A Look at the “New Normal” for Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturers

The Manufacturing Institute’s Center for Manufacturing Research and national CPA and advisory firm BKD released results from their fall survey of small and medium-sized manufacturers. This semiannual survey looks at workforce impacts and the “new normal” for manufacturers with 500 or fewer employees. Key survey findings include the following: Workplace safety: Nearly 79% of small and medium-sized manufacturers have enhanced workplace safety measures and requirements since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In addition, firms reevaluated their supply chain, increased worker flexibility, instituted more remote work and reengineered their production processes with social distancing in mind.