InsideOutsourcing issue #23

Last time around, we were just days away from the general election, which resulted in a decisive victory for the Labour Party, and there was no real surprise with that result.

Conservatives have paid a heavy price for many years of ineffectiveness, personified by the Liz Truss mini budget that rocked the economy and left many of us still paying the financial price. After 14 years of the same government, a change was almost inevitable.?

From a UK manufacturing perspective, we await with interest on what positive steps a new government may take in the short and long-term. Some relatively easy decisions that could have a big impact, include a revised R&D policy, a review on Corporation Tax and more sustained support for SMEs around export.

Many of the challenges we face have been challenges we’ve been deliberating on for a long time – the skills shortage and engaging the next generation of engineers being high on the agenda. In partnership with other Manufacturing Assembly Network members, we’ll show you what efforts we’re taking to tackle that very issue in the opening story below.

One thing we’ve been pursuing and something we’ve been vocal about for some time is the power of collaboration and according to Richard Spears , PP Control & Automation (PP C&A) Marketing Manager and the brains behind PP Plus , collaboration is the growth-hack we should all be exploiting more.

There’s more to read on collaboration, as we officially launch a tie-in with Jaltek that aims to be the bridge between agricultural innovation and bringing the technology to market.

Furthermore, CEO, Tony Hague delves into one of industry’s hottest topics and explains why investing the right amount of time and money is crucial to coming up with the right answer to the ‘make vs buy’ outsourcing debate.

Welcome to issue 23 of InsideOutsourcing

Future ‘engineers’ recognised as Design & Make celebrates 5 years of inspiring the next generation

A major competition designed to get more young people involved in manufacturing has recognised the talented engineers of the future.

The Design & Make Challenge 2024, which is organised and run by the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), attracted nearly 100 pupils from 15 schools in what is one of the largest independent STEM events ever held in the UK.

Southam College, Barclay Academy and Lawrence Sheriff High School took the main prizes, winning the Efficiency, Innovation and Manufacturing Awards respectively for the way they tackled the challenge to use a box of simple materials to build a device that could securely lift a 23kg metal block with nothing more than a pulley system.

The Year 10, Year 11 and Year 12 students split up into teams of four to design, test and build their solution, working closely with apprentices from the eight MAN companies and graduate engineers from WMG, University of Warwick ’s SME Group, who were also the hosts for the day at the University of Warwick’s Innovation District.

“What a fantastic way to celebrate the 5th?year of the Design & Make Challenge, with the biggest turnout of students we’ve ever had – that really shows the appetite to learn more about a possible career in industry.”

Austin Owens , Managing Director at Grove Design and Co-Chair of the Manufacturing Assembly Network

(Source: Read more)

A blueprint for better collaboration

Richard Spears is Marketing Manager at PP C&A, and the brains behind PP Plus, a new collaborative network designed to help green technological innovation take root in the UK.

In an exclusive for Zenoot , he explores why collaboration is the growth-hack that UK manufacturers should be exploiting more.

When it comes to exploring the many opportunities for growth across the UK manufacturing community, no matter what corners we poke in or subject we delve, one thing routinely makes itself known…the power of collaboration.

It is central to how we solve our biggest problems and central to how we take advantage of our biggest opportunities, whether you are entering emerging markets or adopting new technologies, attracting and retaining talent, or maximising efficiencies and productivity.

But are we as effective as we can be at working together?

(Source: Read more)

PP C&A and Jaltek target ￡4m of new ‘agritech’ business with tie-up

A major new partnership has been signed that will give ‘agritech’ innovators a single point of contact for contract manufacturing and electronics.

PP C&A is collaborating with Jaltek to target up to ￡4m of new orders with UK organisations involved in indoor/vertical farming, automation, precision farming and remote sensing.

This relationship will help potential clients speed up time to market, maximise output and unlock value-add design and engineering by providing access to a comprehensive suite of engineering and production capabilities.

If the predicted growth materialises then the additional revenue will help both firms create new jobs at their factories in Cheslyn Hay and Luton.

(Source: Read more)

Make vs Buy: strategic decisions for machine builders

Tony Hague, CEO of PP C&A, delves into one of industry’s hottest topics and explains why investing the right amount of time and money is crucial to coming up with the right answer to the ‘make vs buy’ outsourcing debate.

The piece includes 8 key factors that drive decisions, and 10 tips on choosing the right outsourcing partner.

(Source: Read more)

New issue of Green Machine

Green Machine is the bi-monthly mini mag from PP Plus, an informative read with thought-leading narratives and opinions, Q&A’s with industry experts, and reactions to key green technology topics.

Inside issue 2:

NURTURING THE PRECIOUS SEEDS OF GREEN TECH

Al Baird of Wanted Studio asks,?“Why aren’t we seeing more Green Tech scale-ups?”

Q&A: THE IMPORTANCE OF CASHFLOW

EFM Associate Edward Leek on managing and optimising cashflow.

KINETIC POWER MACHINES

Kinetic Power Machines (KPM) create a range of problem-solving solutions across several project categories such as clean energy and electric vehicle technology

CARBON CAPTURE COMMITMENT ONE YEAR ON

What evidence is there that the newly elected Labour government will continue to support the 2023 Spring Budget CCS pledge?

(Source: Free download)

Thank you for reading

We hope you enjoyed this issue of InsideOutsourcing. Your comments and engagements are welcomed, and we look forward to sharing more from inside PP C&A, the UK's leading and award-winning strategic outsourcing provider to machine builders and OEMs.

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