Manufacturing In The UK

Just a short point about the lack of manufacturing in the UK. We all know many things in the shops are made in China. For many reasons it has become the workshop of the work. They can make anything, both high end and low end. But it’s not as simple as that because many of the products have been developed and perfected by buyers and product developers in the places like the UK.

So while the actual manufacturing is happening in China the development of products is to an extent happening outside. Many companies send staff over to the factories for 1 or 2 days to review products and make changes to ensure they reach the standards expected by consumers. These partnerships are a key ingredient in the success of China.

From my personal experience the factories in China respond well and quickly to new suggestions on product development and this willingness to work with companies in the west is surely a part of China’s success. So next time you hear about the decline of British manufacturing think about the fact a lot of people in the UK are still involved closely with the manufacturing process and only a percentage of the jobs have gone to China.

So anyone in the UK who used to work in the factory developing the products still has that job. I’m not sure it’s a great idea to manufacture in the UK. Why not concentrate on building the new partnerships which work rather than rebuilding something that maybe Britain no longer has a talent for? So bank of England don't say the falling pound is good for British manufactures - because really it's bad for the way we are doing business in the here and now!