MEP survey asks clients about manufacturing concerns for 2019

Employee retention, continuous improvement, cost reductions, and filling technology needs are among the biggest challenges manufacturers will face in 2019, according to a survey conducted by the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), which is funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The annual NIST MEP survey asks manufacturing CEOs to share their thoughts about business in general and manufacturing specifically.

During the past 10 years, the most significant change to client responses has been the issue of employee recruitment and retention. The share of MEP clients reporting this as a challenge has nearly tripled and is now the second most frequently reported challenge companies face.

Other shifts that have occurred:

─ Continuous improvement and cost-reduction issues remain the most frequently cited challenge by MEP clients after 10 years.

─ Identifying growth opportunities was reported by less than half the companies in FY2018, which represents a drop of about 12 percentage points compared to FY2009. Helping companies grow is the third most common challenge cited in FY2018.

─ Technology needs and managing partners and suppliers are two challenges that are now more frequently cited in FY2018 compared to FY2009.

─ Innovation/product development has remained a consistent challenge for MEP clients.

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How MEP's clients' views of manufacturing challenges changed between 2009 and 2018.