Four-day week possible with changes to business models, report finds

The research, ‘The Balancing Act: Unlocking Innovation in Manufacturing’ surveyed 450 European manufacturers and highlights how manufacturers are adapting and implementing new approaches to overcome challenges.

Over half of senior manufacturing professionals (56 per cent) surveyed believe that a greater degree of flexible or hybrid working would enhance their ability to innovate compared to 39 per cent who believe a four-day week would be negative for the business.

However, almost nine in 10 said they thought the optimal environment for idea generation and problem-solving was at least four days a week of on-site working, and there was recognition that the four-day week would require changes to business models. In total, 78 per cent said they might be forced to adopt a different manufacturing strategy if their suppliers switched to a four-day model.

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Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of respondents said supply chain disruption and rising costs meant they were looking to innovate to find a new business model, and 55 per cent of those exploring restructuring the supply chain were focusing on so-called friend-shoring, by moving production to a country with similar values and culture. Seventy per cent would consider switching to four-day week if their suppliers did.

超过一半的受访者(56%)之物e cobots will lead to improved employee productivity, and 57 per cent say it will support better idea generation. Almost 7 in 10 manufacturers work with cobots or say they plan to do so soon.

Peter Richards, VP marketing and sales EMEA atProtolabs Europe, said: “We know that many employees are demanding more flexibility in their roles and the opportunity to work remotely across all sectors right now. In manufacturing this can be hard to implement but businesses do recognise they stand to gain from more flexible working patterns. Hence, we expect to see fluid working in this sector rather than hybrid, with mandated on-site working for short periods during innovation sprints.

“Geopolitical challenges in the supply chain have caused businesses to find alternative solutions to ensure resilience and this is leading them to work with suppliers closer to home. Their operational strength will be improved further with better human-machine interaction. Cobots and automation will provide a new world of opportunities, freeing up workers to be more creative and enabling different working patterns.”