Why should you keep your manufacturing in the UK?
The UK is a haven of businesses, owners and manufacturers, with 11%of the country’s GVA within the manufacturing sector, we can see how obviously crucial this is to our economy. In recent times, the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty of Brexit has resulted in people looking inward, instead of global manufacturing powerhouses, like India and China.
However, there are many benefits to manufacturing in the UK that don’t include low cost, high minimum order quantities.
Quicker turnaround
By choosing to manufacture in the UK, you can cut the time it takes to receive your products, as they have less distance to travel and shorter lead times on replacements, if there are any issues with your products, once you have received them. Delivery times could be shortened from months to just a few days, or even hours, depending on just how local you choose to go.
Ensuring that your own supply chain is better equipped and closer to your end-user will only impress your customer base, increasing the chances of new work and repeat custom coming your way.
Decrease your carbon footprint
Every company should be aiming to decrease their carbon footprint and improve their sustainability policies in 2021. If you haven’t already developed these policies and put carbon-reducing procedures into action, now is the time to act.
Buying from local manufacturing firms can significantly reduce the distance that your products have to travel to make it to you or your clients. With no plane journeys and no shipping to harm the environment, it will be easier to justify your choice of precision engineering to your stakeholders.
Lower distribution costs
If the reduction of harmful greenhouse gases that come with the distribution of products overseas was not enough to make you want to explore manufacturing companies within the UK, the less your products have to travel, the cheaper it can be for your business. With many of us trying to tighten our belts and reign in unnecessary spending, managing your supply chain and cutting costs wherever possible is a great way to save money in the long term.
World-leading quality standards
We are all aware of the rich heritage that this country has for manufacturing and that continues to this day. There is a great deal of admiration and respect for the products made in the UK and our capabilities have become synonymous with quality, integrity and trustworthiness from all stages in the supply chain, so it really does pay to invest in the manufacturing at home.
Stimulate the economy and create jobs
The UK economy could always do with a helping hand, and 2020 / 2021 has been no different. With an 8% shrink in the economy, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, companies must pull together. Using UK-based manufacture will provide jobs to local workers, job security in companies that are already established, and you are helping to pump money into the economy.
Building a relationship
Having a local supplier and being able to have in-person visits comes with a whole host of intangible benefits. You can build up a rapport with your suppliers face-to-face, generate ideas with the team and shake hands with the workers creating your products, after sanitising, of course.
If there is an issue with your products, or there is a question that needs a keen eye to be answered, you are never more than a few hours away from your manufacturer, potentially giving you the ability to eliminate risk factors and avoid problems. You will benefit from a greater level of control over the whole process, ensuring you’re 100% satisfied with the end product.
