Following 18-months of turbulence, FermionX’ commercial director, Will Patrick, is confident UK manufacturing industry will bounce back, more agile and flexible than ever.
There’s no denying, it’s been a tough 18-months. As an industry, we have navigated our way through Brexit, a global pandemic and are now experiencing unprecedented component shortages. Like many British businesses, FermionX’ had to adapt quickly. Not just changing internal processes but also coping with the strain imposed on the global supply chain.
As an industry, we need to ensure we’re more flexible and agile with our operations, especially when it comes to supply chain and obsolescence management. Working closely with suppliers and customers to seek alternative solutions, without compromising on quality where budgets may have been cut and delays in components starts to take its toll.
Regular communication is vital. It has been a difficult time for everyone and there are many unknowns. That’s why any forewarning of potential issues arising down the line, lets businesses relay this information to their customers.
Forward planning and early scheduling help reduce delays on projects and ensure business continuity. Working closely with account managers and procurement teams on production forecasting spreads lead time risks through the supply chain. The businesses seeing the least disruption are the ones with robust forward ordering. Whilst not a luxury everyone can afford, it helps ensure business continuity for everyone. It’s a frustrating time for us all in the industry but we’ve got to work together and do what we can to support one another.
The pandemic has also taught us how fragile life can be, which is why investing in the future is so important, whether that means investing in capital to expand the service offering; upskilling or expanding your team to add further capacity; or simply adapting the services to help customers grow and thrive over coming years.
Despite the uncertainties, electronic manufacturing remains one of the UK’s most exciting industries—with growing demand in electric vehicles, product miniaturisation and advances in medical and laboratory equipment. The world looks to the UK to deliver the highest quality products.
FermionX remains fully committed to keeping the UK’s electronics manufacturing industry moving and is proud to be playing its part in recovering lost ground. We’re looking forward to supporting and finding solutions for our customers and building on the services we offer.
FermionX continues to offer socially-distanced site visits, virtual tours and remote quality control audits.