Received wisdom outside the manufacturing world is that automation and technology are replacing humans.
That it must be an industry in decline, there must be fewer jobs and there is little future once you've outsourced your own career to a jumped-up vacuum cleaner.
We know the truth is a million miles from that, but perception is reality. It's a tough nut to crack and whilst well-informed industry professionals are not necessarily the issue, people who have joined other sectors, those who are hidden away in tech firms on the M4, people who've had career breaks and non-technical team members can be harder to convince.
The truth is, manufacturing is growing.
Factory output is predicted to rise and some reports are claiming we could make our manufacturing industry up to 25% more efficient with careful use of technology - and intelligent deployment of the technical professionals who design, build and maintain it.
In fact, it's just got started. There's talk of the fourth industrial revolution; using technology to radically transform the way we live, work and relate to one another. This will allow huge changes to the way work and society in general is organised. It's exciting and exhausting just keeping up.
'The Manufacturer' is predicting that Britain could soon break into the world's top 5 manufacturers. Not bad for a nation that, according to naysayers, has 'lost all of its manufacturing'.
Anyone in the industry will know that 'Manufacturing 4.0' is where most agile businesses are heading. The Internet of Things, Virtual Reality, 3D Printing, Servitisation, Automation, AI and Machine Learning - once the stuff of science fiction, now very much matters of fact.
Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, says we can "together shape a future that works for all by putting people first, empowering them and constantly reminding ourselves that all of these new technologies are first and foremost tools made by people for people."
In essence, your people are the .1
This can be easy to overlook when there's so much distracting tech to focus on. And it's easy to use the same methods, suppliers and techniques you've used since the first Industrial Revolution.
But it's also easy to see why radical changes in society, in work and in technology will create a seismic shift in careers and an individual's relationship with work.
Get the people part right and your technology, your innovation and your service follow. And that's where we can help.
We specialise in the recruitment of candidates across Executive, Director, Mid-Senior Management and Technical Professional positions, within multiple functional disciplines:
General Management & Operations • Manufacturing, Production & Engineering • Sales & Commercial • Human Resources, Learning and Development & Health, Safety and Environment • Technical, Design & Research and Development • Project, Programme & Product • Supply Chain & Logistics • Quality, Lean & Six Sigma • Purchasing, Procurement & Finance
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