Business

Common Challenges and Problems in the Manufacturing Industry

Common Challenges and Problems in the Manufacturing Industry
The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on many industries, including the manufacturing industry. Here’s what you need to know moving forward.

The post-pandemic world is still working to counteract the many effects of COVID-19, and the manufacturing industry is not immune. While we can expect some growth as we move past the pandemic, there are quite a few common challenges and problems still facing the manufacturing industry.

Skill Gap

While the skill gap between baby boomers and younger workers is not specifically due to the pandemic, it is a major problem facing the manufacturing industry today. The current estimate is that over 20 percent of currently skilled manufacturing workers will be retired by the end of 2025.

With fewer young skilled workers coming in than ever before, it’s important for manufacturing companies to partner with educational institutions and upskill employees to meet the changing needs of the industry.

Supply Chain Disruptions

Even though the pandemic is largely behind us, disruptions to the supply chain will continue to be a factor for the foreseeable future. This is true internationally as well as within the United States, which means you should focus on growing your warehouse space to facilitate your ability to stock up on necessary inventories.

Managing Obsolescence

One of the trickiest problems to overcome is that of obsolescence in the manufacturing industry. There are always changes and advancements in manufacturing technology, which leads to older products falling out of fashion with distributors. However, just because these products are now unsupported doesn’t mean that every facility in the world can suddenly upgrade to the latest model.

This leads to facilities using obsolete technology, which breaks down like any other machine. However, when an obsolete item breaks down, you won’t have the original manufacturer to rely on for replacement parts and repairs. Managing obsolescence in industrial automation means coming up with a plan to follow when unsupported machines break down.

Now that you know these common challenges and problems in the manufacturing industry, it’s best if you can see these issues as opportunities to change and strengthen your sector. Once you overcome these restrictions, your facility will be stronger than many others around!

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