As we move into the spring of 2021, the pandemic continues to create new risks and force transformation in manufacturing. Where remote experts and industrial collaboration were once "nice-to-haves," they are now mission critical. Manufacturing facilities of all shapes and sizes need remote solutions that can empower customer and workers interaction, provide flexible access, and enable it all with end-to-end security.

So how can your organization keep your physical and digital enterprise optimized for end-to-end experiences?

Step 1: Put security first.

Roughly 1/3 of manufacturers will redesign their security systems to support remote work. 

With your teams, machines, and Industrial Automation Control Systems (IACS) all leveraging the same infrastructure, you need security that is agile, embedded, and provides deeper visibility into your operations. Empower your teams to be productive anywhere, utilizing a zero-trust security approach to operations where we secure the workforce, workplace, and workloads.

See how Dairy Farmers of America enabled secure remote work to continue their essential work

Step 2: Make virtual meetings better than in-person meetings

54% of manufacturers report that remote work has improved employee health and safety.

It's possible to enable industrial collaboration and empower your employees to work anywhere.

Using Cisco Webex, your teams can drive deeper engagement, enhance productivity with new video experiences, and transform your meeting rooms with virtual whiteboarding, secure collaboration and messaging.

Explore Cisco Webex for Manufacturing

Step 3: Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.

Making the leap to a remote workforce is difficult. For many employees, it was their first experience transitioning to a fully remote environment. But it doesn't have to be hard to train your employees: Cisco solutions make it easy by creating simple-to-manage IT solutions that integrate cloud-based meetings, calling, and security.

Learn more about the 3 steps to secure remote work

Why Cisco Secure Remote Work?

Manufacturers are being increasingly challenged by two interlinked problems: an aging workforce and the subsequent skills gap. As more and more workers retire, skillsets and specific manufacturing expertise are being lost. Recruiting new talent has been an uphill battle, resulting in millions of vacated positions not being filled according to Forbes.

Thankfully, Secure Remote Work solutions can be leveraged to address this growing problem. Cisco Secure Remote Work enables your remote experts to support your operations anytime, anywhere. By centralizing your experienced machine experts, you can support multiple facilities and remote workers with their insights.

This not only increases worker efficiency, but also optimizes costs by eliminating the need for multiple experts in multiple locations. In fact, 46% of manufacturers cite reduction in real estate and facility management costs as a key benefit to remote work, according to a 2020 IDC study. Additionally, the study reported that the flexibility that comes with remote work can help attract new talent, reduce absenteeism, and increase employee retention rates.

Let's reimagine the future of manufacturing together with Cisco Secure Remote Work.

For more information on Cisco's Secure Remote Work solutions, check out the resources below:

Get started with Cisco Secure Remote Work

Manufacturing secure remote work infographic

Business resiliency infographic

Dairy Farmers of America customer story blog

Workforce continuity infographic

How are you empowering your remote workers? Comment below. Share your thoughts. Join the conversation.