If there’s one thing everyone in manufacturing can agree on, it’s this: things aren’t getting any quieter. Customers want more choice, turnaround expectations are shrinking and reporting is getting more demanding, all while labour is tight and production lines are expected to run like clockwork.
The reality? Teams are doing a great job under increasing pressure. But there are some consistent challenges we’re hearing across the industry, and if these feel familiar, you’re definitely not alone. Let’s dig into them.
1. Labelling demands are getting heavier for food manufacturers
UK food manufacturers are under growing pressure to ensure products are labelled accurately, with full traceability from ingredient intake through to final dispatch. Regulations require clarity on mandatory information such as ingredients, allergens, storage instructions and use-by dates, with allergen risks in particular demanding precise labelling and strong internal controls to prevent cross-contamination. Traceability is also crucial for safety and compliance, meaning manufacturers must be able to track every batch and component so that, if issues arise, affected products can be identified and recalled quickly.
Alongside legal requirements, supplying major retailers brings additional complexity. Codes of practice – such as those set by M&S – require robust line verification systems and strict quality assurance, with mislabelling potentially leading to costly recalls or loss of supplier status. Managing these expectations, especially for perishable products where time, temperature and handling matter, can be challenging. Maintaining accurate data, adapting to changing formulations, and ensuring clear, compliant labelling across fast-moving production environments remain some of the biggest difficulties for food manufacturers today.
2. Keeping the site balanced and flowing smoothly
On paper, workflow sounds simple: product in → product processed → product out.
In real life? Materials move in batches, teams work at different speeds, line layouts evolve over time and priorities change hour by hour. One area falls behind and suddenly everyone is waiting, cartons and boxes stack up, people pause, trolleys get parked “just for a minute” and before long it becomes an obstacle course.
A well-balanced site isn’t about working harder, it’s about everything moving in sync. But achieving that consistently is a challenge when every day looks different.
3. Reporting takes longer than it should
Data is everywhere, but useful data is another story. Many manufacturers mentioned that yield reports, production summaries or shift performance take longer to prepare than they’d like. The information exists, it’s just not always easy to pull out, filter, reorganise or tailor to what different departments actually need.
And when you’re under audit or trying to spot trends, waiting for reports can slow down decisions that need to move quickly. Most teams don’t want more data, they want data that’s faster, clearer and easier to shape into insight.
4. Speed matters
Production speed sets the tempo for everything else. When it drops, even for a short time, it often leads to overtime, catch-up shifts or knock-on delays for dispatch.
Speed fluctuates for all sorts of reasons:
- Product changeovers take longer than planned
- Someone is waiting on new labels or information
- A pallet blocks a walkway
- Manual steps add a few minutes each time
- A small error needs rework
Individually they’re tiny, but they add up. Most production sites know exactly where time is lost…there’s just rarely a spare hour to fix it properly.
5. Breakdowns & downtime hit hard
Every manufacturer has a story that starts with “and then, right in the busiest week of the year…”.
Downtime rarely arrives at a convenient moment and when equipment stalls, everything else is forced to wait. Machines stop, staff pause, orders begin to pile and customers soon start chasing – sometimes the disruption caused is far greater than the repair itself.
Breakdowns aren’t just an inconvenience; they ripple through production, tightening timelines and increasing pressure on the whole team.
6. Unique customer requirements add complexity
Most businesses can relate to this one – that one customer who needs something formatted differently, rounded differently, labelled differently, reported differently. It’s manageable at first, then becomes a recurring exception that has to be accommodated every time their product runs.
These quirks aren’t problems, they’re part of great customer service, but they do introduce manual steps that increase workload and risk. And when more customers each need something slightly different, those small exceptions can gradually grow into extra processes that take time to manage.
7. Accurate yields & traceability are becoming more critical
Yield accuracy is more than a nice-to-have, it’s directly connected to cost control and profitability. Waste, giveaway, trimming decisions, batching adjustments – accuracy matters.
But ensuring yield data is correct gets harder when:
- It’s collected manually
- It’s entered twice in different places
- Equipment doesn’t talk to each other
- Reports are slow to extract
Traceability follows the same pattern; it’s essential, but time-consuming if not automated. And audit day always seems to arrive faster than anyone expects.
8. Systems need constant tweaks to suit different departments
Production, technical, sales and engineering teams often need completely different information from the same system. When the data isn’t available in the right format, someone usually ends up exporting reports, reworking spreadsheets or adjusting processes manually. It gets the job done, but not without extra steps and complexity.
Many businesses find that their processes function thanks to the knowledge and effort of experienced staff rather than because their systems make things simple – which works, but could run far more smoothly with less workaround and less strain on time.
9. Labour & resource pressures are real
It’s no secret that experienced manufacturing staff are incredibly valuable and increasingly stretched. Training takes time, recruitment isn’t easy and production doesn’t pause for onboarding.
When manual tasks stack up, the load on teams grows quickly. The challenge isn’t just labour availability, it’s making sure time is spent on production rather than admin.
The goal for most manufacturers isn’t more people, it’s more time back for the people they already have.
Let’s tackle these challenges together
Manufacturers today are under pressure to move faster, stay accurate, maintain traceability, adapt to customer needs and keep downtime to a minimum – often all at once. These challenges can overlap, which amplifies stress on production teams, especially during busy periods.
The good news is that even small improvements in workflow, visibility and data flow can make daily tasks feel lighter and create a calmer, more controlled production environment.
If you’re looking to ease pressure on your production team and make operations run more smoothly, get in touch today. Our friendly are on hand to listen to your requirements and identify areas where our support could boost your operations into 2026 and beyond.