Why Agile manufacturing is so important for manufacturers during the Coronavirus pandemic

“Agile manufacturing is a term applied to an organization that has created the processes, tools, and training to enable it to respond quickly to customer needs and market changes while still controlling costs and quality.”

Source: Wikipedia

We are now living in times that are unprecedented and have forced not only businesses but the wider world to adopt practices never implemented before.

It is now a survival of the fittest and who is ready to adapt to change quickly that is successful.

We can give you a taste of our own experiences and how this has benefited us in times of crisis even more importantly as we face the current Coronavirus pandemic

So why is it so important for manufacturers to adopt agile manufacturing?

Culture

Company culture can be a make or break situation in times of crisis and the effectiveness of everyone within the organisation understanding what needs to be done is vital

Our fantastic workforce rally round to make sure the company fulfils it objectives through ideas and willingness to adapt to change.

Responsiveness to customer demand

A company that adopts agile manufacturing processes can respond to changes in demand very quickly.

We brief our operational and production staff on a daily basis and make changes on our machines to reflect changes in demand n certain bottleneck areas.

Diversification

Businesses that are successful are the ones that can diversify and open up into markets with fluctuations in demand. Manufacturers have now had to turn their hand to manufacturing ventilators or offering their capabilities in areas outside of their comfort zone.

At Grenville Engineering we have a diverse customer base and “don’t have all our eggs in one basket” which is why the company has grown from strength to strength. We can quickly identify the areas that show signs of growth and adapt to manage that demand.

Our focus has been supplying parts to businesses within the NHS supply chain to maintain a consistent supply of essential parts and to keep manufacturing businesses going.

Processes

In an agile manufacturing environment, adaptable processes and the need for continuous improvement can be the driving factors for businesses to be successful.

The nature of our work in metal fabrication is bespoke and our processes have to be adaptable to effectively manage how we manufacture but also changes from external factors.

At Grenville Engineering, customer centric fabrication solutions are at the heart of what we do. We collaborate with our customers ensuring that we produce the most cost effective solution without compromising on quality. We have a combined experience of over 100 years within the industry, which is invaluable for our customers.

A Complete Fabrication Solution is what Grenville Engineering offers in laser cutting, punching, metal forming, machining, MIG/TIG welding, assemblies, finishing and stock management.

Grenville is committed to providing outstanding customer service and technical expertise to its diverse range of customers from concept to delivery.