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in international markets because that flag means quality.”
It goes further said Davison with ‘Made in Oxford’ selling MINIs and ‘Made in London’, Brompton Bikes.
“With any change, it is all about engaging people,” stated Knight. “The automotive sector is streets ahead of other sectors,” she added noting that MINI at Cowley was now concentrating on ‘winning the hearts and minds’ of employees. To overcome quality control issues, for example, they had helped staff embrace the MINI product through a ‘Made perfect by you’ campaign.
Cross-industry collaboration can also help with the hearts and minds aspect, Barrington pointed out. “Motorsport people want to work in the Americas Cup at the moment, and vice versa.”
Murray: “This is where we score over robots, because they don’t have hearts and minds.”
So, there will always be a place for humans, won’t there?
Davison: “Oh yes, 100%.” Human curiosity and interest in different
projects will force businesses down innovative channels and into new markets. “Forward thinking from the top, plus the introduction of new technologies, will help manufacturing businesses fly.”
Watts highlighted the improved health and safety argument for more automation. “If you have less people doing risky things, you will have less accidents.”
Davison mentioned that technology-added manufacturing would enable the creation of materials and products that have never been made before. In many areas, manufacturing already employs fewer unskilled and semi-skilled workers, while providing more higher-skilled, interesting, safer jobs. Machines tend to be more cost-efficient, but the hand- made human quality factor is important to consumers.
The Roundtable agreed. The personal element is part of the magic of ‘Made in Britain.’
Digital manufacturing’s story needs to start in our schools
Barrington felt there should be a digital technology cross-industry ‘melting-pot’ initiative, aligned with fresh engagement with the education system at all levels. Schools often had good teachers, but they were career teachers with no knowledge or awareness of modern manufacturing or engineering, she noted.
Davison said EEF spread awareness of modern manufacturing with various partners including academia – where the most powerful advocates were often current graduates and apprentices.
Ella Barrington
Arnott: “Large plcs tend to have more time and money to establish schemes with schools. The issue for many SMEs is that they don’t, and still have a traditional image. The challenge is getting young people to realise that they can still do the cutting edge digital tech, and exciting manufacturing practices at a family business down the road.”
Antony White 38
businessmag.co.uk
Davison pointed out that the biggest manufacturing region in the UK is the South East. “It is very diverse manufacturing and often within clusters but we have a lot
of small South East companies that are leading edge. Selling the story of that manufacturing magic is something we have to do better.”
An investment of time and money
Davison: “Augmented reality technologies are here, but they need to be rolled out much further. The thing is, we are on the cusp of a change that is going to happen so fast that many of us will struggle to embrace it.”
White: “We have to encourage businesses to make that digital investment or risk stagnating and losing out commercially.” NatWest is doing that by assessing company desires and abilities to finance technology investment and providing ‘Statements of Appetite’ through its dedicated technology and green energy teams.
“Our biggest challenge is that businesses do not want to borrow money despite most banks having suitable balance sheets and appetites to lend money.” Brexit-induced market uncertainty was acting as a millstone around decision- makers’ necks, he added.
Based on a leading industry survey* of over 500 SMEs, Arnott reported that 90% are planning to undertake significant cap-ex in the next 12 months, with the vast majority investing in R&D. “Maybe it will be self-funded?”
Knight queried if businesses had sufficient market knowledge, advisory, peer group networks or business eco-systems to enable astute and confident decision- making.
Watts: “That’s one of the reasons I am at this Roundtable today. Networking is so important. The more cross-fertilisation there is, the better. I shall come away with 10 ideas today, just by investing two hours this morning.” His attendance at a recent Southern Manufacturing 100 dinner had gleaned valuable smart technology insights from the guest speaker from McLaren, he added.
“When you are busy at work it’s difficult to take time out to discover how to make your end product more efficiently and better. But you can catch-up
through investment because technological leaps can be great, and that’s the exciting thing about this fourth revolution.
“If Britain really does get its act together, we can catch-up in a lot of industry sectors.”
Knight felt the professional services sector should do more to help its clients share its technology investment experiences. “It’s something we are alive to, but can never seem to do enough of.”
White: “It is hard. NatWest is trying to do that through E-Spark and Catapult business centres and our Future Fit reports. There are many interesting things out there, but it comes down to encouraging businesses to invest their time and funding.”
Networking and advisory work is one of the fundamentals of the EEF, and its membership appeal, said Davison. “If people take away two things from our events and implement them in their businesses, then that is a day well spent.”
The Southern Manufacturing 100 enacted a similar brief, added Murray.
Taylor Made approaches the technology investment question with clients following a strategic review of their current IT infrastructure and potential IT usage, said Jeffers. “We act as a strategic IT partner, to ensure the efficient use and deployment of IT services within a business – essentially mitigating risk.”
The need for cyber security in manufacturing firms
Working in the inherently competitive motorsport world, Barrington admitted: “We are very IP sensitive. It is ingrained in us internally not to let secrets go. And, we have to consider outside threats because as we become more connected there are more potential loopholes, so we are very watertight and pro-active about our IT.”
Even IT experts Taylor Made Computer Solutions employ independent third-party assessors to regularly test the cyber resilience of their own IT infrastructure and systems, stated Jeffers. “There is probably not a
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH COAST – NOVEMBER 2016
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