Factory Life: How Manufacturers are Dealing with Market Disruptions During the Pandemic

All of us, regardless of profession, industry or situation in life, have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic that has swept the globe. In the face of months of social distancing and quarantine, massive testing, with millions contracting the virus, all of us have been impacted in one way or another.

The world of manufacturing is no exception. For many manufacturers, they’ve had to cut down on operations, temporarily close, or in some extreme cases, close their doors permanently. 

On the other side, many factories that produce and manufacture certain high-demand items such as medical gear and PPE, sanitary products and more, production has ramped up two or three times higher than it was before, and they struggle to keep up while still providing a quality product. 

How Manufacturers Are Responding to Market Disruptions

Manufacturing companies are having to adapt to these new conditions, implementing new protocols and safety measures along the way. 

For the companies that have ramped up their production, they’ve also had to ramp up quality control. Naturally, when a company is manufacturing exponentially more than they were before, going faster and harder, the room for error grows. 

This is why many businesses are implementing systems that utilize Smart Manufacturing systems, systems that monitor production and manufacturing from an automated standpoint, pointing out problems before they arise and helping companies streamline their production practices. 

These Smart Manufacturing systems do more than just anticipate problems; they can reduce manufacturing costs, streamline processes and increase productivity. Using a visual system of lights, everyone on the production floor can easily see when systems are running smoothly, when potential problems arise, and when production must stop to fix an issue. This intuitive, forward-thinking system is a great way for any manufacturing company to stay on top of the production line. 

How Smart Technology Is Aiding Key Manufacturing Industries

Companies that produce medical supplies such as PPE, gloves, face masks, hand sanitizer and other much-needed, highly-sought after materials know that getting as much product out as they can is imperative to helping combat this virus around the world. They are working round the clock, with dedicated staff of essential workers to bring medical personnel, clinics, and patients the supplies that they need as quickly and safely as possible. 

For these industries, Smart Manufacturing systems are more important than ever. Manufacturers can’t waste time on small errors and mistakes on the production floor when time is of the essence. A Smart system can avoid all those issues and keep the line running safely and smoothly around the clock. These systems help employers keep up with demand even with short-staff, as employees spend less time on the floor and more time practicing social distancing, keeping everyone safer in the meantime.

As manufacturers strive to keep up with the growing demands and challenges of coronavirus-related market changes, Smart technology will be a key asset. Not only will these systems benefit key industries like medical manufacturers, but it will also help manufacturers who are adapting to an increasing need for other products such as household goods.

For more information on safe return-to-work practices, check out this handy guide. 

from Feedster https://www.feedster.com/news/factory-life-how-manufacturers-are-dealing-with-market-disruptions-during-the-pandemic/