Further detail on reshoring research to come out in Q2 2021: PROS

By Brent Balinski

Earlier in the week, we editorialised about a need for better information to support any reshoring trend in Australia.

Reshoring emerged as a popular topic last year. @AuManufacturing has covered anecdotal cases from time to time.

We remain of the opinion that a serious study of any trend is necessary, and were critical of survey results and assertions published recently by US eCommerce company PROS. Those curious enough can read our case here.

We sought responses from a PROS spokesperson by email last Thursday, and these arrived on Tuesday. They have been republished below.

Will the report be available to download at a later date?

Yes. The Australian Manufacturing Outlook survey whitepaper is scheduled to be published in Q2 2021, which will provide further data and insights from the research study.

What sort of companies were spoken to? What sectors within manufacturing and what sizes?

The Australian Manufacturing Outlook survey was commissioned by PROS and conducted by independent market research firm OnePoll in December 2020. The survey sample consisted of 500 senior employees in the manufacturing sector across Australia.

How many questions were asked in the survey and what were they?

The Australian Manufacturing Outlook survey included a range of questions focused on themes such as the impact of COVID-19 on the global and local manufacturing sector, the probability of reshoring operations to Australia and manufacturers’ investment in digital technology (such as AI and machine learning).

How do you define reshoring?

We view reshoring as the act of bringing the physical manufacturing of goods back to Australia. Reshoring allows for manufacturers to address local needs directly and limits supply chain reliance on finished goods from other countries. A goal for this research was to first understand the view and appetite of industry leaders looking to bring manufacturing back to Australia, to produce finished goods for both the local and global market. From there, part of our intent was to provide considerations on how to build back stronger through adoption of digital selling technologies that are proving to make a difference to manufacturing organisations worldwide.

Have you been pleasantly surprised by the coverage your findings have received?

During the pandemic, we witnessed how rapidly the Australian manufacturing industry can mobilise to fulfill critical needs. We wanted to explore this momentum in the Australian Manufacturing Outlook survey and help decision makers understand key trends for sustained, long-term growth in our local manufacturing industry. It’s encouraging to hear the industry conversations occurring and the different perspectives being explored.

What did the 22 per cent of respondents who have reshored bring back to Australia?

The scope of our study could only allow for a finite amount of questions. This question was not explored.

Picture: www.blumeglobal.com

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