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As engineering and manufacturing companies move toward technology-led operational processes, employers are seeking professionals with the right skills to drive successful transformation and boost the bottom line. These skills include:
1. Lean manufacturing
Maximising efficiency and minimising waste are key focuses for businesses looking to increase their profit margins. Companies are seeking employees who can systematically drive value, reduce wastage costs and improve manufacturing processes. In particular, experience with lean methodologies – such as Six Sigma Black Belt, developed by American engineer Bill Smith – are highly sought after.
2. Change and transformation management
As technology reshapes the sector, businesses are looking for change-driven and skilled strategic decision-makers who can help shift direction through innovation, uptake of new technologies and agile work processes.
3. Product development
While brands vie to be first to market with innovative new products and increase market share on existing products, demand is high for talent with new product development expertise – particularly among food and beverage companies.
4. Process design
In light of technological advancements and industry-wide process automation, there is a need for businesses to manage processes more efficiently than ever. As such, companies are looking for professionals with the skills to design processes that increase output and lower production costs.
5. Adaptability
In a rapidly changing environment, the ability to adapt to new situations, projects and ways of working is critical. Demonstrating you can easily switch focus when required will help prove long-term value to prospective employers.
6. Democratic leadership approach
Top-down management is out of fashion. Instead, both in the engineering & manufacturing sector and in other sectors, there is a need for a more democratic form of leadership that is better aligned with the new generation of employees. They feel more comfortable with more participative way of working. Companies also benefit from that, because employees can come up with ideas that management has not thought of. The best specialists are therefore not necessarily the managers anymore. Companies are increasingly abandoning that principle. Of course, professional knowledge is required, but good personal skills are just as important for managing a team.
7. Multi-project management
A focused multi-tasking approach is needed when we consider that large, high-value projects, are becoming commonplace, especially through foreign direct investment (FDI). Large-scale technology projects require solid project management skills and the ability to keep a number of plates spinning at once. A talent for controlling costs and managing efficiency continue to be perennially important in the current climate. Meeting high demand for profit margins relies on top talent with strategic and tactical planning expertise.
8. Attention to detail
Attention to detail is a key skill that is prized in every business and at all levels. In a fast-past world, professionals that are perfectionists in their work and who pride themselves in having an eye for the fine details, are rated very highly by managers. They can make a succinct difference to the business and with the ability to look for anomalies or trends in data, they can run informed reports on these to encourage positive business change, are crucial for business success.
9. Accountability
In engineering and manufacturing, it is essential that production schedules are adhered to so that deadlines and expectations from colleagues, stakeholders, and customers, are met. If no one is accountable for any part of a process, it can lead to a loss of revenue. Having a clear understanding of what accountability means and demonstrating it, whether through areas of quality ethics, regulatory standards, leads to a better controlled process.
10. Customer-led/centric design
With new products being developed all the time, managing expectations on customer-centric design is key for businesses to stay ahead in a competitive field. When customers are truly invested in your product, they are more likely to be retained. It puts the customer experience into sharp focus and can position businesses as leaders at the forefront of their field. The right individuals are key to ensuring that the customer-centric design approach is implemented correctly.
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