Key Findings
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Foreword
Last year, we conducted our inaugural Manufacturing Agility Assessment. The insights we gleaned from that exercise were so valuable in gauging the lay of the land that we wanted to repeat it again this year. Building on last year’s report, the 2022 Manufacturing Agility Assessment looks at how companies have progressed now that the dust from the pandemic has settled.
As we know, 2021 was a time for recovery. But other factors, such as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine; a global microprocessor shortage; significant supply chain disruption; and an increasingly challenging recruitment landscape, have hindered many companies’ progress. The need to remain agile and be able to adapt and react to changing situations is critical if companies want to not only survive but thrive. In fact, it is a key component in facing the obstacles associated with all of the aforementioned factors. Digital transformation has a hugely important role to play in all of this.
Certainly, a trend that we’re seeing during our frequent conversations with manufacturing organisations is an appetite for innovation. And while this goes without saying for the global firms we speak with; we’re also seeing smaller manufacturers stepping over the precipice and accelerating their own digital efforts and initiatives too. One of the most refreshing aspects of digital transformation projects – particularly for smaller manufacturing organisations – is that you don’t have to “go big” to be agile. Being agile is about always looking for the next aspect to optimise and improve i.e., a step-by-step approach, with an easier budget for stages, can absolutely bear fruit.
78%
of manufacturers accelerated investment plans (in products, people, premises, processes) to mitigate recent world events (vs. 61% in 2021)
76%
of manufacturers diversified their suppliers to mitigate recent world events
69%
of manufacturers say they have been significantly or highly impacted when it comes to Sourcing raw materials/component parts from suppliers (vs. 75% in 2021)
67%
of manufacturers precautionarily stockpiled inventory to mitigate recent world events (vs. 40% in 2021)
55%
of manufacturers say they have been significantly or highly impacted when it comes to recruitment (vs. 46% in 2021)
47%
of manufacturers say they are extremely or highly agile (vs. 74% in 2021)
Methodology
This original report was researched and produced by The Manufacturer, the premier industry publication providing insights, events and research, and commissioned by HSO, your Business Transformation Partner with deep industry expertise and global reach. It is based on the results of an online survey which gathered insights from senior manufacturing professionals between June and August 2022. The second iteration in the Manufacturing Agility Assessment series, this year’s report builds on the powerful insights obtained in 2021 against the backdrop of a global pandemic, adding a broader focus in light of recent and ongoing world events.
To discover more about manufacturers’ agility and gauge the current sentiment among organisations, The Manufacturer also conducted a number of follow-up interviews with respondents from manufacturers of different sizes to add valuable, much-needed context. As a result, the 2022 Manufacturing Agility Assessment provides an insightful look into the industry’s agility today and how far it has come since 2021.
