Manufacturing is constantly evolving, moving far from Henry Ford’s assembly line to the systems we see today.
Every year there are new trends that impact the landscape of manufacturing, and as a manufacturer of membrane keyboards, graphic overlays and screen printed labels at Fascia Graphics® we like to keep on top of these trends and be prepared from what the coming year might bring.
Here are the 5 trends that are expected to shape manufacturing in 2015:
SMAC
Social, Mobile, Analytics and Cloud (SMAC) is becoming an essential tool for manufacturers, representing the next wave in improved customer engagement and growth.
There is always a need for innovation in the industry and effective use of SMAC enabled manufacturers to improve efficiency and development.
Social Media
Social media continues to impact the manufacturing industry in 2015, forcing manufactures to take a step away from the traditional business to business (B2B) model and become more customer-centric,moving towards B2B2C. Today’s customers are better informed and expect their products on demand, comparing, selecting and buying products with a tap on their smartphone or tablet device. Social media is becoming the preferred communication platform for many.
Internet of Things (IoT)
2015 will see a renewed focus on science and engineering. Improved Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education will help create a manufacturing workforce that can manage highly technical systems allowing for greater automation, which in turn frees up employees’ time to work on R&D.
The Internet of Things allows for condition based maintenance of important machinery, thus driving efficiencies and saving labour and service costs.
Investment
As manufacturers become more focused on gaining value through innovation, 2015 will see an increase in investment, increasing spending in such areas as equipment, new technologies and upgrading factory operations.
Reshoring
With rising wages in Asia , increased shipping costs and the need to improve product lead times, reshoring will be a continuing trend in 2015, with manufacturers moving their production closer to where their product will be sold. Reshoring allows for such benefits as; greater control over the supply chain, shorter lead times and reduced transportation costs.
