16 Feb 5 Issues Facing the Manufacturing Industry in 2022
The manufacturing industry has faced recent years of sluggish growth, however thanks to its resilience and innovation, it is expecting a positive forecast into 2022.
In saying this, there are several issues and concerns that surround the industry as it heads into 2022:
Production Quality
The manufacturing sector is an industry that shows a direct correlation between quality of output and the bottom line. Therefore, manufacturers need to continue to prioritise quality products and processes in their operations.
Step one should be to implement a Quality Management System (QMS) to help manage these processes. This helps businesses identify their key quality processes before, during and after their operations. In doing so, all aspects of the business make the ongoing commitment to ensure that the quality of their output is equal to or above the quality expected from their clients and customers.
Safety of Workers
The safety of workers in the manufacturing industry remains a high priority for many businesses in this sector. Daily operations involving machinery, vehicles and manufacturing equipment have led it to have one of the highest number of incidents and fatalities across any industry.
Desipite this, some manufacturers continue to operate their safety processes manually, not only increasing the amount of time it takes to log risks and incidents, but also putting workers at risk of future injuries.
These businesses need to prioritise a Health & Safety Management System to ensure that risks are identified in a timely manner and incidents are reported accurately to minimse the impact of avoidable errors and incidents.
Cybertechnologies
As technology advances, so too does the potential threat of cybercriminals. Unfortunately, over the last two years, there have been a record number of ransomware attacks with the average cost of a data breach being about $3.8 million.
The solution here is twofold: on the one hand, management needs to evaluate and routinely the technological infrastructure through a robust Information Security Management System which will help identify any potential threats and risks. Additionally, staff and workers need to be informed and trained on best practice data security protocols to ensure that risks are minimised.
Poor Auditing Processes
Poor auditing processes can have a serious impact on businesses in the manufacturing industry: equipment may fail, reworks may need to occur and risks to workers’ safety may go unnoticed.
One of the reasons for this is that a lot of these inspections and audits are still being completed paperbased by hand which a) increase the time it takes for these reports to be submitted and b) risk hazards and avoidable issues being left unnoticed.
Therefore, it is important for businesses to adopt an Audits and Inspections tool that will help systemise these processes and minimise the risk of incidents and non-conformances occurring.
Skilled Labour Shortage
An increasing issue in the Australian manufacturing industry is a lack of skilled labour. This is not only due to the ageing population of the Australian workforce, but also a competitive wage market across the economy.
Unfortunately, COVID has not helped the situation, forced isolation for individuals and close contacts further puts a strain on an industry that is already crying out for skilled workers.
