❓ Problem

You have the broken clip in one hand and your phone in the other. You search for “small white drawer thing”. Helpful.

Repair involves several separate jobs: identifying the item, understanding the fault, finding a compatible part and installing it. A useful answer to the first question can still leave you stuck on the third.

This isn’t a claim that spare parts don’t exist. IKEA already offers small spare parts free of charge in the UK. iFixit provides repair guides and sells parts. The gap worth testing is the awkward case: an unidentified fitting, an older model or a part whose name bears no resemblance to what a normal person would type.

Start with owners and furniture refurbishers trying to save a worthwhile item by replacing a non-safety-critical knob, trim cover or cosmetic fitting. A £20 search service makes more sense beside a piece worth keeping than a £15 flat-pack table.

✅ Solution

Build a repair assistant that follows the job through to a verified fit.

1. Identify the item. Collect photos of the furniture, broken part, model label and attachment point. Ask what happened and which function stopped working.
2. Resolve uncertainty. Request another angle, measurements and a ruler in the photograph. Suggest a likely match with supporting evidence. A picture alone is not proof of compatibility.
3. Find the best route. Check manufacturer stock first, then compatible and second-hand parts. Show dimensions, supplier, total delivered cost and the evidence for fit. Recommend a free manufacturer route when available.
4. Explore fabrication where appropriate. If no suitable part exists, ask a maker to review a simple replacement. The maker checks the design, material and intended use before quoting. AI producing a plausible shape is not a completed engineering check.
5. Complete the repair. Provide item-specific fitting steps where suitable, ask whether the part fitted and save the confirmed outcome. Refund or correct a failed match under clearly agreed terms.

The concept demo illustrates that journey using sample results. It does not perform live diagnosis, check supplier inventory or process orders.

Keep the first offer narrow. No electrical, gas, structural, load-bearing or other safety-critical repairs. A chair clip can carry a load even if it looks trivial, so assess function rather than appearance.

📊 Key Numbers

These are proposed test assumptions, not traction, market estimates or a forecast. Use one currency consistently in the pilot; the examples below use GBP.

Test £19 per parts-finding job, with parts and delivery paid separately. Define what the buyer receives and what triggers a refund before taking payment.