COVER STORY JANUARY 2019
business; before, they could
only see what was in front of
their eyes. That visibility allows
management to make decisions
that can improve the overall
business performance.”
Is there an appetite?
So, tomorrow’s manufacturing
manager will need to be a highly
skilled, tech-savvy, forwardthinking
one. But how urgent is
this need? According to Future
Fit, manufacturers should be
aiming to achieve this mindset as
soon as 2020, at which point we
will see a tipping point whereby
there will be more connected
‘things’ – machines, products and
systems – than there are people
on the planet. And this isn’t just
scaremongering, says Hill. “The
80% of companies that aren’t
trailblazers will need help getting
to that level as soon as possible.
The pace of change is incredible
– look at how traditional sectors
like retail are struggling. When an
industry-wide legislation change
happens, such as emissions
regulations in the automotive
industry, you see a sudden,
monolithic need for widespread
change in a short amount of
time. There are potentially
new companies out there as we
move into a digital world, which
will become serious players in
industries like manufacturing.
“To make the most of all the
opportunities this brave new
world off ers, leadership teams
will need to take time out to
understand whether they have
the right things at the top of
their agenda to create the right
sort of vision and action plan to be able to steer
the company in the right direction. Is looking at
today’s P&L the right approach? I would see not
having that mentality as a real threat to a company,
and not having that willingness to change the way
the leadership team operates will demonstrate to
shareholders that there may not be a viable future
for the company. It’s important to know where you
are now, but also where you’re going.”
The opportunities posed by the future of
manufacturing are massive, but will only be
achieved if more companies get on board with
the trailblazer mindset. Future Fit has warned that
many manufacturers are not as progressive or
forward-thinking as they think they are; it’s vital,
therefore, that industry learns from those who
are ahead of the curve – how can their knowledge
and practices be best shared with others who want
to improve in areas like product and business
innovation, skills development and growth? It’s
important for the trailblazers to showcase what
‘good’ looks like, in areas like talent development,
investment in innovation and exporting,
highlighting to those aspiring to reach the same
level how to get there. The main challenge
will come in helping these companies become
trailblazers, and then sustain it.
As Hill concludes: “Companies are starting
to realise that they are doing a lot of things very
well – better than they realised – but there are still
plenty of gaps. These gaps are opportunities for
growth, and ones that Future Fit leaders should
be aware of and exploiting as a matter of urgency.
We want to see companies position themselves
to take advantage of the wins today, but also set
themselves up for wins in the future. A company is
only as good as its leadership, and the quality of a
senior team can be the diff erence between success
and failure. Everyone in senior management has to
be honest with themselves and look at what they
are doing to develop their own capabilities as a
leader to ensure they are bringing the right mindset
to push the company forward.”
To read the full Future Fit report, visit
https://bit.ly/2GRe39V
Are you a
trailblazer?
Future Fit identifi es six key
behaviours that defi ne a
trailblazing mindset. They are:
● Collaboration
● Diversifi cation
● Proactivity
● Positivity
● Forward-thinking strategy
● Innovation high
on the agenda
The report
adds that many
manufacturers
will have one or
more of these traits –
but not an innovationfocused
outlook.
“Most are looking to grow,
or describe themselves as
forward-thinking, and nearly
eight in 10 feel they have the
internal capability to develop
forward-thinking strategies.
However, for many of these,
the development of strategic
plans may not be at the top of
the agenda.
“In these cases, businesses
are not as prepared for the
disruptive environment and
are less likely to be aware of
new challenges, opportunities,
vulnerabilities and strengths.”
22 www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk
sdecoret/stock.adobe.com
innovation-
Tomorrow’s managers
will need to be more
forward-thinking
/2GRe39V
/www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk
/stock.adobe.com