UK Manufacturing: The SME Story Behind the Numbers
30 April 2026
Have you ever heard someone say, “We don’t make anything anymore.”? It’s easy to think that considering the news coming from the mainstream media, but
Analysis and commentary on the economics of UK manufacturing and automation investment. These articles cover return on investment and payback calculations for automation projects, the state of UK manufacturing SMEs, the trade-offs between cost, speed and capability in an automation project, and how to tell a genuine quick win from one that only looks like one. For decision-makers building a case rather than specifying a machine.
Have you ever heard someone say, “We don’t make anything anymore.”? It’s easy to think that considering the news coming from the mainstream media, but
An Automated Palletiser Example When small and medium manufacturers think about automation, the first question is often: “Will it pay back?” The good news is
When discussing automation with customers just beginning their journey, the phrase “low-hanging fruit“ often comes up. But what does this term truly represent in the
Is there another “Iron Triangle” for SMEs looking to automate? When small and medium enterprises (SMEs) consider automation, they face a unique set of challenges.
In part 1 of our Return on Investment article, we looked at using two ways to justify an automation investment. We covered the Labour Cost
Introduction to Return on Investment (ROI) Automation has been transforming the way businesses operate and has the potential to significantly increase efficiency, reduce costs, and
The Basics Product development and product design are two closely related processes which some use interchangeably. Though they are closely related, there are important differences
Automatic assembly machines are used by many industries to manufacture their products. They can save a lot of time and money for manufacturers, but the