Energy, Resources & Industrials podcast series

Impact of COVID-19 on Industrial Products and Construction

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 organizations alive in a rapidly evolving environment. Now what?

The global impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing provides insight into the short- and long-term implications of COVID-19 for manufacturers, challenges, and opportunities they will face along the road to recovery, and what manufacturing companies must consider thriving in a new and uncertain landscape.

Impact of COVID-19 on manufacturing in the United Kingdom

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 manufacturers are looking to respond to the supply chain challenges by simplifying and reducing the product range and introducing simpler items to cut down the complexity around the production process.