At the very beginning of the year, the prognosis for the UK manufacturing sector was looking optimistic, with reports predicting the greatest period of productivity since the financial crisis. Big strides towards technology spending was at the heart of this trend, with many manufacturers adapting their business models to embrace Industry 4.0 technologies across factory floors.
As we now enter a phase—hopefully a short-lived one—where the latest figures show a slightly tougher operating environment for many UK manufacturers, we are likely to see that those who have invested well, will be best positioned to take advantage of new technologies and business models in order to gain a competitive edge, maintain market share and increase revenue.
