Archive for December, 2011

Sentiment among UK manufacturers has fallen sharply according to new research which may be off interest to people attending manufacturing events.

The new survey from the CBI has found that sentiment has deteriorated sharply among UK manufacturers as they predict that the next few months will see a significant drop in activity.

They expect orders and output to fall over the next quarter while firms are also predicting a run-down in their stock holdings. In fact this fall in sentiment was the sharpest decline since April 2009.

Out of 446 manufacturers responding to the latest Quarterly Industrial Trends Survey 30 per cent believe that domestic orders rose in the three months to October while 25 per cent said that they had fallen.

Marcus Evans presents manufacturing events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.
 

The ability to recruit new talent to the industry will be a major topic at manufacturing events this year. This follows a recent summit in London attended by UK manufacturers and the Government to discuss how to promote manufacturing excellence.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Business Secretary Vince Cable called for a week-long national event where students and teachers could see how cutting edge products were made.

With manufacturing growth at a 16 year high, the ministers agreed that Britain had become a world leader in producing technical products.

However there has been concern about the image of the sector and its ability to attract the very best talent.

The challenge for attendees at manufacturing events this year will be to ensure they can show young people the benefits of joining the industry.

Marcus Evans presents manufacturing events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

Those looking to attend supply chain conferences will not be shocked by news that several Tokyo-based camera manufacturers are reporting problems with the supply chain.

Companies including Nikon, Canon and Konica Minolta, which all have bases around the earthquake-affected city, have been hit by the natural disaster.

Production has been suspended in some factories, according to Reuters, but it is expected to resume shortly.

Canon reported that it had suffered from a lack of gasoline, and so had to cease manufacturing until later this week. Power cuts and shortages are thought to have affected many of the plants.

Other industries have also been hit by the effects of the disaster, including the financial industry. The BBC reported last week that supply chain fears were shaking up the stock market.

At manufacturing events this year confidence in the sector will be at an all-time high after results showed further growth.

Yet a recent report has urged the Government to look beyond "making things" and focus on services.

The Work Foundation report is published today, and is a direct response to Chancellor George Osborne’s statement last year that he wants to see a manufacturing revival.

The Foundation believes that the British government must promote services as well as the making of goods.

Manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce generate huge income from license sales and service contracts.

UK manufacturing production grew in January by the most in 10 months, and the sector leads the way in the economic recovery.

However the Foundation said the UK could not compete with China on manufacturing without “severe” reductions in wages.

Marcus Evans presents manufacturing events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

Leveraging your business to take advantage of the rise in British manufacturing exports will be a key topic at corporate strategy events this year.

And British motorcycle manufacturer Triumph has increased its profits by making inroads both here and overseas.

The Midlands firm revealed sales rose by 1.5% compared to the motorcycle industry as a whole, which suffered a fall in sales of 14%.

This follows recent reports of further rises in output for British manufacturing with predictions of a strong performance in 2011.

Yet much of Triumph’s success lies in its corporate strategy. The original Triumph brand went into receivership in the 1980s, yet the current firm outsells all Japanese models in the UK.

The firm has succeeded through providing powerful classic-looking bikes which now compete in the US with Harley Davidson.

Marcus Evans presents corporate strategy events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

Kaneka Texas Corporation:
Developing the Next Leaders in Manufacturing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Manufacturing COOs do not spend enough time developing leaders,” says Steve Skarke, Senior Vice President of Operations, Kaneka Texas Corporation. “They focus their energy on managing systems, processes and plants, but they forget that they should also develop their people. They must recognize this need and develop their staff to practice the most effective leadership behaviors for the organization to move forward and be successful,” he adds.

A speaker at the upcoming marcus evans Manufacturing COO Summit 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 16-17, Skarke highlights the key challenges in the manufacturing space today.

What should Manufacturing COOs spend more time on today?

