Monday, October 16, 2006
Manufacturing is alive and well
A recent report by the Institute for Manufacturing, which claims manufacturing is already gone or going from the UK is flawed, according to Robert Rospedzihowski of Premier Farnell.
A recent report by the Institute for Manufacturing (IFM), which claims manufacturing is already gone or going from the UK is flawed, according to Robert Rospedzihowski, the Global Accounts Director at Premier Farnell. Says Rospedzihowski: "Most UK-based business managers I speak to would strongly disagree with the findings of the report". "In response to cost pressures and dramatic shifts in demand, the volume production of original equipment manufacturing (OEM) has indeed moved to global contract manufacturers which, in turn, have moved out from Western to Eastern Europe and on into Asia".
"However, the low volume OEMs have remained in the West and the UK has a significant advantage servicing them as a result of its impressive skill base of design engineers with sophisticated high-end and niche expertise".
"Low volume OEM customers have many of the same pressures as the high volume players - to increase efficiencies and to reduce overheads for example".
"However, they must also contend with more complicated support service requirements given the small scale research and development aspect of much of their work".
"Catering for such a potentially broad range of services may understandably sound offputting but, by being flexible and working closely with customers to deliver solutions that support their strategy and business, there is a significant new opportunity for the UK manufacturing sector".
Rospedzihowski continues: "Competitive advantage in Premier Farnell's business is increasingly moving from the traditional, and still important, control of the physical flow of goods, to the management and understanding of information associated with that flow".
"Over the last few years we have noticed a distinct trend among customers looking for support in managing and streamlining their procurement processes".
"The long awaited upturn no longer seems such a distant hope and, by continuing to work closely with our customers, supporting them as they require, I have every belief that UK manufacturing will thrive again".
A recent report by the Institute for Manufacturing (IFM), which claims manufacturing is already gone or going from the UK is flawed, according to Robert Rospedzihowski, the Global Accounts Director at Premier Farnell. Says Rospedzihowski: "Most UK-based business managers I speak to would strongly disagree with the findings of the report". "In response to cost pressures and dramatic shifts in demand, the volume production of original equipment manufacturing (OEM) has indeed moved to global contract manufacturers which, in turn, have moved out from Western to Eastern Europe and on into Asia".
"However, the low volume OEMs have remained in the West and the UK has a significant advantage servicing them as a result of its impressive skill base of design engineers with sophisticated high-end and niche expertise".
"Low volume OEM customers have many of the same pressures as the high volume players - to increase efficiencies and to reduce overheads for example".
"However, they must also contend with more complicated support service requirements given the small scale research and development aspect of much of their work".
"Catering for such a potentially broad range of services may understandably sound offputting but, by being flexible and working closely with customers to deliver solutions that support their strategy and business, there is a significant new opportunity for the UK manufacturing sector".
Rospedzihowski continues: "Competitive advantage in Premier Farnell's business is increasingly moving from the traditional, and still important, control of the physical flow of goods, to the management and understanding of information associated with that flow".
"Over the last few years we have noticed a distinct trend among customers looking for support in managing and streamlining their procurement processes".
"The long awaited upturn no longer seems such a distant hope and, by continuing to work closely with our customers, supporting them as they require, I have every belief that UK manufacturing will thrive again".
# posted by Swathi @ 2:08 AM 
