership Quote “These awards are a strong recognition of the trust our customers place in us and the power of our partnership with Siemens. They reflect the dedication of our teams across regions, driving real business impact and digital transformation every day. I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved together — and even more excited for what lies ahead.” — Erik Burghoorn, Group Commercial & Partnerships Director Proud — and Moving Forward We extend a heartfelt congratulations to everyone involved and a sincere thank you to all colleagues who contributed to these achievements. Winning the highest number of awards at EPS makes us proud — but even more motivated for the journey ahead.

What’s New in SAP EAM: Exploring the Latest AI-Driven Features

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of the SAP ecosystem. SAP embeds AI deeply into its solutions to make business processes smarter, faster, and more autonomous. AI enables organisations to turn their data into direct action, from predictive maintenance in SAP APM to the automation of daily operational tasks through natural language interaction with SAP Joule. By combining intelligent algorithms with real-time business data, SAP helps companies optimise their assets, reduce downtime, and enhance decision-making.

Welkoop’s Story: A Complete Digital Transformation

Welkoop, an award-winning retailer for pets and outdoor living, has experienced rapid growth in recent years. The 50+ year-old company has invested heavily in creating a modern customer journey. We spoke with IT Director Tim Holweg and Emixa’s Bart van Boven about this impressive digital transformation. What happened behind the scenes to make this possible? And where does Welkoop stand today?

The Critical Role of Leadership and Change Management in Achieving Sustainable Growth and Organisational Agility

Why more manufacturing companies are adopting Smart Manufacturing

Imagine a manufacturing environment that not only does what you say, but also thinks, learns and improves itself. That is Smart Manufacturing: the smart successor to traditional manufacturing, where technology and data work together to make the difference. No more static schedules or endless checks, but real-time insights and automatic decisions that make your processes faster, better and smarter.

A Major Step Forward: Emixa Acquires Nextage Group!

Naarden / Stockholm – November 24th, 2025 – Emixa, a leading European digital transformation consultancy and trusted partner for Siemens, SAP, Mendix and application & integration technologies, today announced the acquisition of Nextage Group, one of the most respected Siemens Digital Industries Software partners in the Nordic region. From left to right: Laura de Boer (CFO a.i. Emixa), Kilian van Hulst (Group Business Controller Emixa), Peter- Jan Simons (CEO Emixa), Tapio Juurakko (CEO Nextage Group), Stephanie Lanphen (Strategy Consultant Emixa), Ewout Prins (Managing Partner Holland Capital), Erik Burghoorn (Group Commercial Director Emixa), Luca Gerke (Investment Analyst Holland Capital) and Philipp Renkl (investment Manager Holland Capital). This strategic move marks a significant milestone in Emixa’s European expansion and establishes a strong Nordic hub to support manufacturers across Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and the wider region. A transformational step for Nordic manufacturers This acquisition establishes a stronger Nordic operations base under the Emixa brand, enabling full support for the digital transformation lifecycle of both regional and international manufacturing customers. Support from Siemens Zandra Nilsson, Vice President & Managing Director Nordic Operation at Siemens Digital Industries Software: “I am truly pleased to see Nextage become part of Emixa. Both organisations have consistently shown strong commitment to customer success, technical excellence, and a deep understanding of the Nordic manufacturing landscape. With Emixa’s scale and Nextage’s proven local presence, this new combined team will accelerate the digital transformation of Nordic industry with Siemens technology as a foundation. I look forward to working closely with the expanded Emixa Nordics team.” Strengthening Emixa’s European footprint This acquisition supports Emixa’s strategic vision to create Europe’s leading consultancy for Digital Thread and digital transformation. With strong positions already in the Benelux, DACH, and UK&I regions, Emixa now adds a fully operational presence in the Nordics – a region known for innovation and advanced manufacturing. Peter-Jan Simons, CEO of Emixa, commented: “This acquisition marks a new chapter for Emixa. Nextage brings deep industry knowledge and strong, trusted customer relationships. By onboarding Nextage, we are creating a Nordic powerhouse that combines local expertise with international scale. Most importantly, we are welcoming new colleagues whose talent and commitment will strengthen our shared vision. Together, we are ready to assist Nordic manufacturers accelerate their digital future” Tapio Juurakko, CEO, founder and owner of Nextage Group, added: “Joining Emixa is an exciting next stage for Nextage and our clients. We have built a solid foundation in the Nordics, and with Emixa’s broad complementary technology portfolio and international experience, we can provide even more value and capability to our customers. We are proud to become part of the Emixa family.” About Nextage Nextage Group is a Nordic consultancy and Siemens Digital Industries Software partner, focused on supporting manufacturers in their digital transformation journeys. With a strong track record in Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), engineering solutions, and digital innovation, Nextage helps its clients improve product development, efficiency, and competitiveness. With a dedicated team Nextage is serving customers across Sweden, Finland and Denmark. About Emixa Emixa offers its clients innovative, high-quality, full-service solutions in digital transformation, with a strong focus on the manufacturing industry and Industry 4.0. Leveraging Siemens, SAP, Mendix, and other leading technologies, Emixa serves international clients across the Benelux, DACH, UK&I, and Nordics regions. Founded in 2021 through the combination of leading digital consultancies and supported by Holland Capital, Emixa today employs over 530 professionals across Europe. For more information, please contact: Erik Burghoorn, Group Commercial Director of Emixa +31 622 485984 erik.burghoorn@emixa.com Tapio Juurakko, CEO of Nextage +358 50 382 7944 tapio.juurakko@nextagegroup.com

The Province of North Brabant lays the foundation for project portfolio excellence with SAP PPM

The Province of North Brabant, one of the Netherlands' most dynamic regions, manages and administers an extensive portfolio of projects – from landscape management to cultural initiatives and critical infrastructure development – for the entire province. In order to execute these projects as effectively as possible, the province needed more comprehensive insight into and control over their projects. This led to a collaboration with Emixa to modernise their project management capabilities through SAP PPM implementation.

Welcoming Wouter Rom Colthoff: Our New Head of Data, AI & Analytics

We’re pleased to welcome Wouter Rom Colthoff as our Head of Data, AI & Analytics at Emixa. In his new role, Wouter will lead our rapidly growing team that helps organisations unlock business value through data, artificial intelligence, and analytics.