GENERAL NEWS
Resilient supply chains and tech transformation
The pandemic , climate change and geopolitics are driving global manufacturing executives to focus even more than before on a twin transformation ; smart digitisation and a focus on environmental , social and governance ( ESG ) goals , according to analyst KPMG .
The findings of KPMG ’ s Global Manufacturing Prospects 2022 report are based on a global survey of almost 150 CEOs in manufacturing companies in 11 countries in Europe , North America and Asia-Pacific . Three quarters are at companies with annual revenues of US $ 1 billion or more .
“ CEOs at manufacturers have learned two important lessons from the pandemic : the vital importance of a resilient supply chain and the need to invest in new technologies to strengthen resilience , by both avoiding business disruptions and taking advantage of them . If manufacturers take timely actions to ensure a healthy supply chain , it may enable them to withstand economic shocks in the future and improve competitiveness ,” said the analyst .
“ The need for resilience is forcing companies to be more agile and make better decisions faster . Digitisation plays a vital contribution to this ,” added Grant McDonald , Global Sector Leader , Aerospace & Defence , KPMG International .
The main findings of the survey include : -
■ Supply chain risk is seen as the greatest threat to the organisation ’ s growth . More than two thirds ( 68 percent ) of CEOs say that they aim to ensure their supply chain is resilient in the event of a major global disruption at some point in the future .
■ The top way to mitigate stress on the supply chain is to extend their company ’ s monitoring deeper into the supply chain to anticipate changes before they have a severe impact .
■ The main operational priority to achieve growth objectives over the next three years is to invest in the digitisation and connectivity of all functional areas .
■ The pandemic caused CEOs to ponder deeper questions : 77 per cent say they feel a stronger emotional connection to the purpose of their company since the pandemic began . In addition , 67 percent say the overall objective of their organisation is the long-term value for shareholders , almost five times more than the number focused on economic returns .
■ ESG goals , however , are not seen primarily as a tool for growth by the CEOs surveyed . A sizeable minority ( 31 per cent ) says a focus on ESG improves financial performance , but 54 per cent say it has a neutral effect . Above all , 92 per cent believe that conveying a sense of purpose will have the greatest impact on customer relationships . “ Of environmental , social and governance issues , CEOs are focusing more on the second of these , in response to the pandemic . But they are not ignoring environmental goals ;
71 per cent do see ‘ global challenges ’ ( such as income equality and climate change ) as the biggest threat to longterm growth ,” the analyst told ISMR .
In conclusion , the combination of a pandemic and climate change is accelerating digital transformation as companies search for tools to mitigate new risks and maximize new opportunities . The survey suggests that CEOs haven ’ t yet had the time to fully assess the relationship between digital transformation and ESG .
“ Manufacturers should now focus on a twin transformation : intelligent digitisation and ambitious ESG goal-setting . If they are executed effectively , they are likely to reinforce each other to create a more competitive enterprise and a more habitable planet ,” concluded Stéphane Souchet ,
Global Head of Industrial Manufacturing , KPMG International . n
REPORT
Record revenue for Universal Robots
Universal Robots , the Danish producer of collaborative robots , has reported record annual revenue of US $ 311m , 41 % up on 2020 and 23 % up on pre-pandemic results in 2019 .
“ Our growth is driven by several long-term trends , including workforce shortages and growing awareness of the contribution that automation can make to productivity . As well as reaching new consumers , we see repeat business from manufacturers extending their use of cobots after seeing the impact of the technology ,” explained the company ’ s president , Kim Povlsen .
“ Universal Robots has enjoyed a great year . In a company like ours , which manufactures sophisticated hardware to high-quality standards , this sort of growth requires tremendous commitment from all involved . Our production team in Denmark has broken internal records for the number of cobots built , producing 400 cobots in a single week in Q4 . Our supply chain experts have worked hard to keep our business running smoothly despite global supply challenges ,” he added .
Quarter 4 revenue also broke records , up 22 % on Q4 2020 and 28 % up on Q4 2019 . The company expects strong growth to continue in 2022 .
“ Demand for collaborative robots is set to grow and our unique ecosystem is growing with it . Working with more than 1,000 independent companies – including component , kit and application manufacturers , certified integrators and distributors – collaborative innovation is what sets our growth journey apart ,” Kim Povlsen concluded .
The company , which is part of Teradyne Inc ., is headquartered in Odense , Denmark , and has various international offices . It has installed over 50,000 cobots worldwide . n
6 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR March 2022