Insights
Manufacturing Trends & Challenges to Spark in 2023
New Year, New Challenges
While the beginning of a new year comes with a fresh start and opportunities it also comes with new challenges and trends. Manufacturing and distribution are just two of the many industries still working to overcome challenges that arose from the pandemic such as lack of jobs, safety concerns and others.
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One of the biggest challenges the manufacturing industry faces in the upcoming year is labor shortages. A large majority of those filling the jobs in this industry are reaching retirement. Other reasons include stereotypes of manufacturing jobs, skill shortages and a deficiency of qualified talent. It’s estimated that by 2025 there will be 2-3.5 million unfilled manufacturing jobs.
This topic leads into another obstacle, having an effective digital marketing strategy. Digital marketing is an effort manufacturers struggle at being efficient at. It’s important to be as proactive as possible on digital platforms as a way to drive sales and job postings. Digital marketing is a great place to bridge the gap between younger generations and the field of manufacturing.
Other challenges manufacturing and distribution will see in 2023 include visibility and making safety a top priority. Manufacturers must continue to focus on social distancing, sanitizing, and tracking those who have contact with machinery. They must also remain visible to clients and customers by keeping them updated on a detailed basis regarding orders and delays. In doing so, it will give manufacturers an upper hand on dealing with the situation and finding a solution. A great way to provide this type of visibility is offering customer service portals. These types of applications allow for direct communication with customers to provide timely updates on orders.
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A great way to stay ahead in the industry is to make sure your business is finding ways to incorporate trends into their business and marketing strategies. One of the biggest trends in 2023 is the increase of virtual work. Companies will not only offer the option to work from home but also a secure experience ensuring data protection and cybersecurity efforts.
The manufacturing and distribution industries will also see an increase in the use of robotics. While the cost of them can be an obstacle, their use decreases turnaround time for orders. These robots work adjoining to manufacturers with the intent to ease labor as well as increase productivity and quality of products and orders.
In a similar fashion of perfecting product labor, the use of digital twin software is predicted to be used by 70% of manufacturers in 2023. This software is hugely transformative in the manufacturing industry as it can be used in the physical process of a product being built to test certain parts, prompt dimensions and even create a digitized model.
If the Internet of Things (IoT) is something your manufacturing or distribution company has been ignoring, you may want to reconsider. Year after year this is a trend that remains at the top of the list. The Internet of Things involves the kinship of unique devices within existing internet frameworks. It allows manufacturers to make knowledgeable and strategic decisions using data in the present time in order to accomplish a range of goals. Devices that are IoT enabled allow for manufacturers to monitor machine performance in a safe and secure manner to identify probable flaws before they arise.
The start of the new year will only enhance current challenges and bring about new ones. It is essential to recognize and research these challenges and trends that come within your industry in order to stay informed and innovative.