FTSE 250 Manufacturer Workforce Planning

The manufacturer faced a perfect storm: 40% of their skilled workforce eligible to retire within five years, automation requiring entirely new skill sets, and fierce competition for technical talent. Traditional headcount planning couldn't address these interconnected challenges.

Leadership needed to understand not just how many people they needed, but what skills — and how those skills would evolve as production lines became increasingly automated.

WeSoar helped build a comprehensive skills inventory across all 18 manufacturing sites. The workforce planning module then modelled multiple scenarios: different automation timelines, various retirement patterns, and alternative build-buy-borrow strategies.

The platform identified which existing employees had adjacent skills that could be developed for future roles, where external hiring was essential, and which skills could be addressed through partnerships or automation.

Instead of reacting to retirements and skill shortages, the organisation now proactively manages workforce evolution. Apprenticeship programmes target specific future skill needs. Retirement risk is visible years in advance. And automation investments are coordinated with workforce capability building.