Evolving landscape
Manufacturing has reached a breaking point
Global disruptions, unfilled jobs and high attrition rates have caused companies to question everything, from how and where products are made, to who, or what, makes them. Manufacturers know they must break from the past in order to build for the future. The question is not when, but how?
Reshoring
Trade disputes, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and a global pandemic have all contributed to companies actively evaluating options to reshore production to mitigate future risks. Unlike manual labor, the cost of implementing automation varies little across geographies, allowing you to move production from low to higher labor cost regions so that you can build closer to where you sell.
Resiliency
Creating a more distributed, multi-site factory and supplier network enables manufacturers to quickly and more easily relocate and rebalance capacity in response to market changes. This requires greater, more flexible automation (to maintain or reduce costs as your footprint expands), as well as a scalable, software-based approach to replicate production across locations.
Reskilling
As the labor relationship between humans and machines evolves, so does the set of skills required. Simple, easy-to-use technology – designed and delivered in a way that is intuitive to understand and operate – will be critical to retain and empower this generation’s workforce and the next.
Sustainability
Smaller footprint, automation-based factories typically require less floor space, have lower scrap rates, and can be located closer to end-customer markets. As a result, they can be designed to be more energy-efficient and transportation light – reducing pollution and minimizing excess production and waste that have historically harmed our environment.