No matter the industry and geography, the topic of "People vs. Robots" is a hot topic! Certainly, manufacturing has been focused on technology and automation for quite some time to navigate the path to thrive in the modern environment of high costs, regulations, and elevated customer demands.
Economic volatility and uncertainty are the new normal. Instead of lamenting, manufacturers have a unique opportunity. There has never been a better time to stand out from the crowd with a superior customer experience amidst the chaos.
Explore the dynamics of workforce automation and talent transformation in modern manufacturing and logistics sectors.
With the high level of volatility and disruption that is commonplace in today’s business environment, creating resiliency has become a must.
As we toured several e-commerce facilities such as UPS and Amazon, it became obvious that the sheer volume during peak season presents a huge dilemma. For example, UPS goes from 250-300 containers per night to 450 during peak season. Now that is quite a surge! Amazon has similar surges and stated facts such as 68 million orders on Cyber Monday.
“We have some of the most innovative companies in the world in the Inland Empire,” said Award Chair Lisa Anderson, Lisa Anderson, MBA, CSCP, CLTD, president of LMA Consulting Group Inc, Manufacturing and Supply Chain Expert.
In thinking about the answer to the question, "What if you sell more?", most sales people would cheer. Most accountants would add up the additional revenue and profit. And, often, the Operations resources would be glad the leaders are in a good mood. But does anyone know if we are set up to successfully handle the increased sales if they occur?
According to Industry Week, manufacturing employment increased almost 300,000 over the last year! This is after increasing around 200,000 the year prior which is more than a 40% increase.
If you are in manufacturing or relate to manufacturing, pay attention! There is plenty of opportunity to grow and thrive in today's business environment. What are you doing to take advantage of the vast potential?
