The employee landscape of manufacturing businesses is changing. During the height of the pandemic, uncertainty drove many employees to accelerate their plans to leave the workforce. In the third quarter of 2020, 3.2 million more Baby Boomers retired than in the same period of 2019. Many of these employees were in management positions, leaving an open opportunity for younger Gen Xers and Millennials to take their place – if manufacturers can attract them.
Though the industry has struggled to secure young workers in recent years, this new, innovative, and tech-savvy generation of leaders has the potential to positively impact manufacturing organizations. They may be more likely to take charge of technological improvements and provide a fresh perspective to previously unseen issues. Keep reading to learn more about manufacturers’ opportunity to tap into the next generation of leaders.
Improved Digital Communication
Gen Xers and Millennials have spent their entire professional lives using digital media. That’s good news, because 38% of manufacturers have started accelerating their digitalization plans as a result of the pandemic, according to McKinsey. Young leaders who are well-versed in technology will be an important resource as more companies move to convert manual processes to more automated models. With their wealth of experience, these employees can advocate for and initiate technology updates that will improve your manufacturing processes.
To tap into their expertise, task your new potential leaders to research and recommend tools that will better connect people across departments, plants, or hybrid work models. They know that modern communication tools for large organizations should integrate with other internal processes and be accessible from existing employee devices. Your budding new leaders can help ensure whichever new system you choose is easy to learn and encourages collaboration across the company.
Responsible Use of Data
However, increased digitization can also bring an elevated risk for cybersecurity threats. New high-tech systems and machines introduce more opportunities for hackers and irresponsible data use. According to IBM, 47% of attacks on manufacturing in 2021 were due to vulnerabilities that had not yet been addressed. In 2017, Renault-Nissan was infamously attacked with ransomware, resulting in production halts at five plants and up to $4 billion in estimated losses. Without knowledgeable leaders and thorough plans in place to address all potential problem areas, your organization may be left at risk.
Of course, your IT and cybersecurity team should be the first people you look to for guidance on cybersecurity, but young manufacturing leaders can also help lead the charge. These leaders can guide their own teams toward more responsible use of data and analytics on a daily basis. Additionally, they can take on the challenge of training the wider workforce on best technology practices and defensive tactics to help prevent an attack.
Implement More Advanced Tools
Many manufacturers have used tools like Excel for their planning and scheduling needs for years, simply because that’s the way it’s always been done. Under the right circumstances, Excel can still be an incredibly useful tool. However, with so much advanced technology available now, Excel is rarely the most efficient planning and scheduling option for complex manufacturers.
Ushering in a new generation of innovative leaders provides an opportunity to implement new, effective tools that provide much-needed improvements to plant operations. Thanks to their decades of familiarity with digital tools, your new leaders can help identify which alternatives will provide the most benefit. Advanced planning software can reduce the need for time-consuming and error-prone manual effort, putting your organization on the path toward optimization and increased throughput.
VirtECS® is an example of a sophisticated planning, scheduling and capacity analysis tool. Our software has been used by dozens of global manufacturers in the last 30 years to manage their supply chain and make better planning decisions. For more information on the benefits VirtECS® brings to manufacturers and the implementation process, please download our overview guide.
