How 'SMART' is your organisation?

We are living in an era of great technological innovation. With progress comes both change and reward for organisations that are ready to embrace the digital world. Heightened by the events of recent years, the role technology plays in how we interact as individuals, with consumers and the wider environment has never been more apparent.

Particularly within Manufacturing; digitisation and automation of the production process has been a catalyst for growth. Modernisation will not only reward in the present day, but also build resilience against future market and economic change.

How does your business access the right skills to stay ahead?

Smart Manufacturing

The manufacturing sector has been disrupted for generations. What started with ‘Industrial’ is now very much a ‘Digital’ Revolution. With the introduction of Industry 4.0; cloud computing, connected IoT, as well as data analytics and machine learning, technology will continue to drive improvements. These innovations contribute to business growth by cutting waste and improving quality, safety and productivity.

Whilst some businesses are still wrestling with 4.0 adoption, the next iteration - Industry 5.0 is now also being advanced. This progression brings increased customisation and enhanced collaboration between technology and people. In this new environment, processes run faster, decisions are better and business outcomes are greater. Utilising the latest technology, businesses can now create highly personalised products of greater quality, quicker, as demanded by consumers.

More so, businesses that don’t offer these solutions risk being outdated and marginalised. ?As the world progresses, the key to growth is removing the obstacles stifling progress enabling you to maximise the potential of innovative technology.

Access to the right skills

A lack of technical knowledge defined as the ‘Digital Skills Gap’ is often cited as the biggest barrier to digital transformation.?With the growth of artificial intelligence and the rise of smart machines, certain historic job roles will be eliminated. Machines will bring greater consistency and efficiency to the manufacturing process, as well as providing access to real-time data and analytics. At the same time creating millions of jobs across Software Development, Cloud, Data and Security. Leaders need to upskill their existing workforce, ready to integrate and create a sustainable workforce capable of meeting today’s challenges and adjusting to future problems.

Combining this with a modern, progressive hiring process and a strong employee value proposition you can stand out and attract the talent needed to progress forward and stay ahead. ?A greater emphasis on softer skills, flexible benefits including hybrid working and a hiring strategy supportive of neurodiversity will also broaden your talent pool. A departure from the conventional ‘advertise and apply’ model to a partnering with the right organisations to ‘find and engage’ will ensure you gain access the right talent, not merely the best available at the time.

The Future of Manufacturing

Today’s workplace is complex, modern and ever-changing. Digital transformation is revolutionising the way businesses behave. It will soon not be viable for organisations to simply rely on conventional and pre-existing manual processes. This has been recognised at Government level, where significant funding has been committed, including the Made Smarter Programme targeted at modernising UK manufacturing. Manufacturers can also independently measure their own digital health and prioritise what changes will make the greatest impact by using the SIRI Index (Smart Industry Readiness Index). Business agility and resilience will be key characteristics that will define the future, but for companies that want to stay ahead and outpace their competition it’s critical to act quickly and decisively.

Rob Fain?is a specialist IT recruiter for Berwick Partners. Part of the Odgers Berndtson Group. Our IT & digital leadership practice, focuses on placing and retaining emerging leadership talent, including heads of IT functions – IT security, projects, architecture, software etc. as well as IT directors, leaders, and C-suite professionals.

A number of clients recently have embarked upon digital transformation programmes and we would welcome the opportunity to talk with business leaders who are considering or are currently involved in similar projects.