Abstract
COVID has changed manufacturers in fundamental ways. Manufacturing businesses were brought to a standstill during COVID. They were already dealing with increasing disruptions due to trade wars, epidemics, and material shortages before the massive COVID-related disruptions. As guidelines for opening plants safely came out, manufacturers repurposed their production lines to target high-demand products such as respirators, respirator parts, medical PPE, and hand sanitizers. Manufacturers that pivoted successfully identified many enablers that helped them pivot quickly, including rapid decision making, organizational flexibility, employee know-how and skills, and digital technologies as key enablers. Beyond COVID, manufacturers are investing in several strategies to survive future disruptions and respond to shifting buyer expectations of manufactured products. This paper considers the business challenges faced by manufacturers and examines enabling technology and business model solutions to address these challenges. Finally, we discuss how these may shape future manufacturers as they rethink their business and operating models while investing in new products, services, and engaging customer experiences.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Ansys. (2019). VW motorsport presents: Battery simulation—An essential technology for the ID. R at Nürburgring and the record at pikes peak. Retrieved from Ansys: https://www.ansys.com/resource-center/webinar/battery-simulation-vw-motorsports
Apple Inc. (2019). Apple supplier list. (Apple) Retrieved from Apple: https://www.apple.com/supplier-responsibility/pdf/Apple-Supplier-List.pdf
Bank of America Securities. (2020, July 26). How much will it cost to reshore the world’s supply chains? (Bank of America Global Research) Retrieved from https://www.bofaml.com/content/dam/boamlimages/documents/articles/ID20_0734/cost_of_remaking_supply_chains.pdf
Betti, F., & Boer, E. D. (2020, January 10). Global lighthouse network: Insights from the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution. (World Economic Forum) Retrieved on Febrauary 1, 2021, from https://www.weforum.org/whitepapers/global-lighthouse-network-insights-from-the-forefront-of-the-fourth-industrial-revolution
Bhavnagarwala, H. (2020). 3D printer plans: 10 great 3D printer blueprints to DIY. (All3DP) Retrieved from All3DP: https://all3dp.com/2/3d-printer-plans-3d-printer-blueprints/
Blind, K., Nagle, F., Böhm, M., Katz, A., & Pätsch, S. (2020, November). European Commission open source study. (Fraunhofer ISI) Retrieved from https://www.openforumeurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/OFE_Fraunhofer_OS_impact_study_5_Nov.pdf
Bowser, A., Long, A., Novak, A., Parker, A., & Weinberg, M. (2021, February). Stitching together a solution: Lessons from the open source hardware response to COVID-19. (Wilson Center) Retrieved from https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/stitching-together-solution-lessons-open-source-hardware-response-covid-19
Bright Machines. (2020). Flex partners with Bright machines to innovate today and into the future. (Bright Machines) Retrieved on April 29, 2021, from Bright Machines: https://www.brightmachines.com/customers/
Buxbaum, P. (2020, March 17). Coronavirus and manufacturing: Shipping and logistics. (Industry Today) Retrieved February 1, 2021, from https://industrytoday.com/coronavirus-and-manufacturing-shipping-and-logistics/
Carbon. (2019, January 16). Carbon and ford expand collaboration to digitally manufacture new durable, end-use parts. (Carbon) Retrieved from https://www.carbon3d.com/news/press-releases/carbon-and-ford-expand-collaboration/
CDC. (2021, April 16). COVID-19 manufacturing workers and employers interim guidance. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Retrieved on April 29, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-manufacturing-workers-employers.html
Celo, S., Nebus, J., & Wang, K. (2018, March). The role of internal and external complexity in global factory performance: An NKC application. Journal of International Management, 24(1), 65–83. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1075425317300030
Deloitte. (2018). 2018 Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute skills gap and future of work study. (Deloitte) Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/manufacturing/articles/future-of-manufacturing-skills-gap-study.html
Eclipse IoT. (2021). Open source for IoT. Retrieved from Eclipse Foundation: https://iot.eclipse.org/
Erboz, G. (2017). How to define industry 4.0: Main pillars of industry 4.0. In Managerial trends in the development of enterprises in globalization era. Nitria. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326557388_How_To_Define_Industry_40_Main_Pillars_Of_Industry_40
