We're excited to be rolling out some new features and updates to our Made platform, we think of it as a progress update on our mission.
In December, you'll be able to see the new updates on your user dashboard, with a more intuitive layout and the release of an exciting module called 'Made-U.'
Made U - short for Made University - is your home for best practice talks from the manufacturing community and expert masterclasses to help you expertly network, market and sell your brand. Whether you've been creating on Made for years, or are just getting started, we've got you covered.
The latest investment in the platform began in May and resulted from nearly seven months of solid development and design.
From behind the scenes, we have also been making incremental improvements, including a new format for the virtual breakfast events; this includes four key discussion groups. Each discussion group focuses on a variety of topics that contain International Trade, Sustainability, Industry 4 or People and Skills.
We now also write up a briefing article post-event which captures the salient points and takeaways.
The Made in Group has always led on innovation, and since the pandemic, we have created a unique platform that allows members to learn from each other, create content and participate in thought leadership. We still do face-to-face events, but our focus is now split into 75% virtual and 25% face-to-face, with the face-to-face element as a premium offering which we will continue to work on and make more engaging.
In Yorkshire the Made in Group has added three face to face factory visits in the diary, including a trip to South Yorkshire, Rippon and Scarborough. Members in Yorkshire and also the Midlands can access those events now by logging into your dashboard and registering to attend.
As we approach the end of the year, many of our discussions have focussed on challenges around people, productivity, supply chains, material shortages and economic uncertainty.
We have some bad news for those who think these problems will go away. There is now emerging data suggesting that labour shortages are essentially unsolvable and the only way to achieve growth or sustainability is to master the art of 'doing more with less’.
We need to do more work with fewer people, drive growth with less use of carbon, and become agile in our thinking and then our actions.
The future of business is driven by the gen Z community. They are more tech-savvy, demanding and more willing to change than previous generations. This coupled with this generation being the smallest modern generation, and the future trend being a large older population supported by a smaller young population means that elements of our industry need to adapt quickly. Our only route is for us to innovate or wait 20 years for Gen Z to have lots of babies, which they are showing no sign of agreeing to.
This is a pivotal moment, and one everyone needs to grasp. You will be left behind if you still need to be on the road to understanding the risks and opportunities. As the industry accelerates intelligent automation, servitization and AI, it's clear that the younger generation will want future supply chains to be industry four ready.
The Made in Group is determined to be the go-to platform and association that understands the entirety of the problems and can help members navigate a path towards prosperity. It's not only about winning work, it's about winning digitally.
Look out for our updates in the next few weeks as we help British industry with a smarter way to back Britain.
Check out our events listed on www.madeinthemidlands.com and www.madeinyorkshire.com