A sudden rise in demand will have massive repercussions for any industry. Not only will there be a need to increase manufacturing output, but the lure of profits from a newly expanding sector will also bring brand-new innovations in production technology, as well new players wanting a piece of the action.
For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented demand for face masks and also hand sanitizer. The processes to create these products are not straightforward and require dedicated specialist machinery as part of the manufacturing process.
With so many companies wanting a slice of what is predicted to be a very big pie, existing operations will look to expand and a host of new facilities could be built. In a situation where an agile response to the situation is vital, planning and implementation will be key.
Business Considerations
In times of sudden change, safety concerns have to go hand in hand with standard business concerns of efficient processes and keeping expenditure to a minimum. It is often the case that, when a small or medium-sized operation rapidly expands to become a large operation one of these concerns will fall by the wayside.
Unfortunately, sacrificing a degree of safety for production speed is sometimes seen as an acceptable solution in the short term, but it is not the only concern with rapid expansion.
Expansion Complications
Even when expanding an existing operation, additional machinery brings further considerations. To remain competitive in a growing market, working practices as well as the technology will have to be upgraded to cope with the increased demand.
Space can also be an issue, so the footprint of any additional machinery has to be taken into account as much as its output and efficiency. For long-established operations, compatibility can be an additional hurdle if existing machinery has not been upgraded over time.
Specialist Advice and Help
Dedicated companies exist for the production, installation, and maintenance of industry-specific machinery and equipment used in these types of expansions. To provide one example, PDX Gold will provide a number of solutions for a sector of the chemical industry.
This is a good example as the industry in question is highly regulated and rapidly expanding. The number of hurdles involved could easily provide insurmountable problems to a business owner deciding to go it alone.
Many of the problems of expanding an existing operation are often bypassed by creating a purpose-built facility. However, the costs involved here would mean this would only be a viable solution if the upturn in business was to be permanent.
Evolutionary Change
Not all industries require this level of specialist help, however. This is because they are not so strictly regulated or haven’t had a sudden increase in demand. If a brand is seeing a gradual rather than meteoric rise of fortunes, then evolutionary rather than revolutionary change is the key.
This allows for practices, training, technology, and equipment to be upgraded at a more controlled pace so that issues involving product quality as well as site and individual safety do not occur.