Manufacturing remains critically important
to both the developing and advanced world of technology. Electronics
manufacturers are a vital source of innovation and competitiveness,
contributing to research and development, exportation and the UK’s productivity
growth.
The
next era of global growth and innovation report by McKinsey predicts that
by 2025 there will be a rich pipeline of innovations in materials and processes
- from nanomaterials to 3-D printing to advanced robotics which will create
fresh demand and drive further productivity gains across manufacturing
industries.
With this in mind, UK electronics manufacturers should seek new
ways to nurture and grow their businesses.
Rachael Dent, Head of Operations at Redline Group discusses research on how electronics
manufacturers are growing their businesses in 2019 and beyond.
Changes in consumer demand, the nature of
products, the economics of production, and the economics of the supply chain
have led to a fundamental shift in the way electronics manufacturers do
business. New market entrants with access to new tools can operate at a much
smaller scale. While large-scale production will always dominate some segments
of the value chain, innovative manufacturing models—distributed small-scale
local manufacturing, loosely coupled manufacturing ecosystems, and agile
manufacturing—are arising to take advantage of these new opportunities. Manufacturers
will need to be flexible and adaptable to keep up with constantly evolving
electronics demands. Strategic partnerships will help electronics manufacturers
control costs.
“It’s all about investing in the right
equipment, combined with technology and people,” says Rachael. “Today’s modern
manufacturing facilities are increasingly relying on new technologies, such as
automation and innovations to improve operations and produce higher quality
electronic products at a faster speed.”
All manufacturing businesses can’t simply
jump on the bandwagon with new technology. The potential
applications of robotics on the manufacturing assembly line, for example,
aren't always the best fit for the complex and widely varying needs of
electronics manufacturing projects. There is still much to be gained through
the introduction of new technologies if they can justify a business need
and if it improves efficiency and costs.
The use of 3D printing is also creating a
new innovative tool. It has been shown to provide great results in aiding manufacturing
and production jobs. 3D printing technology
has developed and grown faster than most other technologies due to the way it
can influence manufacturing processes.
3D printing has opened up new opportunities for production jobs, engineering
and R&D jobs. For
example, producing prototypes in-house can create efficiencies during the
product design stage. 3D printing enables a faster turnaround of design
iterations, speeding up the design validation stage. By developing products
much faster, electronics manufacturers gain a competitive advantage and achieve
more flexible manufacturing.
Streamlining material storage and
retrieval systems can also the key to growing your business. If materials can
move through the manufacturing facility more quickly and efficiently, this can
have a significant impact on production. Investing in automated storage and
retrieval systems can help maximise space and minimise handling costs. Finding
ways to streamline and simplify the storage and access of materials for
production also offers the added advantage of freeing up more of your existing
floor space for manufacturing.
Ultimately, the future of manufacturing
lies in the hands of technology and skilled professionals working in sync in
order to be successful and profitable. The investment in the right people is
crucial. There are a growing number of recruitment strategies to address the issue, having realised the
real enabler to business success today is not just technology, it is the highly
skilled manufacturing professionals.
Women in manufacturing: A common-sense
way of closing the skills gap
Addressing the lack of women in manufacturing
is not only the right thing to do, but it is also a common-sense way of closing
the skills gap. Companies who fail to take advantage of all available talent
are damaging themselves. And yet, despite some well-publicised success stories,
mainly about young women engineers who are successful in larger companies,
manufacturing is undeniably male-dominated.
Teach
an old industry new tricks
According to the Manufacturer, less than 20% of
parents would encourage their children to work in manufacturing,
believing the sector to be dirty, monotonous, low skilled and poorly paid.
Which is why it’s fantastic to hear
companies adopting innovative approaches to help address the root cause –
namely, the public’s misconceptions of what a career in
manufacturing and operations actually entails. Rather than simply producing
a long list, here’s a trio of particularly innovative successes.
Wearable
technology teaching new skills
The Manufacturer also discussed how
technology tends to focus on job
displacement and changing skills requirements, but perhaps we can broaden our thinking to a more nuanced perspective
on how humans and work could benefit from wearable technology.
The possibilities offered by virtual and
augmented reality (VR and AR) for learning and practising skills are gaining
the attention of many organisations.
If we can realistically simulate
environments found in manufacturing, aerospace, surgery or the military, but
without huge cost or danger, then it may be possible to learn and practice
associated skills more easily.
If your company is planning a significant
period of growth and wants to invest in manufacturing recruitment, then it will
be all the more important to keep sight of your mission, values and goals and
to ensure you're listening, and responding to, the ideas and concerns of your
people.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for
talented candidates to fill your vacancies, let us help you in your search. We
source, interview and select only the best candidates for the job. Register a vacancy with
us or contact us for
more information today.
To find out more about careers in
manufacturing or to see our latest job opportunities, please click here or
alternatively contact Rachael Dent on 01582 878847 or email RDent@RedlineGroup.Com