I recently came across this old article from The Atlantic which highlighted GE’s efforts to onshore manufacturing back in 2012. It’s interesting to see what challenges and opinions aged well. 

Reflecting on 'The Insourcing Boom' a decade later offers fascinating insights into the shifts in manufacturing trends. While the resurgence of U.S. manufacturing highlighted has indeed taken root in some sectors, the landscape has evolved with technology and market needs.

This article highlights challenges with how these changes still affect our domestic manufacturing strategies and operations today.  

it's clear that while the reshoring movement offered many advantages, it also presented significant challenges, particularly around process change and the inefficiencies of established processes. Key challenges highlighted include:

• The need to overhaul outdated manufacturing processes that were not designed for modern, automated production lines.
• Difficulties in integrating new technologies into existing workflows, requiring substantial investments in training and infrastructure.
• The challenge of rebuilding supply chains that had been optimized for offshore production, necessitating the development of local supplier networks.
• Adapting to the higher labor costs in the U.S. by implementing more efficient, automated processes to maintain competitiveness.

The article is a bit lengthy, but I thought some of y’all might find it interesting. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how these observations hold up to your experience.

Link to the article

Article also attached as PDF to this post.