What Automotive Suppliers Need to Know: Back-to-Work Planning
May 14, 2020A successful back to work plan for automotive suppliers will address the needs of all constituents including automotive companies, government, and automotive industry workers. Plans need to be made at the local level, and community support will be key to ensure success.
Key Components to a Successful Plan
When determining workforce demand, customer, market, supplier, and logistics constraints must be considered to understand the manpower needed. Think of your workforce as a “dimmer switch”, not an “on/off switch”. Even if favorites open again, customers are postponing car purchasing plans due to the virus. Reduced demand and slowdowns in production could result in a decline in car sales by around 30% globally in 2020.
It’s also critical to take into account risk, including proximity, nature, and duration of contact, and the number of contacts taking place. Businesses must ask themselves what actions they can take to mitigate these risks such as screening workers with health questions and removing employees with symptoms.
Reducing risk will require policies, infrastructure, and individual behavior changes. These include:
- Evaluate the physical workplace. Identify one-way hallways and other possible points of contact like entryways in the workspace layout, and consider cleaning protocols.
- Adapt your HR policies. How can you ensure compensation and benefits reflect the level of risk your workers are facing? For example, consider increasing sick leave.
- Consider your current travel policies and external interactions.
Explore more automotive resources for reopening and restarting operations.