From Reactive, To Preventative, To Predictive: How Safetyculture Is Supporting Manufacturers to Transform Operational Risk In 2021 : COVID19 turned our frontline staff into our first responders on the ground. To make our manufacturing operations more resilient in 2021, we need to be tapping into what they’re seeing – starting by giving them the right tools. SafetyCulture is on a mission to do just that.

Safety has always dominated discussion in manufacturing, and for good reason. The scale and scope of risk (and potential repercussions when something goes wrong) mean it’s something none of us can afford to take lightly.

But 2020 saw safety take on new significance. As all manufacturers raced to adapt to low-contact operations and minimise potential impact in the face of an outbreak, the need for close monitoring of protocols, facilities, and interactions between individuals and equipment escalated. We needed more eyes in more places.

COVID-19 showed us safety is no longer about slips, trips and falls or machine guarding. It’s also no longer the sole responsibility of the HSE. One lapse in protocols, and we face costly downtime as staff are forced to isolate, deep cleans of facilities are undertaken, or additional checks are put in place.

So, who is responsible for keeping our manufacturing operations open, safe, and efficient? Our first responders on the frontlines: our employees.

Despite this shift, many organisations still struggle to tap into what their field, production and supply chain staff are seeing first-hand. How can your boots on the ground flag potential issues before they become full-flown incidents? A missed check, a repeat spill, even an empty sanitiser dispenser? These seemingly small issues are day-to-day occurrences that management won’t necessarily see: but they’re also where we’re most vulnerable.

Anticipating risk before it even materialises is a business imperative. We need a way to tap into that all-important data on the ground and use it to drive data-driven decision making at a higher level. Failure to do this will prove costly: even the undoing for some.

As manufacturing pushes further into an era of AI, IoT and automation, we’re also on the brink of a huge opportunity, with more real-time data than ever before. Understanding that data and turning it into actionable insights to reduce risk, drive operational efficiency, lower overhead costs, ignite innovation: that’s the vision.

SafetyCulture is focused on turning that vision into reality. The global tech innovator offers frontline workers an easy-to-use, mobile-first solution for conducting checks, audits and inspections on the ground. It’s newly rolled out ‘Issues and Observations’ functionality also means those at the point of risk can highlight potential problems before they become serious incidents. Among it’s customer base SafetyCulture is proud to support Unilever, McCain, Toyota, Siemens and more.

(Staff on the ground can capture any issues or observations including through photos, escalating these to the right people, at the right time.)

Behind it, a powerful platform combines on-the-ground data from across multiple sites with additional data inputs, such as sensors or integrations with other operational systems. The result is easy reporting, actionable insights, and the capacity for data-driven decision making.

With the rollout of the vaccine, the end of the COVID era may be in sight. However, we can’t ignore those learnings. Building resilient, high-performing manufacturing operations means being prepared for whatever the next crisis may be; starting by tapping into the data we already have and the most powerful asset at our disposal: our employees.

Interested to learn more? ‘Adapt fast or disappear: a report for Manufacturing Operations leaders to navigate the seas of opportunity, accelerate change, and build resiliency beyond COVID-19’ is now available for free download.

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