SEPTEMBER 2020 FUTURE-PROOFING
Airedale Springs'
onshore production, meaning
businesses can better futureproof
themselves against delays
and downtime. After all, they
will be more in control of their
products and won’t have to
keep massive inventory, not to
mention how they can get the
right products to their clients in
a timely manner.”
Automation and robotics
have made it easier to
manufacture products locally,
so this is a trend that is
expected to continue, especially
as it creates more resilience in
supply chains.
Becoming more fl exible
The manufacturing industry is
constantly changing, and it’s
important that manufacturers
keep up with these changes in
order to be successful. Being
fl exible is key for this. As the
pandemic showed, fl exible
businesses that were capable
of adapting to the unique
circumstances and challenges
were also able to stay afl oat.
They were also capable of
creating diff erent products, as
seen by how manufacturers
began to produce ventilators
as part of the Ventilator
Challenge UK, and other critically needed medical
equipment and PPE.
This fl exibility will continue to be just as
important in the future. Stores and services
are opening but operating in a limited capacity,
which makes it more diffi cult for employees to
put their children in daycare or school; this, in
turn, leads to confl icts with work schedules. If
your staff can work from home, you don’t have
to worry about productivity, since they can still
do their jobs.
The pandemic has raised talk about fl exible
working (see p16) and the importance of
encouraging a better work life balance. Airedale
Springs introduced fl exible working in 1998.
The move, says Parkinson, has “severed us well,
accepting that not all employees can, or wish to,
work from home.”
For Parkinson, it’s crucial that Airedale
Springs continue to value a seamless – and
effi cient – integration of employees and
autonomous equipment.
“Airedale Springs has remained open
throughout the pandemic,” he concludes. “Our
wide customer base, supported by fl exible
operations and hardworking staff using the latest
in CNC automation allowed the company to keep
its customers going. We have learnt lessons and
are planning for changes yet to come and will be
as ready as we can be for anything in the future
because of these measures. Change forces change
and we have to embrace it."
were not ready for the massive
disruption of their supply chains.
Focusing your supply chain
in just one area, for example,
can result in your production
slowing down or stopping if
factories close. This is why
many manufacturers struggled
when factories in China were
shut down – many were relying
heavily on those suppliers and
were, therefore, left without
key materials or products for a
long time. This impacted their
business massively, as it led to
huge delays.
Investing in several supply
chains and more importantly
local supply chains is not just
important to prevent supply
disruptions, it’s also crucial
to be able to answer specifi c
spikes of productivity, such as
seasonal bursts.
One solution to this is looking
at more localised supply chains
(see our cover story, p12).
“While there has been
an increasing focus on local
manufacturing, especially
after rising tariff s, the global
pandemic appears to have
accelerated this and Brexit
may further compound this
issue,” says Parkinson. “More
businesses are looking for
local manufacturers, which are
closer to them and capable of
delivering a faster turnaround.
These short lead times are vital
for businesses and allows them
to manufacture on demand.
“While relying on globalised
manufacturing is not going to go
away, we may start to see more
Tim Parkinson
is a big believer
in localised
supply chains
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