Manufacturers turn to automation and Industry 4.0 strategies to conquer workforce challenges

Drivers

• The Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC) began conducting a survey in May 2020, asking manufacturers about their top needs during the pandemic. After collecting nearly 2,500 responses from Illinois manufacturers, the highest priority needs of manufacturing leaders include:
  • Growth - recapturing lost sales and creating new growth opportunities.
  • Workforce - find, train and retain skilled employees.
  • Productivity - maximize capacity, increase outputs and focus on efficiencies in processes.
  • Leadership – lead the organization toward high performance.
  • Safety – improve safety and sanitation in operations.
• The manufacturing industry is seeing strong demand for products and services; specifically, those that are tied to infrastructure.
• Automation will be an important strategy to remedy some of the workforce challenges being experienced by manufacturing companies. Industry 4.0 refers to a new phase in the Industrial Revolution that focuses heavily on interconnectivity, automation, machine learning and real-time data. Workgroups around Illinois and Iowa are collaborating and planning local outreach efforts. 

Drawbacks

• Businesses continue to experience supply chain challenges, shipping/receiving delays, delays in the delivery of materials, and increased pricing of raw materials.
• Workforce continues to be a top priority for businesses. Some companies have experienced increased demand for their products and services, but their production capacity is limited with fewer employees. 
• Recommendations and mandates for vaccination and masking are impacting businesses. Policies and enforcement of such are changing by the day. With a heightened risk of potential transmission among unvaccinated and unmasked employees; businesses should be prepared to manage potential quarantining of exposed individuals. Continued flexibility will be necessary for workers with children.