SUPPLY CHAINS


A


s supply chain risks vary from logistics challenges to material shortages and production stoppages, Andy Turner talks about the importance of modular set-ups


in battling disruption. Many of my conversations with manufacturing


customers over the past few months have fixated on one main issue: “How can I cope better with supply chain setbacks?”. We’re now facing a new reality where


regular disruption is the standard, leaving manufacturers in the UK and Ireland increasingly exposed to unavoidable delays, shortages and price surges, in turn leading to unhappy customers and stakeholders. According to YouGov, 43 per cent of British


businesses are concerned about geopolitical issues, with 39 per cent concerned about financial resilience. With all this endless uncertainty in place, it’s


easy to get tied up in knots, left continuously playing catch-up reacting to crises rather than proactively managing production changes. This is where my peers and I have seen the


benefits of modern production set-ups, where technology is fully integrated with day-to-day operations.


THE CONTRAST BETWEEN TRADITIONAL AND MODERN FACTORIES WHEN ISSUES FLARE UP Most factories are shackled to rigid legacy hardware systems, treating software only as an afterthought until gaps in technology halt scalability and flexibility. Software-defined factories sit at the opposite


side of this, where software is the primary driver of manufacturing, decoupling control from a central unit and onto individual drives and motors. Where traditional set-ups struggle to adapt


to different materials and fluctuations in demand, software-defined systems leverage their lack of reliance on specific hardware to instantly reconfigure production lines based on real-time data. The contrast couldn’t be starker when you


compare what happens in each set-up, when a drive fails during peak production. In a traditional factory, a drive failure during


peak production quickly turns into a drawn-out problem. With no early warning, diagnosis takes time, especially without clear system visibility, and by the time the issue is understood, production has already taken a hit. Further delays come when spare parts have


to sourced internationally, and while remote support can help solve small issues, a lack of on-site service presence can extend downtime and grow the production backlog.


TIRED OF LACKING PRODUCTION AGILITY WHEN TIMES GET TOUGH?


INCREASE YOUR RESILIENCE WITH A SOFTWARE-DEFINED FACTORY By Andy Turner, Director, SEW-Eurodrive


In a modular, locally supported set-up,


faults are picked up earlier through continuous monitoring and isolated before they disrupt the wider operation. Teams have clearer insight into what’s gone


wrong and where to act, with locally sourced parts arriving quickly, while engineers are close by and can attend in person, keeping disruption under control by speeding up repairs and getting production back on track.


THE LIMITS OF REMOTE SUPPORT IN HIGH-PRESSURE PRODUCTION Relying on remote support alone can seem like an easy way to manage maintenance, offering quick access to expertise and a more cost- controlled approach to troubleshooting. In reality, you’ll face difficulties in live production environments, where issues often require physical inspection and hands-on intervention. Working with a production equipment


supplier that has engineers based near you strengthens resilience, helping you respond faster to breakdowns with hands-on fixes that remote tools can’t provide. At the same time, getting your replacement


parts from a supplier in your country removes delays associated with international shipping, allowing components to be delivered,


30 MAY 2026 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS


assembled and adapted far more quickly. This cuts downtime and helps keep production running, even when things get difficult. This is something we see in practice through


our work with Rapid International, a specialist concrete machinery manufacturer operating across the worldwide construction industry. With equipment deployed worldwide,


consistent service and support is critical to keeping Rapid International’s operations running as expected. Through SEW-Eurodrive’s regional production model, with local facilities and engineers, we build, service and adapt equipment closer to where Rapid International needs it, helping them stay reliable across their global operations. That experience underlines a wider point:


resilience needs to be built into the factory floor itself, in how production systems are set up and supported day to day. When flexible systems and local support


are in place, it becomes easier to manage disruption as it happens and keep production moving. In the current climate, that level of control is quickly becoming necessary for sustaining consistent output.


SEW-Eurodrive www.sew-eurodrive.co.uk


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