SME manufacturers urged to have their say on coronavirus impact
Small to medium-sized manufacturers in England are being urged to take part in a major survey detailing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on industry.
The Manufacturing Barometer, which is conducted by South West Manufacturing Advisory Service and the Manufacturing Growth Programme, went live on the 26th March, and is inviting companies to highlight the issues they are facing and the support they need to overcome them.
Companies are being asked to highlight changes in production volumes, difficulty in retaining employees, supply chain disruption, and any major pivots they are doing to supply new markets, including answering the call for more medical equipment.
They will also be given the opportunity to give their thoughts on existing business support packages, whilst identifying other areas of assistance they may require, such as cashflow, HR advice, and skills retention.
Simon Howes, from SWMAS, said: “Big businesses have their voice, but in these unprecedented times it is important that we give SMEs a platform to have their say on the coronavirus crisis.”
“Our quarterly Manufacturing Barometer, the largest survey of its type in England, gives them this exact chance and we are looking for hundreds of firms to take part before it closes on Friday 17th April.”
“The information will be communicated directly to Government so will hopefully inform future policy and support as we continue to get to grips with coronavirus and its wide-reaching ramifications.”
“The survey takes just five minutes to complete and can be filled in online. We want as many companies as possible to take part, so we’re asking everyone in industry to spread the message.”
The survey is available to complete here.