2024 UK Manufacturing Challenges
15th January 2024
Sustainability, skills, supply chains and digitalisation are sighted as the greatest challenges to UK Manufacturing according to The Manufacturer, but there are other factors to consider.
What’s likely to impact the UK manufacturing sector in 2024?
2024 will be a year of change in the UK fraught with uncertainty and opportunity for the manufacturing sector. The next United Kingdom general election is scheduled to be held no later than 28 January 2025. Which means it's likely to be held anytime in the next 12 months, and who knows what changes this will bring. Manufacturing businesses are also increasingly impacted by the accelerating Net Zero decarbonisation agenda. This is in addition to the increase in digitisation, burgeoning cyber threats, and the transformative influence of AI, means there's a lot to consider. Add to this high energy costs, inflation-busting pay rises in a battle to keep staff means many manufacturers are simply operating in survival mode.
UK manufacturing businesses have no option but to be proactive
Most manufacturers expect to face economic uncertainty because of these changes. Add to this the ongoing shortage of skilled labour, ongoing supply chain disruptions and new challenges, spurred by the need for innovation to meet company set net-zero emissions goals - being reactive isn't a realistic option. With a persistent search for efficiency and focus on building resilience across the organisation, many manufacturers look to pursue digital transformation to help them address the challenges ahead – but this involves investment, time to implement and potentially increases risk from cyber security.
Overcoming The Challenges in UK Manufacturing
The Manufacturer put together a documentary to highlight some of the key challenges within UK manufacturing, and the way businesses are addressing and overcoming them. It centres around four key areas of challenge reported to them by the manufacturers they visited. Sustainability, skills, supply chains and digitalisation.
What can the UK manufacturers do to gain competitive advantage in 2024?
What strategies should manufacturers consider to tackle these ongoing challenges, help scale up production, improve competitiveness and take command of their situation? How can they improve agility, resilience and efficiency in the face of this predicted turbulence? Working with the biggest brands in automotive means we are exposed to the latest trends in technology. We can bring this knowledge and experience to SME manufacturing environments and accelerate your strategic adoption.
Could outsourcing your onsite logistics be your strategic advantage?
Whatever you manufacture - we can help you make your onsite logistics smarter, leaner, and more cost-effective. We are prepared to work on the smallest of contracts to prove how you can drive out excess cost and inefficiency, through better processes, systems, and training. But it's important to note, we're not consultants, we take absolute responsibility for delivering the results. However, the first step is to understand your product and logistics operations, your customers, and your biggest headaches. Then we provide an objective analysis, ROI cost projections, and if our solutions are implemented - we guarantee you’ll achieve the agreed cost saving, or we pay!
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Here’s how the 360 onsite logistics audit and assessment works!
Put us to the test, what have you got to lose?
Contact us for a FREE ‘on site' logistics audit – carried out under a non disclosure agreement - our findings will be reported in full confidence and will provide a detailed analysis of where savings and improvements can be made.
There’s only one condition - you must be UK based and be operating in the automotive sector, with a head count of around 25 - 30 or more operating in logistics roles.