Top five manufacturing quotes from the second quarter

PHOTO: Manufacturing/Nick Youngson via Picpedia.org

Manufacturing leaders were interviewed over the last few months regarding their pandemic recovery plans, thoughts on funding concerns, and the labour shortage problem, and provided valuable insight into solutions. We’ve listed the top five most memorable quotes from these interviews below.

In response to whether CNC Industries Ltd. held onto more working capital or if it made them more resistant to spending on new projects or large orders, Perry Gill, VP of Operations said this:

“The pandemic definitely made us more aware of how important it was to maintain our working capital. We had to cut unnecessary spending, we restructured our debt, and we were able to implement necessary measures to keep us safe. It’s important for manufacturers to recognize what’s ahead of them, before its direct ahead of them. Don’t deal with it when it arrives, but deal with it today.”

When queried about how Industry 4.0 was affecting the labour market, Dr. Christian Levesque, a researcher at HEC Montreal and the Future Skills Learning Centre provided key insight into the polarization of roles:

“Rather than more or even less jobs being created due to Industry 4.0, we’re seeing roles and jobs becoming polarized into extremes. We’re seeing a lot of roles in factories and facilities becoming either much more highly skilled and specialized, or much lower-skilled and less demanding. Firms are hiring more operators (instead of machinists) as a result, and competing with other industries for engineers, programmers and roles that are seen as more enriching by students.”

When speaking about the importance of advanced technologies and Industry 4.0 tools on the factory floor, Alexandre Leclerc, CEO and Co-Founder of Poka gave a strong statement:

“The more automation you bring, the more complexity you’re bringing. You have to have the tools to address that complexity, and plant workers want to see their talent and skills put to use towards that complexity. In our daily lives now, workers are on Instagram, on Twitter, taking advantage of complex social feeds and online capabilities, but we’re expecting them to come into work and use pens and pencils? And read manuals on paper? That’s a tough sell.”

Tony Perrotta, CEO of Greentec, an electronics recycling company, provided valuable tips for manufacturers to protect consumer data.

“1. There should be a mechanism built in by manufacturers that enables a factory reset, wiping all personal data before something is resold or scrapped. 2. The personal data collection should be clear and made transparent; consumers should be made aware of what information is being collected, and 3. Lobbying and regulation for privacy initiatives should also come from the industry; this would help consumers control the information that’s collected.”

Finally, in May at the 3D in Action conference, a number of panels were held to explore additive manufacturing across Canada, and one key panel provided advice for organizations looking to secure funding across all sectors in manufacturing. Amir Pahlevanpour, Business Development Manager at the Ontario Centre of Innovation had this to say:

“If you can show social benefits to your manufacturing business, things like job retention, job creation, then these things will help you stand out when you’re trying to secure funding. Not just your bottom line or your market reach, but having benefits for an entire industry and economy will definitely help you secure funding.”

Gillian Sheldon, Director of Investment Partnerships at NGen Canada, echoed this sentiment:

“Tell the story. Don’t just answer the questions in your business plan or proposal. Show us the full picture.”