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Challenges of an Australian Manufacturer

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As an Australian manufacture, the current environment provides many challenges.

Without manufacturing, we face the prospect of losing science and engineering expertise in research and production that has taken generations to nurture. Manufacturing directly employs one in five engineers in Australia, and many more indirectly. These skills are not only critical to new growth industries but are the core infrastructure skills on which every modern economy depends.

There is an emerging evolution of the manufacturing industry from traditional, machinery-based manufacturing towards higher-value, advanced manufacturing. Like so many industries, technology is driving many of the changes. Most manufacturers today are more efficient and sophisticated, with reduced labour costs and more customised solutions.

AutoTest Products has embraced these challenges with enthusiasm, things that have become increasingly important are not only diversification in offerings but diversification in outreach. The Australian made campaign (of which AutoTest is a member) is more important than ever before, along with other Australian bodies such as the AusIndustry, AAAA, and AiGroup.

 

Manufacturing can help us to re-imagine our future. In becoming more globalised, knowledge-intensive and interdependent with service design, automation, manufacturing will drive innovation and technological change.

 

Manufacturing also accounts for about a quarter of Australia’s private sector R&D expenditure. Even more is spent on non-R&D innovation such as new business models, systems integration, and high-performance work and management practices, with diffusion effects throughout the economy.

A New Hurdle – COVID-19

There has been a resurgence in manufacturing within Australia in recent months as manufacturers work to re-establish supply chains and become less reliant on a single trade partner.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in our supply chains and the ability to thrive in niche manufacturing for broader markets, providing an incentive for Australian companies to re-shore or move to near-shore manufacturing.

With geopolitical tensions growing across the globe, a rise in protectionist policy seems to be the trend.

There are factors manufacturers can influence and those they cannot. While they cannot influence the dollar value and distance to other markets, they can influence the superiority of their product offerings and their flexibility to react to market shifts.

They can also become more resilient through improved diversity – specifically, by offering more products and reaching out to more markets with better service offerings.

There are many complex challenges facing the manufacturing sector, but opportunities for innovation and growth exist, particularly for specialised manufacturers.

 

The secret of success for Australian manufacturers is their ability to innovate and quickly adapt their products and services while understanding the market they are supplying.

 

There are factors that manufacturers can influence and those that they cannot.

 

While we cannot influence the dollar value and the distance to other markets, we can influence the superiority of our product offerings and the flexibility of manufacturers to react to market shifts. We can also become more resilient through improved diversity: by offering more products, reaching out to more markets with better service offerings.

AutoTest Rising to the Challenge

AutoTest Products is one specialised Australian manufacturer embracing today’s challenging environment with a diversification in product offerings and diversification in outreach.

The company is a member of the Australian Made campaign along with other Australian bodies such as the Auslndustry, the Australian Automotive Aftermarket Association (AAAA) and AiGroup.

AutoTest says the Australian Made campaign is more important than ever before because manufacturing can help us reimagine our future. It says in becoming more globalised, knowledge-intensive and interdependent with service design and automation, manufacturing can drive innovation and technological change.

AutoTest has provided a range of state-of-the-art automotive testing and diagnostic products for more than 20 years. It is ISO900 and NATA-accredited and has won several awards, including the Society of Automotive Engineers’ (SAE) Engineering Excellence Awards and the Institute of Engineers Australia’s Engineering Excellence Awards – the national engineering excellence award for research and development.

AutoTest products are supplied to garages, workshops, regulatory authorities and service testing stations across Australia and the world through a network of distributors.

AutoTest has embarked on a new product-development program to ensure the consistent launch of innovative, Australian-made products designed to meet the needs of the automotive industry and changing vehicle-safety regulatory requirements.

It says it will continue to support Australian manufacturers and machine builders with a wide product offering backed by industry-leading service, regularly adapting its product portfolio, stock, assembly and service to meet the changing market demands.

Contact AutoTest today to see how our products can service you.