The manufacturing industry wants to maintain innovative ways of working after COVID

Most manufacturing companies have quickly switched to new ways of working. However, the challenges associated with remote work and managing global compliance risks are slowing the pace of innovation.

ServiceNow is an expert in digital workflow. The company studied the impact of the pandemic on current and future work. It surveyed 9,000 C-level executives and employees worldwide (in the job survey), of which 1,074 were from the manufacturing industry. Only the results of manufacturing executives and employees will be discussed later in this article.

Stimulate an atmosphere of innovation

Studies have shown that the pandemic has stimulated an atmosphere of innovation in the manufacturing industry. In addition, there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve a sustainable digital transformation of the industry.

challenge

A staggering 61% of manufacturing executives believe that during the pandemic, differences in regulations and their regions pose challenges. Another 54% said that managing employees and departments that cannot work remotely is another obstacle to innovation.

climate change

The majority (85%) of the interviewees said that the pandemic has caused them to rethink the way they work. Nearly nine out of ten employees (87%) believe that their organization has developed new and better ways of working due to the pandemic.

Long-term innovation

Manufacturing companies are innovating rapidly. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure long-term innovation in the entire industry. Despite the progress made, 61% of executives said that their company still does not have a fully integrated system to manage digital workflows.

Offline workflow

Many companies have more digital backlogs, and 94% of companies said they still have offline workflows, including performance reviews, commercial contracts, and other document approvals.

Growing awareness

However, people realize that things must change. More than half (59%) of executives said that once the crisis is over, all cost savings achieved during the pandemic should be invested in digital transformation.

The future of work

Executives worry about many issues related to continuing to work remotely. More than half (53%) said they are worried that this will affect service delivery and product delays. Another 52% worry that working remotely will reduce collaboration between different departments. More than half (53%) worry that working remotely will extend the deadline for new versions or innovations.

Benefits of working remotely

However, the vast majority (94%) of employees said they benefited from remote work. Time saved by not having to travel (54%) and better work-life balance (48%) are considered the main benefits.

In COVID-19

Nevertheless, workers in the industry also expressed concern about what will happen next. More than half (54%) said that transitioning to work life after COVID-19 will be more challenging than dealing with work interruptions at the beginning of the pandemic.

distribute

Overall, the department is divided on the desire to keep the changes that have been made. 59% of employees and 53% of executives said that once the crisis is over, it will be better and more efficient to maintain these new ways of working.

Operational resilience is crucial

“In the past 12 months, the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry has accelerated greatly. However, more needs to be done,” said Uwe Vieth, Senior Director of ServiceNow. “The pandemic has further shaken the already uncertain global market. The rapid shift to remote work and the disruption of the supply chain has made operational resilience more important than ever. Focusing on the work that needs to be done digitally-wherever it is-is up to It’s important. It’s vital in responding to challenges, preventing risks, and meeting customer needs.”