Gandhi, S., Jamjoum, A. K., & Heider, C. (2019, February 1). Why customer experience matters for B2B. (MIT Sloan Management Review) Retrieved from https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/why-customer-experience-matters-for-b2b/
GE. (2020, January 26). 3D printed jet engine: Meet the team of young engineers that brought 3D printing inside the GE9X—The world’s largest jet engine. (3D Printing Industry) Retrieved on February 6, 2021, from General Electric: https://www.ge.com/additive/stories/3d-printed-jet-engine-meet-team-young-engineers-brought-3d-printing-inside-ge9x-worlds-largest
GrabCAD. (2021). GrabCAD. (GrabCAD) Retrieved on April 29, 2021, from GrabCAD: https://resources.grabcad.com/company/
IoT Hub Meetup. (2020, November 8). Autonomous drones delivering medical supplies and saving lives with Keenan Wyrobek (Zipline). Retrieved from IoT Hub Meetup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMLcSElQRNk&t=23s
LF Edge. (2021). Building a open source framework for the edge. Retrieved from Linux Foundation LF Edge: https://www.lfedge.org/
Ma, C. (2020, July 14). Manufacturer interest in reshoring, hiring, and apprenticeships increasing during COVID-19 pandemic [Report]. (Thomas.Net) Retrieved February 1, 2021, from https://www.thomasnet.com/insights/manufacturer-interest-in-reshoring-hiring-and-apprenticeships-increasing-during-covid-19-pandemic-report/
Manufacturing Institute. (2019, July). The aging of the manufacturing workforce. (Manufacturing Institute) Retrieved from Manufacturing Institute: https://www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/MI-Sloan-Aging-in-the-MFG-Workforce-Report.pdf
Mimo Technologies. (n.d.). Mimo technologies home page. (Mimo Technologies) Retrieved April 29, 2021, from https://mimo-technologies.com/
NAM. (2020, March 9). Economic and operational impacts of COVID-19 to manufacturers. Retrieved from National Association of Manufacturers: https://www.nam.org/coronasurvey/
NAM. (n.d.). Facts about manufacturing. (National Association of Manufacturers) Retrieved from National Association of Manufacturers: https://www.nam.org/facts-about-manufacturing/
Okorie, O., Subramoniam, R., Charnley, F., Patsavellas, J., Widdifield, D., & Salonitis, K. (2020, September 1). Manufacturing in the time of COVID-19: An assessment of barriers and enablers. IEEE Engineering Management Review, 48(3), 167–175. https://doi.org/10.1109/EMR.2020.3012112
Onshape. (2020, November 23). Formlabs uses onshape CAD and AWS to shave weeks or months off design cycles. (OnShape) Retrieved from Onshape: https://www.onshape.com/en/resource-center/user-stories/formlabs-uses-onshape-cad-and-aws-to-shave-weeks-or-months-off-design-cycles
Osztovits, Á., Kőszegi, Á., Nagy, B., & Damjanovics, B. (2015). Sharing or paring? Growth of the sharing economy. (PwC) Retrieved from https://www.pwc.com/hu/en/kiadvanyok/assets/pdf/sharing-economy-en.pdf
P2PF. (2010, May 31). Open manufacturing value stream. Retrieved from P2P Foundation: https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Open_Manufacturing_Value_Stream
PACCAR. (2021, January 19). PACCAR and aurora form strategic partnership to develop autonomous trucks. Retrieved from Paccar News: https://www.paccar.com/news/current-news/2021/paccar-and-aurora-form-strategic-partnership-to-develop-autonomous-trucks/
Park, C.-Y., Kim, K., Roth, S., Beck, S., Kang, J. W., Tayag, M. C., & Griffin, M. (2020, April). Global shortage of personal protective equipment amid COVID-19: Supply chains, bottlenecks, and policy implications. (Asian Development Bank) Retrieved February 1, 2021, from https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/579121/ppe-covid-19-supply-chains-bottlenecks-policy.pdf
Porter, M. E., & Heppelmann, J. E. (2014, November 1). How smart, connected products are transforming competition. (Harvard Business Review) Retrieved on February 6, 2021, from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2014/11/how-smart-connected-products-are-transforming-competition
Prising, J., Sorenson, A., & Weinelt, B. (2018, May 3). Maximizing the return on digital investments. (World Economic Forum) Retrieved on February 1, 2021, from https://www.weforum.org/whitepapers/maximizing-the-return-on-digital-investments
PTC. (2021). Digital transformation: continuously optimizing manufacturing operations. (PTC) Retrieved from https://www.ptc.com/en/case-studies/rockwell-automation
PTC. (2021, February 1). INFINITI creates augmented reality in-store experience. (PTC) Retrieved on February 1, 2021, from https://www.ptc.com/en/case-studies/infiniti-augmented-reality-in-store-experience
PTC. (n.d.). BID group streamlines service and improves customer experience with vuforia chalk. (PTC) Retrieved on April 29, 2021, from PTC: https://www.ptc.com/en/case-studies/bid-group-streamlines-service-with-vuforia-chalk
