The Manufacturing Agenda
Triggers for board-level debate or urgent action
Different perspectives. Shared challenges. Our findings highlight a clear contrast between the issues occupying boardrooms and the indicators lenders use to track performance. By prioritising structural risks over financial risks, manufacturing boards are grappling with more complex challenges as they work to build businesses with enduring value. Lenders and investors, meanwhile, tend to prioritise liquidity and capital preservation, in a bid to underpin short-term resilience. As a result, understanding how these perspectives align has become increasingly important. Many manufacturers are navigating a complex mix of structural pressures and operational risks, and this divergence in focus can create gaps in communication or expectations. Advisers, like FRP, that understand both sides of this landscape can help bridge these viewpoints, ensuring that board decisions are grounded in a clear understanding of lender priorities and that stakeholders remain aligned as conditions evolve.
New regulatory, ESG or environmental requirements
26%
Geopolitical or trade change (e.g. tariffs etc.)
25%
Supply chain disruption (e.g. lead time delays etc.)
24%
Triggers for lender and investor intervention
Margin squeeze or unplanned cost spike (e.g. labour)
24%
Major digital or automation project failure or delay
Cost, cashflow and working capital pressure
22%
44%
Sudden drop or loss of key orders/customers
Investment, automation and digital execution
22%
41%
Loss of key leadership or specialist skills
People, skills and leadership resilience
21%
37%
Lender/investor intervention or covenant breach
Demand, margin and supply chain volatility
21%
35%
Working capital or cashflow crisis
Sustainability and ESG transition
32%
20%
*Respondents were asked to select select up to three.
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