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Manufacturing

Manufacturing businesses are navigating a range of complex risks in today’s consumer-focused, fast-evolving, and interdependent economy. Marsh has the industry experience and risk management expertise to help you manage these risks and improve your bottom line.

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The manufacturing landscape has become increasingly globalized as a result of digitization and the adoption of a more customer-centric mindset.

Although this rapid digital transformation has helped manufacturers capture new cost efficiencies and pass value throughout the supply chain, it has also heightened risks related to geopolitical tensions, sustainability and climate resilience, cybersecurity weaknesses, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns, and supply chain chokepoints.

For manufacturing companies, creating a comprehensive risk management program can help with effectively leveraging technology for productivity, while also safeguarding people and property from adverse events, such as bodily injury, damages, or other business interruptions.

Our team of risk management specialists, with their deep industry knowledge and market leading data and analytics capabilities, can help you reduce your total cost of risk and minimize volatility across your operations.

The US manufacturing industry is facing continuous digital disruption as companies adapt to evolving customer expectations, a changing workforce, and increasingly complex global supply chains.

As the industry moves towards electric and autonomous vehicles, and leverages the power of IoT technology, leading manufacturers will anticipate the need for their processes to be adaptable and keep pace with customers’ needs. Simultaneously, they will build resilience to withstand unexpected events, from global pandemics to large-scale cyber events.

Our manufacturing industry risk advisors can provide the guidance you need to navigate the many risks your company faces. By combining our team’s deep industry knowledge with our best-in-class data and analytics capabilities, we'll help generate the business insights you need to identify, analyze, and prioritize your various risks to reduce your total cost of risk and protect your business.

Our expertise and solutions

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Property Risk Management

07/30/2021

Property risk comes in many different forms and proactively minimizing exposures can protect companies when the worst happens. Our specialists can assist you with identifying your risks, analyzing and prioritizing them, and optimizing your property insurance and risk management program.
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Casualty

07/30/2021

Casualty losses are a significant driver of total cost of risk for most organizations. Spanning multiple disciplines and specialties, our liability risk specialists can help you analyze your exposures, identify and prioritize cost reduction opportunities, and optimize your casualty insurance and risk management program.
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Business Interruption & Supply Chain

07/30/2021

Business interruption resulting from natural disasters, fires, supply chain failures, and even cyberattacks can pose significant financial losses for companies operating in the global business environment. Our innovative insurance and risk management strategies can help you understand your exposures and build greater resilience.
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Climate Change and Sustainability

08/27/2021

As organizations across every industry move forward with climate change and sustainability strategies, they will encounter new risks and opportunities to be managed.
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Cyber

07/30/2021

Assess, quantify, and transfer cybersecurity risk, prepare for and respond to cyberattacks, and maintain lasting cyber resilience.

Environmental Risk

Related insights

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Protecting employees and the bottom line by managing your total cost of risk webinar

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2022 Manufacturing & Automotive Industry Summit Replay

09/21/2022
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Webinar: Building for the future of EVs

05/02/2022
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Resilience planning

Strengthening manufacturing and automotive companies

Learn more about business resilience and continuity for manufacturing and automotive companies.

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FAQs

Although specific insurance requirements for manufacturing companies vary by their specific operations and business models, most companies will need to consider:

  • Cyber insurance: This helps cover claims from cyber events including a variety of losses from malware to ransomware and more.
  • Property insurance: Whether you own or lease your property, this covers the cost of your loss in the event of damage from a natural disaster or other malfunction risks that slow down or pause your day-to-day operations. Business interruption is also covered as part of this policy.
  • Business interruption and contingent business interruption insurance: This helps cover your lost income if you can’t run your manufacturing business due to covered property damage or loss, such as a fire or storm.
  • Casualty insurance: This covers losses incurred by companies as a result of their employees sustaining work-related injuries, as well as general liability, auto liability, and product liability, all of which are critical to manufacturers’ risk management programs.
  • Director and officers (D&O) insurance: This coverage intends to protect individuals from personal losses if they are sued as a result of serving as a director or an officer of a business or other type of organization.

Although manufacturers will need to plan for vulnerabilities inherent to the industry, including workplace safety, supply chain interruptions, and product recalls, they will also need to consider emerging disruptive trends such as:

  • Sustainability and climate: Climate and sustainability concerns are expected to impact existing placements, the data required, and potentially the coverage offered to manufacturers. Manufacturers also may benefit from new product and coverage opportunities in response to emerging risks and sustainable business practices.
  • Environmental, social, and governance (ESG): Closely aligned to sustainability and climate, ESG has become a boardroom imperative. Manufacturers should consider business practices that reduce their impact on the environment, promote healthy communities, and maintain strict adherence to applicable regulatory and industry standards.
  • Globalization: The events of 2020 highlighted how vulnerable business interactions are to global supply chain disruptions. Anything from grounded flights and natural disasters to cargo theft and quality control can impact the flow of goods, resulting in lost sales and reputational damage. Manufacturers should proactively plan for these disruptions to deliver products on time and on budget.
  • Technology: As companies continue leveraging technology in their business models and as cyber hackers become more sophisticated, this poses increased risks that can cause significant business interruptions.

You should consider implementing proactive risk management plans to address these and other evolving risks to mitigate their impact and have appropriate insurance coverages designed to reduce your total cost of risk.

By collaborating with an expert in risk management, manufacturers can minimize their risk exposures including risk of worker injuries, cyberattacks, and the impacts of severe weather and business interruption.

At Marsh, our manufacturing risk specialists understand your industry's unique risk-related challenges and can provide the guidance you need to help navigate risks. We combine our expertise with our data-driven analytics to provide you with insights that lead to better business outcomes and reduced risk.

Our people

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David Carlson

U.S. Manufacturing & Automotive Practice Leader