Raising food & drink sector manufacturing productivity using flexible resources (REACT)

UK Food & Drink (F&D) manufacturing sector productivity levels need to be radically improved if they are not to make the sector fall behind international competition and place the UK F&D sector competitiveness & growth under threat. This low productivity is caused by high levels of product demand variability the effects of which are to reduce manufacturing effectiveness. The REACT technology aims to provide controls for managing flexible responses that counteract the effects of variability. In this respect REACT provides novel digital approaches to manufacturing productivity improvement that uses data modelling & analysis, and automated decision-making. Here, the REACT approach involves innovative use of models to measure the effects of variability and automated decision-making that uses these quantified effects to determine appropriate flexible responses. REACT also enables flexible resource responses to be made available at the right time, over the right period, in the right place, and of the right type and level. REACT provides flexible responses to variability that maintains the high productivity levels, low costs & high throughput rates, required to grow the UK F&D sector. When exploiting REACT its application to other manufacturing sectors, in & out the UK, will be pursued.