We’ve all seen the latest retail point-of-service devices and office tech. Unlike in those sectors, the evolution of manufacturing takes place out of public sight.
Maybe that’s why some people still think of factories as they looked 50 years ago.
In celebration of National Manufacturing Month, let’s pause to consider just how far we’ve come.
Once upon a time, high-cost, low-volume artisan craftspersons produced all goods. Knowledge and skills passed slowly from master to apprentice. Artisans used relatively primitive hand tools.
Then, in the late 1700’s we started to see manufacturing evolve. Production shifted from home-based artisan businesses to the first factories.
Workers in these early factories labored in terrible conditions. Gradually, laws emerged to limit work hours and provide minimum wages for workers. Still, manufacturing work remained physically demanding.
In the 1910s and 1920s, electric power began to replace steam. New technology expanded industrial machinery capabilities.
Newer machines sped production and reduced the physical demands on workers. Assembly lines became more common.
As production advancements made goods more affordable, demand for goods grew. That, in turn, prompted more production. Manufacturing had come of age!
Digitalization began more than 50 years ago with the invention of the computer. Below are a few manufacturing highlights from the timeline of computers:
Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has vastly expanded manufacturing capabilities. Applications for Artificial Intelligence in industrial manufacturing also continually evolve.
The technologies change, but the aim remains the same: Producing needed equipment and goods. That’s why we’re proud to partner with manufacturers.
Next Monday watch for The Evolution of Manufacturing Part II on how technology has changed what it means to work in manufacturing.
–parin
Managing Partner
Image credit: Timeline of Computers: David Packard and Bill Hewlett found their company in a Palo Alto, California garage. Their first product, the HP 200A Audio Oscillator, rapidly became a popular piece of test equipment for engineers.
With over two decades of experience, Parin leads an expert demand-generation agency, StratMg, that helps industrial manufacturing clients achieve unambiguous and quantified organic sales growth across the US, EMEA & APAC.
Parin has built & positioned StratMg to be a value-added marketing services provider that strives to create a culture of quantified sales-driven marketing initiatives leading to sustained business growth through channel management, diversification, new customer acquisition and retention strategies and tactical execution.
