In the 21st century, technological and societal change is increasing at an exponential rate. Just as each generation of manufacturers before you faced obstacles unique to their era, you face challenges that are unique to yours.

The future of your manufacturing operation relies on finding the most efficient ways to overcome these challenges. As you face them head on, remember that your success rests on your ability to do the following:

• Establishing a pipeline of young, motivated, skilled workers that you are able to maintain productive and open communication with—and who can effectively coexist with the senior members of your team.

• Investing in advanced manufacturing technologies in order to stay ahead of the competition.

Establish Intergenerational Partnerships

“Fifteen hundred years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was the center of the universe. Five hundred years ago, everybody knew that the Earth was flat. And fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were alone on this planet. Imagine what you’ll know tomorrow.”

– Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones), Men In Black, 1997

People from different generations see things from different perspectives. They have different areas of expertise, different methods and strategies, and different norms that they subscribe to. This is great for your business. By unifying diverging skill sets, you’ll be able to bridge vital knowledge gaps within your business. Your older workers will become increasingly tech savvy, and your younger workers will gain insight into the value of emotional intelligence and intrapersonal networking.

By implementing the proper systems, you can facilitate this exchange of information and ideas from anywhere. Some easy actions you can take today would be to:

• Assign projects to generationally-diverse teams.
• Set quarterly goals for your employees to train in areas where they may be knowledge-deficient.
• Create an online environment where ideas can flow freely.

As you bridge the gap between your employees’ skill sets, you’ll find solutions for problems that could not have been solved otherwise—or perhaps you didn’t know existed.

58% of field service professionals say their top pressure is competition.  As you know, your business isn’t the only game in town. With the field services industry gaining traction each day, it is your responsibility to separate yourself from your competitors.

Stress the importance of having an open mind and being receptive to alternative perspectives—your team will be more productive and prepared for the future. With each passing day, the foreign will continue to appear less and less so.

Transform Your Tech

Manufacturing plants don’t have the same ideological, creative flair that places like Silicon Valley do, but that doesn’t mean that your business can’t be optimized for the 21st century. With younger generations of workers being drawn to places with shiny veneers, your business—and industry as a whole—needs to keep up.

Advanced robots, wearable devices, and real-time data integration software are not only profit-generating tools, they are vital recruitment tools. Workers that are able to see state-of-the-art technology being used in practice will be drawn in. 

Make sure that your employees know that you’re putting your best foot forward. Advanced manufacturing technology—that is easy to use—will let you keep product planning in scope, distribution and logistics running smoothly, and production scheduling punctual. 

Using the most advanced technology at your disposal is in the best interest of your business. It will also send a message to your employees—and future employees—that you are striving to work at peak efficiency. 

Price Out The Competition

Young people want excitement in their professional lives, and are often willing to sacrifice more than previous generations have in order to achieve that. But don’t misconstrue this—they still want to get paid.

The average salary of manufacturing workers in the United States is $63,295. With an above-average payscale compared to other American industries, this is something that you can use to your advantage. Money is not the end-all-be-all factor that it used to be, but it goes without saying how beneficial offering above-average salaries can be when attempting to attract the best talent around. 

Benefits of continued optimization and development of technology will only allow you to increase the wages you offer. Investing in technology to streamline your supply chains from start to finish allows you to invest in what really matters—American manufacturing jobs. 

Don’t Stop Innovating

Stagnation is not a tried and true method of success. As humans, we have a tendency to stick with what works. It’s a natural survival skill. But as time continues its march onward, it’s up to you to make the necessary operational changes to avoid being left behind.

The future arrives one day at a time. As you strive for a more collaborative, high-tech, and competitively compensated work environment, ask yourself what you can do today to make that  a reality. Infrastructure doesn’t appear out of thin air—the first step is finding systems that will work for you.

The world keeps turning and technology keeps evolving—your business needs to be fluid, mobile, and responsive. Investing in systems that put your business in a position for long-term success is the first step in preparing for whatever flavor of change comes next. Your products, systems, and technology will continue to change. Your staff will change. Your business model may even change. Change is as inevitable as the sun rising each day—make sure your business treats it as such.