Turns out supply chain issues and labor shortages didn’t totally hamper manufacturing’s mojo in 2022, according to Deloitte. Their 2023 outlook identifies five areas of opportunity to focus on to keep growing. Technology. Talent. Supply Chain. Smart Factory. And Sustainability. Let’s break it down.
#1 Invest in digital Not a surprise, but an important one. Manufacturers will need to continue to invest in emerging tech to stay agile and bulletproof.
#2 Diversify talent management Voluntary exits. Workforce churn. Shifting talent modules. The workforce shortage is real, so if you want to attract and keep top talent, you’re going to have to tackle talent management from multiple strategic angles.
#3 Mitigate supply chain risk Supply chain shortages aren’t letting up. Sure, investing in tech will help hedge against uncertainty, but time-tested approaches like augmenting local capacity and moving from just-in-time sourcing to create redundancy will go a long way in mitigating risk.
#4 Approach your smart factory holistically It won’t happen overnight, but manufacturers must continue to invest in smart factory transformations to build more secure networks and protect their factory assets. Data-driven systems and automation that can react to consumer demand and personalization in real time will be vital to building resilience and optimizing productivity and efficiency.
#5 Elevate corporate social responsibility Manufacturers may need to make even more operational changes that go beyond mere financial metrics to demonstrate their commitment to the fast-evolving environmental, social and governance (ESG) landscape.