Manufacturers across the UK are under growing pressure to raise productivity without increasing headcount. For some, the response has been clear: automation, data systems, and better procurement controls. For others, change remains slow.
Recent studies suggest that firms using tools like advanced sensors, real‑time analytics and robotics are seeing meaningful productivity gains, often as high as 30%. These gains reflect a shift in how some UK manufacturers are operating day to day. They are streamlining decision‑making, improving machine uptime and reducing manual interventions.
Manufacturers that treat procurement as a strategic function rather than a cost centre are building more reliable supply chains. This includes reducing dependence on single suppliers, improving inventory visibility and using digital platforms to monitor supplier performance.
The combination of digital tools and smarter procurement is where the structural change lies. Better visibility across production and sourcing enables faster decisions, less waste and tighter control of working capital. This has direct implications for cash flow and operating margins.
Likewise Group PLC (LON:LIKE) is a distributor of floorcoverings and matting and has the opportunity to consolidate the domestic and commercial floorcovering markets to become one of the UK’s largest distributors in this sector.
