Manufacturing Barometer: Business outlook report - October 2012
PwC's Manufacturing Barometer is a quarterly survey of US-based executives in large, multinational industrial manufacturing businesses. The survey captures participants' assessments of the direction of the US and world economies and their company's performance and expectations in such areas as revenue growth, margins, inventory, and costs. Other sections explore plans for investment, mergers and acquisitions, and hiring, as well as potential barriers to growth and much more.
Third-quarter results
Despite continued uncertainty regarding the prospects of both the US and global economies, the majority of US industrial manufacturers remain positive regarding the overall revenue outlook for the next 12 months. Top barriers to growth cited for this quarter include lack of demand (67 percent, a 19-point increase from the second quarter), legislative/regulatory pressure (44 percent), and oil/energy prices (33 percent). Despite the cautious outlook, more US industrial manufacturing panelists are planning net new hiring over the next 12 months at 47 percent, up five points from the previous quarter.
Special topic: Supply chain
This quarter's special topic questions focus on supply chain. We asked panelists for their insights on topics such as:
- What is the level of redundancy at your main production facilities?
- How many critical suppliers do you have that could cause unacceptable loss or damage in case of default or disruption?
- How concentrated is your supply base from a geographic perspective?
- How often does your company collaborate with suppliers to assess and mitigate supply chain risks?