Has mass manufacturing in the UK really passed its heyday? It is true that we have experienced a mass exodus by companies on a mission to bring costs down but over recent years we have seen a growing trend to bring it back. In this post we will explore why the UK is experiencing an unprecedented surge and why manufacturing here in the UK, might be the best option for your business.

The UK Manufacturer at a Faster Rate

Business moves at a fast pace and businesses don’t want to wait months for products to be manufactured, more to the point nor do their customers. We are increasingly living in a world where we expect to order something at lunch time and have it delivered by bedtime. No-one wants to wait anymore!

Not only is the process itself slower abroad but on top of this time the shipping can also take months. For some businesses, this is fine; they have a predictable supply and demand chain and don’t require a flexible, timely assembly. Those that do value this are increasingly finding that manufacturing outside of the UK is simply too slow and cumbersome.

The UK Manufacturer Has a Higher Standard of Quality

We don’t want to generalise. Every manufacturing company provides a unique service with its own standards of quality but businesses who are returning to the UK are telling us that the quality is better here.
We think one of the reasons for this is practical. If you are having several components of a product manufactured hundreds of miles away then if something isn’t up to scratch you aren’t able to have physical eyes on the process to see for yourself and insist the mistake is fixed. This then leads to a high volume of products being produced that are under the standard you and your customers require.

We have heard many stories from companies intentionally using an inferior material to save money to a component being manufactured which is less than a millimetre too big by mistake. When your business depends on the quality of the products you produce, these oversights are simply not good enough.

The UK Manufacturer Can Actually Be Cheaper

OK so when you look at it on paper, manufacturing in the UK seems to be more expensive, it is the reason companies looked to distant shores to outsource in the first place. As the years have passed those that have returned have done so with empty pockets and the wisdom of hindsight.

Even though you pay less for the like for like service, you have to factor in transportation costs, delays in production, and the cost of rectifying mistakes, the savings quickly disappear.

It can still work for big companies that are ordering such high volumes that they can afford to that these losses. These are often the same companies that have less concern about the quality of the end product and prefer to focus on quantity.

The UK Manufacturer Provides a Better Service

It is true what they say, you get what you pay for. Our customers who have come back to the UK are amazed by the expertise and innovation from the British companies as oppose to those they have experienced abroad.

The service provided by UK manufacturers is often focused on quality and value, not only do they produce the product but they also work more collaboratively with their customers to improve it, making it more durable, usable and bringing the cost of production down as much as possible without compromising on quality.

Another factor that contributes to the service is the accessibility of the manufacturer to the customer. It is no surprise to anyone that those who choose to work with companies abroad will have more challenges communicating than those who work with companies closer to home. The world might feel like a smaller place now with video conferencing capabilities on everyone’s smart phone but face to face interaction really does make for more effective communication.

The better the communication, the more the business can understand the customer and vice versa, in essence the better the communication, the better the service provided.

Even the time difference can make communication harder when working with companies abroad. When your manufacturer is available to contact during the same working hours as you, life is easier and more convenient. All of this contributes to quicker and slicker service.

The UK Manufacturer is Potentially a More Ethical Choice

The public are now more ethically driven consumers, especially the millennial market. People will now consider the manufacturing process when deciding what brand to choose. Those who can show that they manufacture in the UK are more appealing to this market.

Also consider your own ethics. Do you want to work with a company that pays its staff a fair and living wage and provides them with a safe work space to produce your product in? The UK is highly regulated and you can have more peace of mind when opting to manufacture here.

Here at Innomech we are recognised at one of the UK’s leading automation manufacturers. Find out what we can do for your business today.