What Will the Manufacturing Industry Look Like Post-Pandemic?

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc in various industries and sectors, our attention is now turning on to what the post-pandemic world will look like. In the manufacturing industry, the coronavirus has and will actually change how things are done. Some of the elements that were considered integral in the manufacturing industry will be turned upside down in a way that we did not expect. 

Understanding the Impact COVID-19 Has Had on the Manufacturing Industry

The pandemic has not only disrupted supply and demand but also the working practices that we are all used to. With human labor being rooted deep in the DNA of the manufacturing industry, the bugging question is how manufacturers will be able to navigate these tough times while adhering to the stringent measures imposed by various governments.

Although the Novel Coronavirus may be the worst disruption we've seen in our lifetime, it's definitely not the first and won't be the last. Instead of looking at the negatives on the manufacturing sector, manufacturer’s should focus on the attributes of adaptability, agility, and resilience. This will help create manufacturing processes, an ecosystem, and a supply chain aligned with post-pandemic needs. Let’s look at some fundamental changes that you should expect in the manufacturing industry post-pandemic.

Higher Machinery Costs Due to Trade Restrictions and Shipping Delays

If there is an area that the manufacturing industry has been hit hard, it is the supply chain. The increased trade restriction and the bottlenecks surrounding the Covid-19 menace are making the supply of raw materials and imported machinery inflexible. As we move to the post-pandemic era, manufacturers should expect the prices for machines to rise in response to a reduction in human labor, scarcity of raw materials, and border-to-border restrictions.  

While everybody is aware that international cooperation is needed to keep trade flowing, the pandemic has ushered in several unprecedented problems every country wants to avoid, hence the need for export/import restrictions and trade barriers. The Covid-19 epidemic has brought an increased number of new restrictions and distortions that are sure to affect the machinery supply to the core. 

Social Distancing Guidelines in Work Environments

Many manufacturing companies are using the Covid-19 guidelines to map out operations to optimize the flow of materials and labor processes. Making the virus part and parcel of the thought process will help mitigate the workforce's risks of becoming infected. Therefore, as we move from the panic mode to the post-pandemic era, expect social distancing guidelines to become the new normal in the manufacturing workshops and companies. 

Workstations will be spaced six feet apart, and outlining circles on the floor will help workers maintain safe distances. Also, there will be adjustments of the number of workers per shift, the number of turns per day will be increased, and we’ll start seeing staggered start times to ensure that employees don’t come into close contact at any time. 

Key Changes We Can Expect to See in the Manufacturing Industry Post-Pandemic

Digitization and automation of manufacturing processes will be inevitable in the post-pandemic manufacturing environment. Although human labor is integral, manufacturing industrial trends will be ticking towards the use of robots, more automation and software when the coronavirus starts to ease. The massive requirements for companies that want to resume full operation may force them to switch to digital technologies.  

Manufacturers will have to meet social distancing norms, take employee's temperature at the entrance, install cleaning booths, provide extra protective gear, and adhere to other state-imposed liabilities for the coming future. When manufacturing companies evaluate and factor in the costs of all these things, they will be prompted to move to full blown digitization and automation. 

We might witness the use of software and automation at the factory level in a quest to avoid the high dependency on manual labor and spur efficiency. At the manufacturing ecosystem, we might witness data aggregation through data analysis and artificial intelligence, which will help manage complexity and get rid of human dependent data processes.

Contact us at Southern Fabricating Machinery Sales to see how we can help you streamline your organization for the future.