They are not spending enough time thinking about leadership. When the economy recovers, many senior managers will retire or move on to new positions, and the next line of leadership will need to step up. Manufacturing COOs need to do a better job of succession planning and preparing people to take on management leadership roles. They tend to forget that developing leadership skills is different from management skills.

Transferring years of knowledge and expertise must be difficult. How are you tackling this issue?

We are trying to develop more systematic approaches to managing the plant and leading people, setting up very structured plant management systems that are easier to follow. We are taking out what we call “Tribal Knowledge”, the experience that is in people’s heads, and putting it into systematic approaches in order to capture that expertise. Developing knowledge management systems is one of my primary goals for the next three years.

Is Generation Y presenting unique challenges?

As the father of two Gen Ys, I understand that they think and communicate differently. They have grown up with computers and depend on instant communication and social media. As a result we must develop knowledge management systems in relatable, and searchable formats, so that they can find the information they need. The tools are there for us to do this. I am depending on our younger folks who understand the technology to help us build the foundation of the system, and those people who have the knowledge to deposit it there. We have to leverage the Gen Y technology to reinforce and compliment the baby boomer experience.

What is your safety management system?  How have you set up a safety culture?

Our safety management system is evolving as part of our continuous improvement culture. Currently it is splintered into different pieces – occupational safety, process safety, emergency response and so on. We are working on pulling them together into a more unified and structured system that will better serve our employees and contractors.

Our newest initiative is to expand employee involvement in our safety management system by raising awareness and increasing accountability. We are using cross functional teams to simplify and strengthen our policies and procedures. The new catch phrase is “I Am”. It means that “I Am” responsible and accountable for safe operations. We want every employee to embrace this idea. This is also a great opportunity for us to practice leadership behaviors.

Contact: Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Manufacturing COO Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at the Red Rock Casino, Resort & Spa, Las Vegas, Nevada, April 16-17, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on implementing LEAN best practices, green manufacturing and flexible production systems.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – manufacturing sector portal

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com 

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Concerns have been raised over the rate of growth in the manufacturing industry, after figures failed to rise as much as expected.

The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) showed a growth in the industry in March, but the number was down on figures seen in January, February, and the last quarter of 2010, The Manufacturer reported.

Experts are now concerned that the continued decline is an ongoing trend, rather than a blip on the road to recovery.

PMI author Rob Dobson told the online magazine: "The big question is…whether the drop in order book growth represents a gathering in momentum of a more worrying slowdown which, alongside rising inflationary pressures, raises the risk of stagflation."

The manufacturing industry was hit hard by the recession. Orders fell at the fastest rate in a decade as the credit crunch took hold in late 2007 and early 2008.

Marcus Evans presents manufacturing conferences, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts

The role of factories in driving the UK recovery will be a key topic at manufacturing events, after a recent survey showed record growth rates.

The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply publish an activity index which is the industry’s benchmark for results in the manufacturing sector.

And the latest report found a record number of jobs were created in February, after activity stayed at January’s record high of 61.5. Any figure above 50 indicates expansion.

The figure is the highest level since the survey began in 1992, and will be welcomed by Chancellor George Osborne as another sign of economic recovery.

Analysts have expressed concern that manufacturing cannot sustain this rate of growth.

The focus will now turn to Europe where problems with the eurozone could cause issues with future orders.

Marcus Evans presents manufacturing events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.

Hope of a continued recovery in the sector will be the talk of manufacturing events this year. And further evidence was seen recently when small firms saw production improve in the quarter to January.

The Confederation of British Industry claims domestic demand for British-made goods has improved. 30% of respondents in its SME Survey said they had experienced a rise in output.

And while 17% reported a fall in output, the overall result was still 9% stronger than the previous quarter.

Experts found the rise in output was driven by an improvement in domestic order growth. 28% saw a rise in local order volumes and this led to 10% of firms increasing their headcount.

However the rise in costs of raw materials could threaten profit margins for manufacturers. And most firms expect their prices will rise in 2011.

Marcus Evans presents manufacturing events, created by experienced professionals and with information presented by industry experts.