Romand-Monnier, P. (2019, July 19). 5 things you didn’t know about hardware startups. (Hardware Club) Retrieved on February 6, 2021, from https://blog.hardwareclub.co/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-hardware-startups-28291bb2da16
ROS Industrial. (2021). ROS industrial. Retrieved from ROS Industrial: https://rosindustrial.org
Shih, W. (2020, April 15). Bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. is easier said than done. (Harvard Business Review) Retrieved on February 1, 2021, from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2020/04/bringing-manufacturing-back-to-the-u-s-is-easier-said-than-done
Sleger, G. (2020, April 6). Manufacturing supply chains, jobs reports show obvious downturn amid COVID-19 crisis. (The Fabricator) Retrieved from https://www.thefabricator.com/thefabricator/blog/covid19/manufacturing-supply-chains-jobs-reports-show-obvious-downturn-amid-covid-19-crisis
Srivastava, S., Trehan, K., Wagle, D., & Wang, J. (2020, April 20). Developer Velocity: How software excellence fuels business performance. (Mckinsey) Retrieved from Mckinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/developer-velocity-how-software-excellence-fuels-business-performance
Statista. (2021). Mobile Android operating system market share by version worldwide from January 2018 to January 2021. Retrieved from Statista: https://www.statista.com/statistics/921152/mobile-android-version-share-worldwide/
Tay, S. I., Chuan, L. T., Aziati, A. N., & Ahmad, A. A. (2018). An overview of industry 4.0: Definition, components, and government initiatives. Journal of Advanced Research in Dynamical and Control Systems, 10(14), 1. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332440369_An_Overview_of_Industry_40_Definition_Components_and_Government_Initiatives
Teja, R. (2021, April 5). What are the differences between Raspberry Pi and Arduino? Retrieved from Electronics Hub: https://www.electronicshub.org/raspberry-pi-vs-arduino/
Thales Group. (n.d.). Exploring consumer expectations of IoT in 2030 (Connected Living III). (Thales Group) Retrieved on April 29, 2021, from Thales Group: https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/markets/digital-identity-and-security/iot/documents/connected-living-2030
TraqIQ . (2021, January 19). Has the last mile revolution changed the supply chain forever? (TraqIQ) Retrieved from TraqIQ: https://www.traqiq.com/blog/last-mile/has-the-last-mile-revolution-changed-the-supply-chain-forever/
WEF. (2021). How companies can win the race to meet customer expectations. Geneva: World Economic Forum. Retrieved from http://reports.weforum.org/digital-transformation/the-race-to-meet-customer-expectations/
WEF. (2021). The global risks report 2021. World Economic Forum. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-global-risks-report-2021
Wellener, P., Ashton, H., & Lapper, S. (2018, August 23). Distinctive traits of digital frontrunners in manufacturing. Retrieved on February 1, 2021, from Deloitte: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/industry-4-0/digital-leaders-in-manufacturing-fourth-industrial-revolution.html
Wilgus, C. (2018, December 12). Manufacturing jobs in the gig economy. (Manufacturing Tomorrow) Retrieved from https://www.manufacturingtomorrow.com/article/2018/11/manufacturing-jobs-in-the-gig-economy/12579/
Workrise. (2021, April 29). RigUp announces new corporate brand—Workrise—To align with expanded mission, new verticals. (Workrise) Retrieved from Workrise: https://www.workrise.com/hub/introducing-workrise/
Wrench. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions. (Wrench) Retrieved on April 29, 2021, from Wrench: https://wrench.com/faq/
Yu, J. M., & Plume, K. (2019, January 29). Exclusive: Foxconn reconsidering plans to make LCD panels at Wisconsin plant. (Reuters) Retrieved from Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-foxconn-wisconsin-exclusive-idUSKCN1PO0FV
Zorz, Z. (2018, May 22). The percentage of open source code in proprietary apps is rising. (Help Net Security) Retrieved from https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2018/05/22/open-source-code-security-risk/
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Hanspal, H. (2022). The Open Manufacturer. How Industry 4.0, Open-Source, and the Gig and Sharing Economy Shape the Post-COVID Manufacturer?. In: Gupta, A., Tewary, T., Gopalakrishnan, B.N. (eds) Sustainability in the Gig Economy. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8406-7_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8406-7_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-16-8405-0
Online ISBN: 978-981-16-8406-7
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)