The manufacturing industry remains strong despite supply chain challenges, labour shortages, and pandemic-induced uncertainty. According to a report from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), global manufacturing production is now well above pre-pandemic levels. However, to ensure future growth, reducing unplanned downtimes is a top priority.
The cost of unplanned downtime
Interruptions caused by theft, breaches, and cyber-attacks result in massive delays and carry significant costs. Depending on the industry, unplanned downtime can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars every single hour. According to Forbes, industrial manufacturers can lose as much as 1%-10% of available production time at a total cost of up to $50 billion a year. Manufacturers must take action to address interruptions by (1) tracking materials and products, (2) enhancing data security, (3) extending perimeter security, and (4) ensuring workforce safety. And this is where a unified physical security solution, like Genetec™ Security Center, can reduce the frequency and duration of interruptions while facilitating digital transformation.
Supply chain management: warehousing and transportation risks
Given manufacturing’s global nature, maintaining a smooth supply chain is vitally important. Employing tagging and fleet monitoring technology can bolster supply chain resilience by tracking valuable materials and enhancing asset visibility. Using a unified security platform, together with solutions like the TagTracker plugin and Security Center Fleet Monitoring from Genetec, can reduce unplanned downtimes by making distribution more secure.
Digital transformation and the importance of cybersecurity
Embracing digitization and moving towards more connected, efficient, and predictive processes at facilities can help manufacturers capture growth and protect long-term profitability. Greater connectivity and automation help yield valuable data for real-time insights and competitiveness.
A unified security system, like the Security Center, can collect and analyse data from multiple sources to develop accurate forecasting and planning models, improve strategic decisions, and perform predictive maintenance, which both decreases unplanned downtime and extends the life of machines.
It’s important to remember that increased interconnectivity can make organizations more vulnerable to interruptions caused by cyberattacks. To help mitigate these risks, manufacturers should plan to include cyber-hardened physical security solutions as part of their comprehensive approach to cybersecurity.
Moving security to the perimeter
Effective perimeter protection is essential to prevent costly delays. In addition to securing their perimeter, manufacturers also need to coordinate effective responses to threats to limit potential disruptions. Increasingly, plants that produce highly sensitive or valuable materials are at risk of experiencing drone intrusions. As with any intrusion, a drone can cause delays that impact a manufacturer’s overall efficiency and output. Mitigating the risks of intrusions requires a physical security solution that makes investigating and responding easier and more effective. Security solutions, like Security Center, that offer intrusion detection technology for Restricted Security Areas (RSA), including radar and laser-based systems, are important for protecting the perimeter and operations.
Keeping workers safe
Workplace safety has always been a top priority for manufacturers. Like everyone, manufacturers focused on maintaining basic safety precautions, including enforcing social distancing measures on the production floor and sanitising workspaces. They also increased their monitoring of people entering and exiting facilities as well as dangerous locations. By implementing physical identity and access management solution like Genetec ClearID™, manufacturers can strengthen security policies by automating visitor requests while also improving the flow of people. And, with detailed audit trails of every visit, security teams can quickly investigate incidents and help get production back on track.
Despite economic uncertainties, the manufacturing industry experiences strong growth. To build on this success, manufacturers must reduce costly interruptions and prioritize product quality and workforce safety. A unified physical security solution can help reduce the frequency and length of interruptions in operations by protecting the supply chain, improving decisionmaking, reducing cybersecurity risks, and enhancing workplace safety.
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