This fortnight in manufacturing: Impact of CrowdStrike glitch on the supply chain and onshoring inspiration

Last Friday’s global IT outage affected almost every industry, and manufacturing was no exception. While the effects will vary hugely for different businesses, we round up some of the key reporting to keep you in the know. ?

Meanwhile, in the weeks following the general election, the industry has been reacting to the change in leadership and expressing its hopes. ?

Read on for the fortnight’s key takeaways for UK manufacturers. ?

Air freight most affected by CrowdStrike glitch: Friday’s global IT crash affected 8.5 million Microsoft computers worldwide, but it is the impact on air freight that may cause disruption to UK deliveries, especially of drugs and fresh fruit, for weeks. The air freight supply chain is complex and already under pressure, in part due to many companies diversifying away from shipping due to the Red Sea disruption. Friday’s issues could have knock on effects, especially for food manufacturing due to delays transporting fresh and perishable foodstuffs. ??

Felixstowe, the UK’s biggest container port, was also affected for a few hours on Friday, as was Poland’s largest container terminal, the Baltic Hub in Gdansk – yet maritime trade seems to be bouncing back faster than aviation.?

First weeks of the new government: The new Labour government spent its first few weeks in power, with the King’s Speech setting in motion new employment law, including the abolishment of 0-hour contracts, and setting out plans for energy, railways, house building and more. UK manufacturers suggest what Keir Starmer should do next, and the new Minister of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner, made his first address to the food and drink manufacturing industry.?

Inspiration station: We’ve written before about how offshoring might be losing its shine. Now it seems small and mid-market manufacturers based in the UK might be following the reshoring trend, moving out of China. Hear from London-listed manufacturers considering reshoring options.?

You need to know about... MES. MES are manufacturing execution systems, and they play a key role in digital twins – the digital representations of physical systems designed to drive business outcomes. MES track the production process from start to finish and are essential to creating a comprehensive digital twin in manufacturing, yet only 33 per cent of manufacturers have implemented them as of 2023. We found this article a useful introduction to MES.?

What else did we cover this fortnight? 37 per cent of desk-free workers feel less valued than office-based colleagues. Make sure that this is not the case in your business! We released an e-Book about desk-free workers, the backbone of the manufacturing industry and the asset it can’t afford to lose. ?

October will bring the next stage of the Border Target Operating Model, changing how we import from the EU. Safety and security declarations will be required for all goods transported into the UK from the EU, not just animal and food products. We hosted a webinar with Anna Doherty Senior Trade and Customs Specialist at The Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade and Tom Southall Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Cold Chain Federation , where they discussed how to prepare for the post-Brexit import changes. Anna told us that manufacturers must prioritise digitalisation and the flow of information between supply chain partners: “Data is everything. You have to have good control of your data and know what you have and what you don’t have.”?

See you in two weeks! ?

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