A new industrial revolution gathers pace in pandemic – Ian Dowd

Entire companies are working remotely, processes are being automated and new technology is being implemented to mitigate the challenges associated with making big changes in such a short amount of time.

The impact of this in terms of how businesses operate is expected to 
extend far beyond global periods of lockdown. This technology is the foundation stone of Industry 4.0, and its unprecedented usage has accelerated the advancement of this latest industrial revolution.

During these unprecedented times, when different ways of working and communicating have been introduced, productivity levels will be closely looked upon. Despite much of the public discussion being focused on limitations and scaling back, there are still opportunities to be had, and the Northern Powerhouse is very well placed to realise that potential.

Advancements in technology and the implementation of digital tools mean that despite the challenges, of which there are undoubtedly many, good levels of productivity can still be achieved now and in the future.

Take, for example, those companies that are fast-tracking their plans to use automation. A result of such developments will mean that processes become more streamlined, efficient 
and less dependent on human interaction.

We are already seeing the ingenuity of particular sectors that are fully grasping this and are, therefore, cushioning the economic impacts of Covid-19.

A positive outcome for those at the forefront of change is that they will be better positioned to operate at globally competitive productivity levels.

This lockdown is also having a dramatic effect on our everyday habits at home, as we increasingly live our lives online via e-commerce sites.

Online retail enables businesses to tap into new audiences that it would otherwise be impossible to reach, and there is an opportunity for businesses to grow their customer base during this time.

The North, mainly due to favourable rents, has cemented itself as a hotspot for e-commerce warehouses in this digital age – Yorkshire has the chance to capitalise on this and establish new job opportunities.

Many workers are now cemented into ‘work from home’ routines and will have experienced the sheer convenience of video conferencing and online collaboration tools.

Companies such as Zoom and Slack have now become household names and have announced record profits. This highlights the enormous shift in how businesses are communicating both internally and externally.

Where great value used to be placed on setting up face-to-face meetings between clients or across offices, this will now no longer be the favourable option for numerous companies with a keen eye on cost. So, even when social distancing measures are no longer recommended, a great deal of time and money can be put to much more profitable use.

Now is the time to draw up and implement contingency plans to help ease workforces back into working life once ‘business as usual’ resumes. In the same way that switching to a remote way of working must have resulted in a handful of teething problems for some companies, a sudden shift back to office life may have the same effect on worker morale and office practices.

Businesses may choose to introduce the traditional nine-to-five format to different members of the team in waves, or perhaps may consider being more embracing of flexible working. Either way, an efficient and effective plan should be in the pipeline to ensure operations do not get interrupted by another abrupt change.

The wellbeing of staff is the first priority for any business, and the coming weeks will be difficult for all. However, as lockdown restrictions redefine how we as a region spend our time, we must all look forward to the opportunity to re-emerge smarter and work more collaboratively.

The Northern Powerhouse has the opportunity to rise from the current situation stronger and more productive and it is our collective responsibility to encourage and promote this growth.

Ian Dowd is Head of Marketing for Ilkley-based online training provider High Speed Training.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor