Challenges facing Alberta manufacturers
Manufacturers in Alberta face a difficult challenge in remaining competitive within a global economy. Diffusion of modern production technologies into existing manufacturing facilities is critical to the ongoing health of the economy and presents a major challenge to companies.
Not only must production technologies be kept modern, but the workforce itself must be technologically adept and adaptive to changes in job skill requirement.
Other trends and challenges facing Alberta manufacturers include:
- a downward price pressure caused by the emergence of low-cost industrial economies combined with a trend toward global sourcing
- a lack of availability of skilled personnel in Alberta
- competing economies that are shifting from industrial-based models to knowledge-based models driven by innovation, technology, entrepreneurship and sustainability
- increasing process innovation within competitive industries requires Alberta manufacturing companies to stay-current, and keep changing
- new and more exacting global customer expectations
- the expansion of global business networks and competing knowledge supply chains
- the transition from mass-production to mass-customization
Start Using the SMU . . . and Stay Competitive!
So, how do you, an Alberta-based manufacturing company stay competitive? And how does the Alberta Government's Strategic Manufacturing Unit (SMU) fit into the picture?
Date Updated: Jan 15, 2008
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