Why Digital is Now the Norm

Digitalization is no longer a choice but a question of pace.

Last year, we published a report in partnership with Raconteur and The Manufacturer that looked at the state of the manufacturing industry. We said that manufacturers can no longer afford to debate whether they should invest in futureproofing their operations; it’s time to think about the actual ‘doing’. Where do we stand now, considering all that has happened in the past few years?

Overall, the sector is fairly resilient and most sub-verticals are bouncing back, however the industry desperately needs to be moving towards innovation. Henry Anson is the Managing Director of Hennik Research, a publisher that’s deeply rooted in the manufacturing industry. The company’s portfolio of titles include The Manufacturer and the Lean Management Journal. According to Anson, “there is an acceptance that change is inevitable”.

The manufacturing industry is no stranger to global disruptions (SARS in 2002, financial crash in 2008, Icelandic ash cloud in 2010, the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, COVID-19, etc.). He says: “There is an understanding that there will be more of these seismic shocks in the future, caused by future pandemics, geo political uncertainty (trade wars – US/China) and climate change. “And consequently, there will be an accelerated adoption of Industry 4.0. There’s almost universal appreciation that more digitalized, automated manufacturers would have been better prepared to deal with the current pandemic and future crisis.”

So, it’s safe to assume that while digitalization may have been slowly becoming the norm, it now needs to be.