June 08, 2011

Manufacturing - Future Trends

Manufacturing - Future Trends: "Issues for manufacturers: controlling risks and quality in outsourcing and offshoring, supply chain management, prices of raw materials – especially energy. Finding next generation efficiencies – perfection in process management. Future of engineering and robotics, 3D modeling, faster prototyping, speed to market and innovation. Sustainability: protecting the environment in a profitable way.

Challenge in manufacturing: maintaining competitive advantage in manufacturing when most products in an industry sector are converging in design, price and quality – yet most real innovation is divergent, doing things differently to serve customers better.

Strategy: manufacturing leaders need to be agile, with more than one strategy to be successful in risky and uncertain times.

Greatest manufacturing risk: institutional blindness – when manufacturing management are surrounded by too many people who have been in the same industry too long.

Greatest manufacturing opportunity: breath-taking innovation which really captures the imagination and passion of customers."

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