Manufacturers advised to develop ‘strategic independence’

This is the view of Tony Hague, CEO of PP Control & Automation, who is urging companies to strive for strategic independence, formulating and executing strategy autonomously and without reliance on inadequate policies and economic aid.

According to Hague, this approach will empower firms to make operational adjustments that are directly aligned with their business goals and customer needs.

This will involve understanding processes, defining market orientation, investing more in R&D and developing a sustainable skills plan that will meet short and long-term requirements.

“We can’t wait on external factors to calm, or a government to care. We can’t wait around for a directive, or a miraculous shift in how our work is valued. And we definitely can’t be passive,” Hague said in a statement.

“The manufacturing community wears resilience like a badge of honour because of the sheer number of times it has had to fight its own corner. But that spirit shouldn’t be reserved only for overcoming difficult situations, it should be leveraged to cultivate our own strategic independence.”