Ever since the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic, the manufacturing industry has seen its fair share of challenges. Apart from global economic instability that inclusively affects all industries, manufacturing companies do experience such recessions and many other challenges in their line of work.
In this article, we will highlight these challenges while offering amicable solutions on how to overcome them.
Let us delve into specifics.
Maintaining High Inventory Levels.
The importance of maintaining an inventory on company products cannot be over-emphasized. However, this can prove difficult, especially when finances are not trickling in as expected.
Solution
Cutting costs is the primary step to ensure the company has enough finances to purchase goods and maintain a proper inventory. Additionally, the company can consider manufacturing factoring services. Here, the factoring company will buy any pending invoices at a discounted rate, paying the manufacturing company money within 24 hours, give or take. The company can then use the money to fund their day to day operations as well as purchase.
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Lack Of Skilled Labor
Lack of skilled labor is one of the most significant challenges faced by manufacturing companies. There is a shortage of young workers in the manufacturing industry, as most employees are likely to retire in a decade or so.
Solution
Considering the detrimental effects the manufacturing industry faces due to the aging workforce, it is essential to have training programs to equip the less experienced workers with the necessary knowledge to hone their skills.
Manufacturing companies can also offer readily available internship programs for college and university graduates, among other things.
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Safety Problems
The manufacturing industry involves heavy machinery and other complex equipment that pose a safety hazard to employees. It is not uncommon to hear of non-fatal injuries at the workplace.
Solution
Injuries in the workplace reduce workforce and productivity. It is also expensive to the company as they may need to reimburse the injured employee and hire additional employees. To avoid such accidents, manufacturing companies should give their employees the proper attires when at work. For instance, they should have helmets, anti-slip boots, and reflector jackets to improve visibility. Additionally, the company can invest in trolleys and trucks that do the heavy lifting, keeping injuries associated with lifting bulky goods and machinery at bay.
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Forecasting
One of the ways that brands manage to do so well is by forecasting their products’ future. Unfortunately, many manufacturing companies find it challenging to predict the future of consumer trends. Hence, they end up flooding the market with unnecessary products or under-manufacturing and not making enough sales.
Solution
Technology is evolving and presenting business people with various tools to elevate their business to the next level. In this case, there are reporting devices that allow manufacturing companies better predict future consumer trends. Besides, prototype manufacturing companies could help to make the first prototype so that a real product could show to consumers and test the market. By scrutinizing consumer reception, they can understand which products consumers love and those they are not interested in. That way, they can make an informed decision on which products to manufacture.
