The electronics manufacturing industry is experiencing an exciting period of opportunity, change and disruption – fulled by the effects of what we all know as the Fourth Industrial Revolution. New generations of sophisticated smart factory technologies are offering the opportunity for electronics manufacturers to design ever more intelligent operations and to ramp up the speed and the efficiency with which they do business.
So as 2019 enters its final quarter, what are the key industry trends that experts believe are most likely to challenge, exhilarate and transform electronics manufacturing in 2020 and beyond?
1. An increasing emphasis on environmental accountability
Electronics manufacturers are perhaps more aware than ever of the environmental impact and sustainability of their offerings.
In what’s been coined the “greening” of the factory floor, more and more manufacturers are expected to ramp up their commitment to optimizing their facilities and production processes, reducing the emission of waste and greenhouse gases, and investing in alternative energy sources.
Increasingly too, manufacturers are expected to expand their focus to assess the environmental impact of each product throughout its life cycle – from product design, to materials management, storage, packaging and recyclability.
2. Re-evaluation of the value chain
The customer experience can be impacted, whether positively or negatively, at multiple points along the purchase life cycle and the lifespan of a product.
As recognition of the importance of ‘brand experience’ continues to grow, the manufacturing value chain is predicted to come under close scrutiny – whether it’s increasing the sharing of information between business partners, creating more supply chain visibility, taking greater control of distribution or cutting down on fulfillment time.
3. A more customer-centric approach
A growing number of traditional B2B manufacturing businesses are acknowledging the benefits of taking a more customer-centric B2C approach – not just in terms of the end product but across the entire supply chain, from raw materials to final delivery.
By leveraging IoT technology to better understand the end user, there is also greater opportunity for manufacturers to make improvements to future iterations of their products to further enhance the customer experience.
4. On-demand and micro-manufacturing
The growing customer expectation for product personalisation and customization will continue to fuel the need for even more agile manufacturing techniques and on-demand production processes. The concept of ‘micro-manufacturing’ – in which small batches of product are produced in small facilities or ‘tiny factories’ – is still a relatively niche area.
However there is a growing awareness within the electronics manufacturing industry of the role that emerging technologies could play. By finding ways to make the necessary components of electronic board production (SMT machines, reflow ovens etc) smaller, for example manufacturers will be better placed to offer product customization and to make smarter decisions about the use of their available space, energy, time and materials.
5. Increased investment in IoT
It will come as no surprise to hear that digitization and the Internet of Things (IoT) are continuing to shift the landscape of traditional manufacturing. And as the adoption of smart sensor technology, cloud computing and connectivity improvements increases, industry experts are predicting that the global IoT spend could surpass the £800 million mark by as early as 2020.
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