Five Trends Creating Impact On Manufacturing 2021

No, this isn’t a new revelation. At this point, applying the means necessary to understand the benefits of predictive maintenance is decades old methodology that has long been old enough to drink. That methodology, however, is still finding its way with regard to finding stout application processes in facilities around the country. Technologies have never been stronger and solutions to realize predictive maintenance have sharply increased in the initial investment, making it more accessible, and of greater benefit to the industry as a whole.

In short, predictive maintenance and the advancements in technology is an optimized practice to help you prevent equipment failures and resource downtime—which offers promise in bolstering that bottom line. With downtime there exists negative impact which can clog the production line greatly.

While we’re not married to any predictive maintenance solution exclusively, it’s imperative that you start in on the research to find the software that best fits your facility. Google
will give you all the options. Sure, there’s an investment in not only the solution out of the gate, but also in the time it takes you to get the data necessary into the system to better understand your environment, but that investment is well worth the task.

Predictive maintenance at its core will help you to:

• Reduce costs
• Optimize operative capabilities
• Produce fewer failed operations
• Minimize downtime and optimize uptime productivity
• Have better data to make more informed delivery decisions
• Streamline parts and mechanics replacement needs
• Understand the working capacities of your fleet

We’ve also been pretty longwinded about this one for the last year or so. The biggest thing here is, obviously, we’d like to see more collaboration amongst all of the readers of this magazine and keep business going within our local/ regional economy. It’s in the best interest of all of us to keep the New England region a strong hub of manufacturing activity. The more we can promote each other, the more business we’ll all bring to our collective pipeline.

Outside of that, localized sourcing is a shift that just makes sense given the hiccups we saw in the chain as 2020 unfolded. Sure, there’s an argument to be made that nobody could have predicted the detriment to delivery and product shortages that a pandemic would bring, but , therein lies a truth that if you can keep things closer to the belt, the stronger the links of your chain are going to be. Of course there are circumstances that prevent this in some cases—a supply shortage is a supply shortage and sourcing will be a challenge no matter the method, but, a takeaway from 2020 is to be prepared for another 2020.

We’ve long thought globally for our needs, which isn’t necessarily a mistake, but when the chain breaks down and delivery methods used to distribute goods and materials are overwhelmed, we’re going to be hurting and unable to operate as best as we’d like to. Sourcing materials closer to home and advocating for the creation of more supply warehouse hubs is going to strengthen our production going forward. And again, if we can keep ourselves well vested in each other, we’re going to be the envy of the rest of the manufacturing world. Thinking on a local and regional level will enable us to better meet the demand across the board.

Ah, the Internet of Things. Such a strange name. Also a strange subject. And many of the old school manufacturers that exist in our own community here in the Northeast, have a hard time wrapping their head around it. And that’s okay. But it’s not okay to ignore it. Doing so could prove a likely detriment to the health of your business.

The boiled down idea here is in the fact that many aspects of our modern existence are fueled and informed by smart technologies. I mean, you can start your car with your phone now… It’s weird. But, to that, IoT environments are hinged on the idea of efficiency. According to a recent study by the MPI Group suggest that 31% currently have manufacturing processes operating that incorporate smart devices and intelligence software into their operations. And further, another 32% plan to embed IoT technology into their processes in the near future.

With the idea that IoT technology offers users the ability to remotely monitor and predict the operative activity of the shop floor, the underlying sentiment here is that this kind of capability provides powerful analytics and decision making opportunities to bolster the entire makeup of the manufacturing process of a facility. Visibility and management capability from afar, in the palm of your hand is a crazy concept to imagine, but, it’s not an imaginary concept anymore. It’s a real, working solution for technology forward manufacturers. Bolstered efficiencies in the literal production of a shop’s fleet of machines paired with the ability to understand and act on energy efficiency within that fleet is a substantial opportunity to boost costs and increase margins. The digital transformation of the factory floor has been speeding up, and it will continue to accelerate this year, and beyond. If you’re not prepping for it, you’re missing out and making it harder as it become more the norm moving forward.

Another lesson we pulled from 2020 was increased expectations. With people stuck at home and rethinking the way they live their lives, more and more households put their literal dwelling to work for them. What this meant was purchasing in abundance to bring their home up to speed on being able to fulfill what they were accomplishing and experiencing away from home. An increase in product spending led to an increase in manufacturing for consumer goods in an attempt to fulfill demand. It wasn’t easy, and, by-and-large, it was quite a slog. It was extremely hard to keep up. And delivering those products? Forget about it…

Consumer demand will continue to drive the economy and customer demand in 2021 and we need to understand our current capabilities and, where it makes sense, ramp up to keep combatting the uptick in spending and expectations. With demand for products greatly on the rise, we as manufacturers are being pressured to produce high-quality products without the luxury of time. So, how do we keep up? Well, we can work together to collaborate on what we’re producing and who can help where. Where a job requires myriad functions, it may be best to source lesser competencies to a partner in the local area who can excel and help meet the demands you, and we, are all facing.

Expectation and customer service are at the forefront of the business world. We need to be able to offer great experiences that produce results for all who are tapping into our services and influencing our collective revenue streams.

One thing we’ve been asking as a working piece of many of our manufacturer features is, “what are you doing to realized greener sustainability practices
within your production missives.” And, for many of you, this is an active piece of “what you do.” Whether shifting to solar energy for a portion or all of your electric needs, to robust recycling programs, many of us here in the Northeast have “bought in” to sustainable practices. That said, “many” doesn’t equal “all.” What we’re discovering more frequently as time presses on is, sustainability practices are not an overlooked byproduct of doing business. Customers and potential net-new opportunities are questioning sustainability competencies up front. It’s a piece of the sales process. And this isn’t going to diminish anytime soon. In fact, it’s only going to increase, and somewhere in the near future, it’s going to be a question we’re all asked. Mark our words, it WILL BE a deal maker, or a deal breaker. Sustainability is not a fad. It’s a movement. It’s fueling not only customer decisions, but investing tactics as well. Think on it long and hard if you’re not doing what you can to bolster your sustainability efficiencies. Otherwise, your own sustainable health will fall into jeopardy.