4-day week ‘could boost manufacturing innovation’
发布时间：2024年6月2日 08:47
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The Balancing Act: Unlocking Innovation in Manufacturing surveyed 450 European manufacturers (Credit: Shutterstock)
Over half (56%) of manufacturing professionals believe that a greater degree of flexible or hybrid working could enhance their ability to innovate, a new study has found.
Over half (56%) of manufacturing professionals believe that a greater degree of flexible or hybrid working could enhance their ability to innovate, a new study has found.
Only 39% of respondents to the survey, commissioned by digital manufacturing specialist Protolabs, said that a four-day week would be negative for business.
The research, The Balancing Act: Unlocking Innovation in Manufacturing, surveyed 450 European manufacturers. It highlights how companies are adapting and implementing new approaches to overcome challenges in the quest to innovate.
“We know that many employees are demanding more flexibility in their roles and the opportunity to work remotely across all sectors right now,” said Peter Richards, vice-president of marketing and sales EMEA at Protolabs Europe.
“In manufacturing this can be hard to implement, but businesses do recognise they stand to gain from more flexible working patterns. Hence, we expect to see fluid working in this sector rather than hybrid, with mandated on-site working for short periods during innovation sprints.”
Seven in 10 respondents said they would consider moving to a four-day week if their suppliers did. Almost nine in 10 said they thought the optimal situation for idea generation and problem-solving was at least four days a week of on-site working, however.
There was also recognition that the four-day week would require changes to business models – 78% said they might be forced to adopt a different manufacturing strategy if their suppliers switched to a four-day model.
Almost two-thirds (64%) of respondents said supply-chain disruption and rising costs meant they were looking to innovate to find a new business model, while more than half (56%) believe cobots will lead to improved employee productivity. 57% said they will support better idea generation. Almost seven in 10 manufacturers already work with cobots, or say they plan to do so in the near future.
“Geopolitical challenges in the supply chain have caused businesses to find alternative solutions to ensure resilience and this is leading them to work with suppliers closer to home,” said Richards.
“Their operational strength will be improved further with better human-machine interaction. Cobots and automation will provide a new world of opportunities, freeing up workers to be more creative and enabling different working patterns.”
Download The Balancing Act: Unlocking Innovation in Manufacturing to access the full report, compiled by FT Longitude.
Want the best engineering stories delivered straight to your inbox? The Professional Engineering newsletter gives you vital updates on the most cutting-edge engineering and exciting new job opportunities. To sign up, click here.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
The research, The Balancing Act: Unlocking Innovation in Manufacturing, surveyed 450 European manufacturers. It highlights how companies are adapting and implementing new approaches to overcome challenges in the quest to innovate.
“We know that many employees are demanding more flexibility in their roles and the opportunity to work remotely across all sectors right now,” said Peter Richards, vice-president of marketing and sales EMEA at Protolabs Europe.
“In manufacturing this can be hard to implement, but businesses do recognise they stand to gain from more flexible working patterns. Hence, we expect to see fluid working in this sector rather than hybrid, with mandated on-site working for short periods during innovation sprints.”
Seven in 10 respondents said they would consider moving to a four-day week if their suppliers did. Almost nine in 10 said they thought the optimal situation for idea generation and problem-solving was at least four days a week of on-site working, however.
There was also recognition that the four-day week would require changes to business models – 78% said they might be forced to adopt a different manufacturing strategy if their suppliers switched to a four-day model.
Almost two-thirds (64%) of respondents said supply-chain disruption and rising costs meant they were looking to innovate to find a new business model, while more than half (56%) believe cobots will lead to improved employee productivity. 57% said they will support better idea generation. Almost seven in 10 manufacturers already work with cobots, or say they plan to do so in the near future.
“Geopolitical challenges in the supply chain have caused businesses to find alternative solutions to ensure resilience and this is leading them to work with suppliers closer to home,” said Richards.
“Their operational strength will be improved further with better human-machine interaction. Cobots and automation will provide a new world of opportunities, freeing up workers to be more creative and enabling different working patterns.”
Download The Balancing Act: Unlocking Innovation in Manufacturing to access the full report, compiled by FT Longitude.
Want the best engineering stories delivered straight to your inbox? The Professional Engineering newsletter gives you vital updates on the most cutting-edge engineering and exciting new job opportunities. To sign up, click here.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
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