Gradual upgrades to help tackle UK’s productivity issue
The UK is currently experiencing a significant downturn in manufacturing production. In fact, a very recent report has cited it as the deepest decline since the 2008 financial crisis. Here, Tom Cash, director of industrial parts supplier, Foxmere, explains how manufacturers can manage obsolescence, especially during a time the UK faces a productivity crisis.
Such decline can be attributed to many things. However, the role industrial equipment plays in productivity should not be overlooked, as according to a survey by Atomik — research on behalf of Shire Leasing — 52 per cent of manufacturing employees said that outdated equipment regularly hindered their work.
This comes as no surprise, as older machinery often lacks advanced automation, which massively slows down production processes, and maintenance becomes more frequent, leading to more downtime for repairs. That’s before mentioning the costly repairs or the equipment no longer meeting current safety and quality standards, which increases the risk of errors and defects.
Quite alarmingly, the limitations and potential consequences of old machinery become exacerbated when factored in with the UK's productivity crisis. But this doesn’t mean that all old equipment must be ripped out and replaced, even if it has become obsolete.
The UK productivity issue
According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, output per hour worked was just 0.6 per cent above its pre-pandemic 2019 average in the first quarter of 2023.
The UK's productivity has not made significant progress since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, it has been on a relatively weak growth path since the financial crisis, as productivity progress has not been strong enough to match the historical trend that existed for several decades prior to 2008.
In sectors like manufacturing, low productivity reduces competitiveness, increases production costs, reduces exports, slows economic expansion and potentially cuts jobs.
Simply put, the implications ripple through various facets of the economy and can be felt greatly by both businesses and workers alike.
The shining light
Despite the doom and gloom, there is a way this productivity issue can be tackled — and that’s through automation. In its simplest form, automation helps to streamline production and increase efficiency.
Without removing human interaction, robotics can assist workers and increase production output by creating a more efficient environment. Here, they can eliminate repetitive tasks and allow workers to upskill while reducing human error in the process by ensuring higher levels of accuracy.
What’s more, robotics also provide access to new production methods, including 3D printing and laser cutting, that would otherwise be difficult or impossible for manufacturers to use. Automated machines can also operate around the clock without needing breaks for rest or food, meaning that ‘lights out’ manufacturing can commence.
In fact, many employees and leaders already view automation as a complementary tool, with Harvard Business Review reporting that more than 90 per cent of recently surveyed workers said automation increased their productivity.
