Something that you will often hear said at least every few years is something to the effect of “manufacturing is a dying industry” or you may even hear people say that it’s already dead.
And sure, we’ve all heard stories of areas where manufacturing was especially important that have now shut down and lost much of their relevance, but does that really mean that manufacturing is dead?
Well, no. But it is changing. However, it remains an essential part of the business world and here are just a few reasons why.
Automation
Automation is something that many people are vaguely aware of but, because they may not recognise it too much in their daily lives, they don’t give it all that much thought.
However, automation has become more and more of an important part of the business world and manufacturing in particular.
Simply put, it’s the process of using machines to perform tasks that might have once been done by people.
This can often increase productivity and efficiency by a significant margin. Not only that but it means that new career opportunities in the maintenance and construction of these automated processes are springing up to replace those that the automation itself may have replaced.
New technology
Manufacturing is something that has always been driven by innovation. From the history of the UK steel industry to the rise of Silicon Valley the world has been pushed forward by manufacturing and design innovations.
New technology is coming up faster than ever before and that continues to push manufacturing in new directions.
It means that manufacturing is a customisable, collaborative process than ever before between businesses and their clients.
It means that things can be manufactured to specific needs far more easily than ever before. Laser tools and 3D printing mean that there is more flexibility in manufacturing than ever before.
A global market
One thing that a lot of people don’t realise is that much of the manufacturing they think has “disappeared” has actually just moved overseas.
Whether you consider this to be a positive or a negative development aside, there’s no doubt that manufacturing now does have a global market that was never possible before.
The interconnected nature of the modern world means that you’re no longer limited to domestic clients and consumers.
This means that you both gain the benefits of a global market but that you also need to understand the realities of doing business in the global marketplace.
The reality is that manufacturing hasn’t gone anywhere at all. Those within the manufacturing industry have simply don’t what they have always needed to in order to survive: they have adapted to the changes of the modern world. That’s something that every aspect of the business landscape has in common.
And there’s no doubt that manufacturing, as well as every other industry, will need to change and adapt again and again to suit the coming times. But just something has changed and adapted, that’s far from meaning that it has died out.
- DISCLOSURE – This post has been written by an outside source
