Manufacturing Today Issue - 223 April 2024 | Page 22

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Data-driven insights into post-pandemic manufacturing .
By Chris Iveson
2019 2020 2021

Manufacturers have experienced seismic changes in recent years . The pandemic is behind us , but it , along with events that have followed , have created new challenges globally .

They include economic uncertainty and supply chain disruption , labor issues , and fluctuating material , energy , and transportation prices . Sustainability is more important , and few manufacturers have yet to consider how tools like automation , IoT , and AI can help them .
While these challenges impact manufacturers differently according to their circumstances and decisions , data shows how the world ’ s manufacturing ecosystems have performed collectively under their influence .
FourJaw is used by manufacturers worldwide to capture real-time shop floor data , enabling them to identify where processes can be improved to drive productivity . Here , however , we assess productivity data at a broader level to show the impact of the pandemic and world events that followed .
We considered World Bank data showing output from manufacturers globally between 2019 and 2022 , plus other sources to shed further light on productivity and help us generate informed estimates for 2023 .
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