Today’s manufacturing industry faces challenges ranging from supply chain volatility to a post-pandemic socially distanced world. But where there is uncertainty, there is also opportunity. Manufacturing companies must seize any competitive opportunity. If your organization is proactive, you will be able to adapt faster than your competitors in the areas that matter the most.
Therefore, it is critical to be aware of industry forecasts.
Forecast #1: Post-Pandemic Strategy Replaces Pandemic Response
Over the past few years, COVID-19 has affected every industry. Many companies lacked plans for surviving a pandemic. Most were compelled to quickly adapt. Every day was like fighting a fire; as soon as one blaze was put out, the virus’s next wave or variation would start its crisis
We can learn important lessons from these encounters.
- First, the effects of the pandemic will continue for some time.
- Second, some pandemic adjustments should be made that are more robust, reliable, and practical.
- Third, it is time to reexamine how flexible business operations are. Are they sturdy? And can they support additional upcoming events that could have an entirely new effect on the company?
Businesses are now transitioning from reactive firefighting to long-term operational change and restructuring, underpinned by a post-pandemic strategy built on real-time access to digital production-level data.
Forecast #2: The New Normal Is Cloud Computing & SAAS
The rise in the use of cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) would resemble a hockey stick if it were plotted on a graph. The pandemic hastened manufacturers’ transition to a cloud-first strategy. Several factors are driving organizations to adopt a “cloud-first” strategy:
- Expansion and development of core technologies
- High-performance internet connectivity improvements
- Development of strong security features in contemporary cloud solutions
- Access to vital business processes and information anytime, anywhere
For businesses looking to gain from digital data, replacing legacy systems is the low-hanging fruit. Most legacy system replacements will adopt a cloud-first approach as the default, making it the key technological factor in post-pandemic planning.
Forecast #3: Tribal Knowledge Will Be Obtained
“Our business is our people,” “Our employees make our company what it is.” “Your most valuable resource is people,” It is important to think about their potential pitfalls without discounting the sentiment behind these well-known words.
People acquire significant skills, knowledge, and experience while working in manufacturing operations. However, most of that undocumented knowledge is kept on an individual basis and is rarely codified.
For instance, a machine operator may spend many years honing a particular skill set in a particular process area.
She has an innate understanding of how to use the tools effectively and complete tasks correctly. But what happens if she is not available to carry out those tasks any longer? How are brand-new individuals supposed to overnight pick up those years of acquired knowledge? How much do manufacturer flexibility and agility suffer from undocumented knowledge?
Organizations are recording important processes and procedural information to reduce the risks of overreliance on tacit or tribal knowledge. Through integrated workflow process management, solutions like the Enact manufacturing quality platform make it simple to enable ready access to documentation, SOPs, and even corrective actions.
Forecast #4: Sustainability Speeds Up the Digital Wave
Most manufacturers now prioritize digitizing data from the core of production operations because it is critical to update outdated systems and procedures.
Before the pandemic, digital initiatives were concerned with the effects of business performance outcomes on the bottom line, such as increases in productivity and efficiency.
During the pandemic, the focus quickly shifted to risk mitigation from an operational or strategic standpoint. Can the company withstand a significant supply chain disruption? Can it handle fluctuating demand or coordination? Can it continue to run with significant employee absences or remote work and still produce the maximum number?
Although there are still good reasons to digitize data for operational and strategic reasons, a new reason has emerged: sustainability. Organizations from all industries understand that they must improve the environmental impact of their operations.
Businesses will increasingly turn to digital solutions to waste, resource use, carbon emissions, and recycling to maximize efficiency and productivity.
Taking the Initiative
Some of these predictions have been gaining traction over the past few years, and they might pick up speed in the upcoming months. Some people might move more slowly than others. To stay at the forefront of industry advancement, however, your organization must comprehend and act on each of them.
We are aware that digital data is crucial to manufacturing innovation even though much of the future is still unknown. Utilize a quality platform in the cloud that offers advantages for your manufacturing processes.
