Podcast series: Impact of COVID-19 on global manufacturing

The unprecedented COVID-19 turmoil has forced manufacturing companies around the world to think on their feet and quickly adapt their business strategy and operations to ensure the health and safety of their people and keep their organisations alive in a rapidly evolving environment. Now what?

The new Future of Manufacturing podcast episodes: Global impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing provide insight into the short- and long-term implications of COVID-19 for manufacturers, challenges and opportunities they will face on along the road to recovery and what manufacturing companies must consider to thrive in a new and uncertain landscape.

Vincent Rutgers, Global Industrial Products & Construction (IP&C) Leader and country IP&C Leaders, explore how COVID-19 is playing out in the manufacturing sector across geographies, addressing top of mind executive questions from workforce safety, enabling agile production and managing stock, to new investments, mitigating risks and restarting the supply chain.

Impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in Italy

Andrea Muggetti, IP&C Leader, Deloitte Italy

Vincent Rutgers interviews Andrea Muggetti, Deloitte Italy Industrial Products and Construction Leader, on the impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in Italy. As the first European country to be hard hit by COVID-19, Andrea explains his views on what the impact will be on manufacturing in Italy. He also shares that the main action companies are taking to protect employees is to educate them on COVID-19 symptoms and prevention. They are also investing in digital technologies to help with remote working and are using sensors to monitor those that are working in production facilities. Andrea also discusses that lack of communication with the supply network has been the most difficult hurdle. Technologies are critical to enable the digital supply network and companies are looking to these technologies to gain visibility into their supply chains – the impact of COVID-19 has been an accelerator of this need. Andrea explains the need for companies to quickly adjust and recover from supply chain disruption by identifying supplier risk, illuminating the extended supply network and understanding and activating the source of supply. Andrea explains that digital investments are expected to speed up due to the pandemic and sees this is an opportunity companies should embrace.

Impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in Finland

Sami Laine, IP&C Leader, Deloitte Finland

Vincent Rutgers interviews Sami Laine, Industrial Products & Construction Leader, Deloitte Finland on the impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in Finland. Finland’s Industrial Products and Process Industry companies have been heavily impacted by the pandemic. Finnish companies have had to solve supply chain issues due to production shut-downs in China and as a result are considering changes to their supply chains to make them more agile. These companies have also been significantly impacted by a decrease in demand and are making sure they have plans in place to anticipate the impact this will have on their businesses. Companies need strong recovery in the second half of 2020 and if the strict government restrictions are still in effect, this could have an even greater impact. Health and safety has been the priority for manufacturing companies from day one and continues to be their main focus as they restart production. They are focusing on digital solutions for remote working and are also providing personal protective equipment for workers that have to be onsite. Sami also discusses how this is an opportunity for companies to assess the future of customer value, their business models and capabilities and assets. He believes companies should scenario plan for COVID-19 and adjust their strategies as the impact of the pandemic unfolds.

Impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in the United Kingdom

Duncan Johnston, IP&C Leader Deloitte UK
Nick Davis, Industry 4.0 Leader, Deloitte UK

In this episode, Duncan Johnston, Deloitte UK Industrial Products & Construction Leader and Nick Davis, Deloitte UK Industry 4.0 Leader, share their perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in the UK. They discuss the manufacturing sectors that are affected by the lockdown and share their thoughts on what the “recover” phase could look like. They also discuss that UK manufacturing, which is currently in hibernation, plans to restart in phases. Companies are looking towards digital technologies to ensure the health and safety of workers. Duncan and Nick discuss the use of phone apps and wearables that send real time alerts and record symptoms and other remote working tools that can help keep businesses alive while maintaining social distancing rules. They also discuss how manufactures are looking to respond to the supply chain challenge by simplifying and reducing the product range and introducing simpler items to cut down the complexity around the production process.

Impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in Germany

Thomas Doebler, IP&C Leader, Deloitte Germany

Vincent Rutgers interviews Thomas Doebler, Industrial Products & Construction Leader for Deloitte Germany, on the impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in Germany. Thomas discusses the implications for manufacturing companies and how they are remaining resilient during this unprecedented time. Thomas shares that the impact has been large, with 90 percent of German manufacturing companies reporting disruption in their business, especially in terms of order cuts from clientele in China, the US and Europe. Thomas mentions that when it comes to the critical question of productivity versus health and safety, clearly the later is most important for German manufacturers. He shares that new ways of operating are emerging amidst this uncertainty and companies are learning from each other on a way forward during this time. Thomas highlights another critical issue - visibility and transparency into the extended supply chain network which has been a point of discussion for a while, but now, it is needed more than ever. There is also an urgent need to restructure supply chains operating on legacy models, because there will be a greater impact on those that are not resilient.

Impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in China

Ricky Tung, IP&C Leader, Deloitte China
Vivian Jiang, AP Clients & Industries Leader

In this episode, Deloitte China’s Vivian Jiang and Ricky Tung give their perspectives on the impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in China. They expand on the impact on Chinese companies’ supply chains and discuss how they can mitigate risks in their supply network. They also share how Chinese companies are working to ensure the health and safety of their employees, and the innovative ways they are working with the Chinese government.

Impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in Japan

Koji Miwa, IP&C Leader, Deloitte Japan

Vincent Rutgers interviews Deloitte Japan’s Koji Miwa on the impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in Japan. Miwa-san discusses how Japanese companies are looking towards digital technologies to protect their workers and move forward. He also shares how manufacturer’s supply chains have been impacted, and what Japanese companies are doing to solve their supply chain issues. Miwa-san emphasizes that strong leadership from top management is critical for Japanese companies to survive after COVID-19.

Impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in the US

Paul Wellener, IP&C Leader, Deloitte US

Paul Wellener, Deloitte United States, gives his perspective on the impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in the US. He shares that US manufacturing companies are most focused on the health and safety of their people and are developing plans for a staggered approach to re-starting operations. He also shares how some US manufacturers have pivoted their production to making things like personal protective equipment and ventilators. Paul discusses how manufacturers are thinking through the structural changes that they may want to make in their global supply chains and their global supply networks.