Electronics manufacturing is an essential industry throughout the globe. This pandemic has heavily impacted almost every industry, and manufacturers haven’t been spared. In addition to affecting demand and employee safety, there are additional ways COVID-19 has impacted electronics manufacturers.
1. Disrupting the supply chain
Supply chain disruptions have had the biggest impact on manufacturing. Many companies rely on fluid supply chains to obtain raw materials, replacement components, and other necessary inputs. However, the global impact of COVID-19 has either delayed or entirely shut down various parts of the globe. Those manufacturers who rely on a single supplier have been most heavily impacted.
Because of limited inputs, companies have had to reduce manufacturing, shift suppliers, or put some products on hold. This significant disruption has also revealed the importance of supply chain diversification. Manufacturers who maintain parallel supply chains have been relatively less impacted because of their ability to adapt to shortages in supply.
2. Cybersecurity
With a significantly larger portion of the workforce completing duties remotely, hackers have had a field day in penetrating vulnerable systems. The risks that manufacturers face extend far beyond hacked emails or phishing. These companies are also susceptible to data loss, loss of intellectual property, and the hacking of critical manufacturing systems. Furthermore, hackers target manufacturing companies because of the value they can obtain from such data/systems.
3. Limited movement
Technology has increased the scope of remote/mobile workflows. However, manufacturers still heavily rely on the production line to power daily workflows. The limited movement has negatively impacted both manufacturers and suppliers. Electronics manufacturers travel to build relationships with suppliers, develop prototypes, and address production line challenges. The restricted movement has affected the industry- and such limitations are expected to continue for as long as 24 months.
4. Limited worksite coordination
The success of any electronics manufacturing project relies on worksite coordination. From employees who power production lines to managers who diagnose and fix operational issues, real-time coordination is essential for the gradual improvement and streamlining of electronics manufacturing projects.
Such oversight and collaboration have been challenging to achieve during this pandemic period. Teams are having to rely on summarized reports, spreadsheets, and other data collection techniques to get an idea of what’s happening on the factory floor.
