The Open Manufacturer. How Industry 4.0, Open-Source, and the Gig and Sharing Economy Shape the Post-COVID Manufacturer?

Harinderpal Hanspal ()
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Harinderpal Hanspal: Thing Company LLC

A chapter in Sustainability in the Gig Economy, 2022, pp 151-164 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract COVID has changed manufacturers in fundamental ways. Manufacturing businesses were brought to a standstill during COVID. They were already dealing with increasing disruptions due to trade wars, epidemics, and material shortages before the massive COVID-related disruptions. As guidelines for opening plants safely came out, manufacturers repurposed their production lines to target high-demand products such as respirators, respirator parts, medical PPE, and hand sanitizers. Manufacturers that pivoted successfully identified many enablers that helped them pivot quickly, including rapid decision making, organizational flexibility, employee know-how and skills, and digital technologies as key enablers. Beyond COVID, manufacturers are investing in several strategies to survive future disruptions and respond to shifting buyer expectations of manufactured products. This paper considers the business challenges faced by manufacturers and examines enabling technology and business model solutions to address these challenges. Finally, we discuss how these may shape future manufacturers as they rethink their business and operating models while investing in new products, services, and engaging customer experiences.

Keywords: Manufacturing; Industry 4.0; Fourth industrial revolution; Gig economy; Sharing economy; Open source; COVID; Reshore; Onshore; Nearshore; Offshore; Outsourcing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-8406-7_11

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