Daniel Kretz, President, Kretz

Our company designs and manufactures technology solutions that combine hardware, software, and services for retail, industry, and other business sectors.

The roots of the company are in the development of electronic solutions, but over the years it expanded into other fields of application. Weighing is one of our main areas of expertise, with solutions for retail scales and industrial systems. Today, our offering is much broader, and we integrate identification, automation, software, connectivity, data, and artificial intelligence.

We work with small and medium-sized businesses, as well as large retail chains and some industrial companies, tailoring specific solutions to each. Our goal is to make operations simpler, more efficient, and smarter. In the end, we don’t just produce or make products — we develop technology that helps our customers work better and make better decisions.

That’s interesting, because it’s because of Argentina. The common thread behind everything we developed was electronics — now it’s called technology. We started developing relatively simple electronic products, like you mentioned, but later on we moved into industry with a wide range of solutions. I’m talking from 1963 to 1970.

In 1969, for example, we obtained the representation for Hewlett-Packard measurement instruments. So we designed our own products — measuring instruments, systems for automation processes in industry. For example, we designed a very complex project: a system to control the level of blast furnaces at Argentina’s largest steel plant. So that’s basically the story of our first 20 years.

But in Argentina, in the early ’80s, we went through a major deindustrialization process. Everything became complicated for the industry, and we had to reinvent the company. At that time, we realized that even during an economic crisis, food is one of the last sectors to stop. That insight changed our direction away from industry.

Starting from a system we had developed to control packaging machines by weight, we eventually created our first commercial retail scale. That product was very well received by the market, so we continued adding different versions and new models, and over time weighing became our company’s core business. So it was a crisis in Argentina that pushed us to change direction toward the retail industry.

But nowadays, with our roots still in industry and our new capabilities, we are returning to that sector as well.

First of all, why do we choose this holistic approach? We want the users of our solutions to have an integrated, simple, and high-value technology experience. We don’t focus on any specific technology or product — instead, we bring together the design, hardware, software, and services into an ecosystem where everything works together simply and consistently.

The limitation of that approach is that we could offer a much wider range of products, but we choose to stay focused and prioritize the quality of our solutions. We try to always keep sight of how people interact with our solutions.

Good design isn’t about how long it captures your attention — it’s about how well it does the job without requiring effort from the user or the operator. For me, the best design makes complex things simple and feels natural to use.

When a customer sees a product for only a few seconds, the design has to immediately communicate quality, trust, simplicity, and consistency with the brand. At the same time, the experience has to be intuitive and efficient. When a product works so naturally that the user hardly needs to think about it, the design is no longer the main focus — it simply becomes part of the good experience. Sometimes, the fact that you don’t notice it is the best proof that the design is well done.

I would tell them to do it, but they must understand that they’re choosing a challenging path. Above all, I’d tell them not to compete by making a product that can arrive ready-made from Asia — a commodity in a package. If you’re going to manufacture in Argentina, you need to offer differentiation, technology, and added value.

Manufacturing hardware requires much more than making a product — you need to develop knowledge, engineering skills, suppliers, processes, and industrial capabilities. All of that takes time, and over the years that learning becomes a competitive advantage — not just the product itself. A product can be copied, but the ability to develop it, manufacture it, and continuously improve it takes years.

But I’d also tell them that today there’s an even greater opportunity because of AI and the possibility of combining the physical and digital worlds through software. So don’t think only about making a product — think about making something different, especially about developing your own technological capabilities. And always, don’t focus on just one market — think globally and compete on an international scale.

Probably the biggest misconception is that weighing is a cost, not an investment. Investing in weighing and measurement means gaining control, efficiency, and trust. Every business that wants transparent transactions or needs control over its operations relies on reliable measurement. That’s the foundation of AI, by the way — it needs trusted data.

An incorrect measurement can lead to losses, inventory errors, process problems, and a lack of trust in transactions. You cannot control well what you do not measure well. So weighing is foundational. Even though the industry has changed, metrology’s importance hasn’t changed with it. It’s part of the system that helps manage operations and improve productivity. In the end, trust in measurement underlies everything.

That’s why a good weighing solution shouldn’t be seen as a cost, but as an investment that protects operations, improves efficiency, and builds trust in the business. It’s not just about buying a scale — it’s part of doing things well.

Probably the most surprising thing is that the modern scale doesn’t just weigh anymore. It can also see, recognize, and learn, using artificial intelligence and computer vision. It can automatically identify the product, reduce errors, and make the operation faster and easier.

At the same time, it performs highly accurate measurements, produces information, and communicates with other systems — generating data, all in milliseconds. So it’s a computer designed especially for precision measurement, but in reality, that’s only one of the many things we develop in our products.