MAMTC Newsletter - 9/18. The Future of Manufacturing
I recently had the privilege of being on a discussion panel that spoke about the future of manufacturing with the Kansas Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Kansas members. I was joined by Dean Tim Dawsey of the Pitt State University College of Technology and David Frankland, COO of Novation IQ of Lenexa, Kansas a very forward thinking company with a specific focus on developing and delivering game changing technologies to its customers. It was a great opportunity to talk about the current state of manufacturing and for me to share where MAMTC sees manufacturing headed.
In a 2017 NIST survey of manufacturers it was indicated that the challenges most important to manufacturers are:
- Continuous Improvement/Cost Reduction
- Employee Recruitment
- Growth
- Product Development
The current needs of manufacturers are good indicators of the future of manufacturing as new solutions and innovative tools are created to fulfill these needs. Here are five areas where we see manufacturing evolving towards the future:
Workforce Development
Over the next decade, nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will likely be needed, and 2 million are expected to go unfilled due to the skills gap. Moreover, according to a recent report, 80 percent of manufacturers report a moderate or serious shortage of qualified applicants for skilled and highly-skilled production positions. (Source: Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute) Retraining efforts are evolving to replace jobs that are disappearing with jobs that are newly developing. Awareness campaigns such as Manufacturing Day and Dream it, Do it have been developed to help change mis-informed perceptions that upcoming generations have around manufacturing, showing that manufacturing is actually a prospering career choice. If you are interested in learning more about either one of these initiatives, I’d love to talk to you more about them!
Robotics
Industrial robots have grown in popularity in manufacturing. Why? Productivity increases, usability, precision and improving worker safety are a few reasons. Robots protect workers from repetitive, mundane and dangerous tasks, while also creating new job opportunities, like engineering, programming, management and equipment maintenance. This may help manufacturers with the workforce shortage as well. While costs have historically kept many small and mid-size manufacturers out of the robotics game, it’s becoming increasingly important for them to adapt and adopt as these technologies take center stage. The good news is that as technologies have evolved, it has resulted in more cost effective robotic options as well.Think about how expensive DVD players used to be, but are now relatively cheap and are in almost every household that wants one.
Smart Manufacturing
What is smart manufacturing anyway? The use of real-time data and intelligent technology used by manufacturers to meet changing demands and conditions, and to enhance their communication, productivity and technology. It brings together big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), along with other technologies to benefit manufacturing operations and increase adaptive responsiveness to changing industry and customer needs. Many manufacturers already have begun implementing SM processes and concepts to enhance processes, efficiencies, production, and create training targeted to the technology they are using.
Additive Manufacturing
Additive Manufacturing is the high-precision fabrication of products that are built one layer at a time. It is commonly referred to as 3D printing. In the early stages, much of the focus on 3D printing was on research & development (R&D) and rapid prototyping. Additive Manufacturing now allows for mass customized production of finished products that are used in a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, healthcare and some consumer products.
Cybersecurity
As exemplified in the topics above, we are more connected to computers and data today than ever before. As manufacturing accelerates deeper into the Industrial Internet of Things (IOT) and greater connectivity to data and systems, the threat of a hack or security breach increases exponentially. According to Cisco’s 2017 Midyear Cybersecurity report, 28% of manufacturers said they experienced revenue loss due to attacks in the previous year. Many manufacturing facilities are aging and using legacy equipment which makes it imperative to immediately take the necessary steps to bolster their organization’s network security. There is a saying in the cybersecurity community that I like to remind manufacturers of, it is not a matter of if you will be hacked, it is a matter of when.
At MAMTC, we will continue to focus on being a trusted advisor for manufacturers and their current challenges. However, we are also focusing on the future of manufacturing and ensuring that Kansas manufacturers are prepared for the changes yet to come. If you have any questions or want to chat more about what the future holds for your manufacturing firm, I’d love to hear from you.
You can reach me at tstovall@mamtc.com or contact my team via the Contact Us link.
Newsletter Articles. September 2018.
The Impact of Manufacturing Day
Cybersecurity. Steps Manufacturers Need to Know