The Forgotten Majority: Where the Future of Manufacturing Actually Lives

As seen in AMTIL's June-July edition

Walk into almost any industrial area across Australia - or anywhere in the world - and you’ll find the same thing: small, hardworking manufacturing businesses quietly powering our economy. They’re running CNC machines, cutting steel, welding frames, building products, and solving problems.

They represent over 90% of the manufacturing industry, yet they’re often treated as the minority. And nowhere is this disconnect more obvious than in technology.

A Misunderstood Market

For decades, the tech industry has built software for the top end of town - enterprise manufacturers with big budgets, full-time IT teams, and layers of management.

But small manufacturers? They’ve been left to fend for themselves.

The result is a wide gap - not just in tooling, but in understanding. Too many in the tech world still hold outdated beliefs about small manufacturing businesses:

• That they’re not “digital enough” to adopt software
  
  
• That they prefer doing things the “old-fashioned way”
  
  
• That they’re too small to matter
  
  

These assumptions are not only wrong - they’re harmful. They ignore the core strengths of these businesses and the things that make them exceptional.

The Truth About SMB Manufacturers

My family has run fabrication businesses for over 30 years. I’ve spent my own career building tech products that solve real-world problems. That dual perspective has shown me just how entrepreneurial, innovative, and adaptable small manufacturers truly are.

What the broader world often misses:

• They are expert problem-solvers. Every day, they handle unique requests, shifting deadlines, and material constraints - and still deliver.
  
  
• They are fast and inventive. They move quickly and think on their feet.
  
  
• They are builders. Not just of physical products, but of businesses, families, and generational legacies.
  
  

What they’re not is resistant to technology. They just haven’t been given the right kind.

The Real Challenges

In speaking with hundreds of small manufacturers, the same themes come up again and again. They’re not all dreaming of AI or predictive analytics - they’re looking for practical ways to work better and waste less.

Their biggest challenges include:

• Quote accuracy and margin control
  Quoting is often manual and inconsistent. A small miscalculation can wipe out the profit on a job. They need tools that help them quote with ease and confidence.
  
  
• Disjointed systems and double-handling
  Too many businesses still operate with information scattered across whiteboards, spreadsheets, inboxes, and people’s heads. This creates delays, duplication, and stress. A single source of truth is no longer a luxury - it’s a necessity.
  
  
• Poor visibility and communication
  When the team doesn’t have visibility over what’s happening - what’s urgent, what’s ready, what’s waiting on a supplier - things fall through the cracks. This leads to confusion, frustration, and late nights.
  
  
• Customer communication gaps
  Manufacturers pride themselves on service, but staying on top of customer updates, timelines, and changes is tough without the right systems. Dropping the ball here damages trust and relationships.
  
  
• Work-life imbalance
  Many owners wear five hats - quoting at 6am, delivering at noon, invoicing late at night. Without better processes, it's unsustainable and burnout is inevitable.

These problems aren’t just operational - they’re deeply human. They affect mental load, job satisfaction, and the ability to grow with confidence.

What Needs to Change

The narrative needs to shift. We need to stop treating small manufacturers like they’re behind the curve and start recognising them as the deeply capable, forward-thinking operators they are.

That means:

• Meeting manufacturers where they are, and growing with them
  
  
• Providing tools that adapt to them, not the other way around
  
  
• Solving today’s problems, while enabling tomorrow’s growth
  
  

These businesses aren’t asking for a digital revolution. They’re asking for digital respect - tools that understand how they work, fit into their day, and help them move faster, smarter, and more confidently

The Opportunity

The future of manufacturing doesn’t lie only in massive factories and full automation. It lies in the thousands of small shops across the country - the ones making, fixing, welding, cutting, and building behind unassuming roller doors.

They’re not the exception. They are the industry.

If we equip them with the right tools - ones that support accuracy, visibility, communication, and work/life balance - we’re not just improving productivity. We’re strengthening the foundation of modern manufacturing across the globe

I’ve seen firsthand how transformative the right software can be when it’s built with deep industry understanding. It’s not about digitising for the sake of it - it’s about helping good businesses run better, with less stress and more control.

That’s been my mission from day one. And it’s shared by others who’ve stood on both sides - shop floor and software.

It’s time to stop ignoring the 90%. It’s time to build for them.