More than half of UK manufacturers affected by recruitment in the last year

The 2022 Manufacturing Agility Assessment report, which was launched today [16 November] on day one of Smart Factory Expo in Liverpool, painted a worrying picture of labour shortages and supply chain disruption, with 69% citing issues with sourcing material and components.
https://www.digital-manufacturing-week.com/expo

Conducted by tech specialist HSO and industry experts Hennik Research, the survey also revealed that nearly four fifths of companies had accelerated investment in products, people, premises and processes to mitigate world events – a 17% rise on the previous year.

And 76% admitted they had diversified activities to overcome global shocks, with just over two thirds of the total 100 respondents (67%) stockpiling inventory during the past 12 months.

“2021 was a time for recovery, but other factors including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, a global microprocessor shortage and an increasingly challenging recruitment landscape have hindered progress for many companies,” explained Grace Gilling, managing director of Hennik Research.

“The need to remain agile and the ability to adapt and react to changing situations is critical if firms want to not only survive but thrive. In fact, it is a key component in facing the obstacles associated with all the aforementioned factors, with digital transformation set to play a hugely important role in all of this.”

She continued: “That’s why it’s so encouraging to see nearly four fifths of manufacturers increasing investment to mitigate economic shocks.”