Digital transformation is helping to drive positive market growth across the UK furniture and furnishings sectors
To meet rising demand furniture and home goods makers are investing in new digital technology to become more efficient, build resilience, increase productivity and sustainable growth, and create new high-value jobs.
As a first step toward digital transformation Made Smarter has produced a free guide to help demystify digitalisation. The guide showcases the benefits of digital technology; how to get started; top five technology trends across the sector, and business case studies. The guide aims to help businesses introduce technologies incrementally, making the most of funding and support to minimise the impact on budgets.
“While UK manufacturing is facing a challenging time, it also presents an opportunity to innovate and transform,” said Donna Edwards, programme director for Made Smarter’s adoption programme in the north west.
Digital transformation investment
“Investing in technology and digital skills can build resilience and enable them to keep up with the fast moving industry. Digital tools can help manufacturers make marginal savings, set themselves apart from competitors in a volatile time, make products quicker, affordable and more efficiently.”
Jonathan Hindle, chairman of the British Furniture Confederation, said: “To ensure the UK remains competitive against global competition, manufacturers need to embrace current and emerging technologies, and the huge potential digitisation offers, as well as to raise the skills and productivity of the people who work in our sector to the highest level.”
The UK furniture and furnishings market, worth an estimated £14bn and the second largest in Europe, is forecast to grow by around 3% in 2022 according to Made Smarter.
