CONTROL & AUTOMATION UNIVERSAL AUTOMATION
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC
An industrial necessity for post-Brexit Britain ?
By Mark Yeeles , VP of Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric
The tumult of 2020 has underscored the importance of contingency planning . With Covid-19 , countries have revealed their unpreparedness when managing novel scenarios .
With the reality of Brexit now upon us , UK industry , particularly manufacturers , need to act fast to minimise long term impact .
Early 2021 will see British manufacturers begin to action specific strategies . It will be the first opportunity to assess the true impact of Brexit on production and supply chains . In the wake of a pandemic , and in the face of political uncertainty , how can the industry adapt , survive and thrive ?
HOW THE INDUSTRY WILL BE IMPACTED
2021 will see a levelling of the playing field . Even established manufacturers , historically immune to market fluctuations and supply chain disruptions , will suffer the impact of uncertainty . New global dynamics and fully digital newcomers , poised to embrace digital technologies , will challenge the status quo .
The double-edged sword of Brexit means UK manufacturers will have more visibility – and more competition – on the global stage . For our industry to succeed , agility , sustainability , productivity and profitability must be the standard . In 2021 , the reality of Brexit ’ s effect on the cost of business operations , the optimum locations for plants and factories , as well as the retention of staff and resources will be revealed .
As Britain ’ s trade deal with the EU takes a different direction , our success will actually be more reliant on an extended ecosystem of partners . 2021 will see workforce management become critical to operations . There will now be a pressing need for businesses to find alternative ways of performing tasks for which they have a shortage of either staff or resources , to guarantee that their business continues to thrive . This is where automation comes in .
After January 1st , businesses will have a clearer understanding of which operations need automation , the level of automation required , and which technologies should be prioritised for success .
Introducing and adopting next-generation industrial automation will make this possible , ensuring interoperability and breaking free from the propriety locked-in model currently in place . Manufacturers will need to welcome a new era of universal automation with open arms , moving the industry from a hardware-centric to software-centric model to succeed in these turbulent times .
LOOKING AHEAD
Reshaping post-Brexit Britain will deliver huge benefits if it ’ s coupled with greater ambition from industry . While manufacturers may find this challenging , it ’ s the perfect environment for universal automation to come to the fore and prove critical for those willing to adopt it .
Universal automation describes the adoption of a common standard for all automation systems , making them easy to pick up , implement and share . It removes the dependence that many manufacturers currently have on a one vendor system , OEMs and integrators , enabling end users to build the architecture they need with the best ‘ plug and produce ’ solutions from multiple providers .
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