FOCUS Operations & efficiency
INVEST IN PEOPLE AND PLATFORMS
automation, machine learning, robotic process automation, and digital twin simulation. To overcome these challenges, businesses need to supplement traditional training approaches, which are no longer enough. This means having such initiatives in place like partnering with local education providers, academies, or rotating the workforce through systems knowledge. Some manufacturers are even collaborating
Andrew Kinder, Senior Vice President Industry Strategy, Infor, says manufacturing success depends on having the right people, with the right tools, making the right decisions
I
t’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of digital transformation. Watch a robotic arm gliding with precision, or see a predictive algorithm catch a defect before it happens, and you begin to feel the future is already here. And in many ways, it is. smart technology – AI, robotics, machine learning – is changing how day to day processes are done. But here is the twist, the smarter machines get and the more we automate, the more we need people who can work with these technologies. People who can manage complexity, interpret data and lead transformational change. Yet despite this need, there is a widening worker access between the most and least productive organisations.
It’s tempting to think of automation purely reduced waste, fewer hands on the line. But this view misses the bigger picture. happen. Modern automation is streamlining repetitive tasks, and advanced analytics is bringing a new level of precision to forecasting and planning. But it’s humans that bring judgement, context, and adaptability. All skills that are increasingly important as operations become more digital and data driven. Where organisations face the most risk is in avoiding this balance. It’s no longer enough
24 July/August 2025 | Automation
to just invest heavily in new platforms. You must also ensure that teams can use them scheduling for example. These systems can and even forecast defects. But for this to realities.
Findings from Make UK’s Q1 Manufacturing Outlook report shows that despite this trend, a third of manufacturers are still delaying investment. And given the uncertainty around the economy, this is understandable. But while the cautious comfort, it can also create competitive risk in the longer term.
Those companies pulling ahead in today’s
increasingly competitive environment are the ones that see workforce development as a strategic asset. The most productive are already investing over 25% more in workforce development. This investment often occurs across areas like GenAI and Agentic agents to automate and support operator activities. Providing guided task management and linking incentives and rewards to the attainment of new operator skills. To build a true sustainable pipeline of talent however, manufacturers need to take
directly with organisations like Make UK’s National Manufacturing Skills Taskforce, or tapping into local skills improvement plans with future hiring pipelines. At the same time, fostering transparency
and trust around the right tools cannot be ignored. If manufacturers really want to succeed in overcoming the skills gap, they must bring their people along with them. Because if employees misunderstand the tools available to them, or worse, don’t trust them, the technology will add friction rather than removing it.
Employees must be included in early conversations. There should be a focus on communications and towards conveying the “why” behind the changes; clearly showing how roles will evolve. There’s a proud manufacturing history in the UK, but reliance on this legacy alone won’t carry the industry forward. Manufacturers need to operate with speed and agility. We often talk about resilience in terms of organisations can become more adaptive and more competitive.
It’s time to transition away from the idea that you can choose between tech and talent. The manufacturers who understand this platforms, will bridge today’s skills gap and
Infor
www.infor.com/en-gb
automationmagazine.co.uk
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