The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) 2025 Global Risks Report revealed that supply chain disruption remained one of the most significant short-term global business risks facing manufacturers. In response to these ongoing pressures, Dave Walsha, sales and marketing director at DC motor supplier Electro Mechanical Systems (EMS), discusses why engineering accessibility and UK-based motion system expertise are becoming competitive advantages.
OEM supply chains are still feeling the impact of global instability, semiconductor constraints and post-Brexit trade complexity, prompting many manufacturers to place greater value on direct engineering support and closer technical collaboration.
While supply chain disruption is often framed as a commercial concern, engineers increasingly encounter its effects during development and integration. Extended lead times interfere with prototyping schedules, while component obsolescence can force redesign work long before a product reaches production maturity.
Within motion control systems, these challenges carry particular weight because motor performance is closely tied to the surrounding mechanical and electrical architecture. Replacing a drive component rarely involves a direct substitution. Small differences in thermal behaviour or torque characteristics can alter system performance, especially in applications where packaging constraints leave little margin for adjustment.
Global supply chains also complicate technical collaboration. OEMs sourcing through overseas suppliers or multiple distribution channels may struggle to access direct engineering support during specification and integration.
Communication delays can slow design decisions, particularly when suppliers operate across different time zones or provide limited visibility over schedules. As a result, many OEMs are reassessing what they expect from supply partners, placing greater value on suppliers that can provide direct engineering access alongside dependable manufacturing support.
Engineering accessibility
Closer engineering collaboration during the early stages of development often reduces integration risk and improves long-term system reliability. Motion systems are rarely selected on datasheet values alone. Factors such as duty cycle, operating environment and control strategy all influence how a motor will perform once integrated into the wider application.
Addressing these considerations early on allows engineers to review mounting arrangements, gearing requirements and operating characteristics before designs reach validation, reducing the need for late-stage modification work. This level of engineering accessibility has become increasingly important as OEMs work within tighter development schedules, with faster communication and closer technical collaboration helping resolve specification issues more efficiently during prototyping and integration.
For many, this also changes how supplier value is assessed. Lowest unit cost does not always represent the lowest overall project cost, particularly where delays, redesign work or limited engineering visibility affect programme delivery.
For OEMs operating within competitive development cycles, faster access to engineering support can also improve decision-making during specification and testing. Shorter communication loops allow technical issues to be resolved earlier, helping projects move through validation with greater confidence and fewer unexpected delays later in the programme lifecycle.
Greater emphasis on customisation is now also a key focus. While standard motion products remain suitable for many applications, others require modifications to integration interfaces or performance characteristics to meet system-level requirements. These projects benefit from closer collaboration with suppliers that understand both the application and the manufacturing process behind the final assembly.
The changing reality of British manufacturing
Assumptions surrounding British manufacturing capability have also begun to shift. In a 2025 article published on Reuters, Ben Jones, lead economist at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said “conditions in UK manufacturing remain challenging, with many firms reporting subdued and unpredictable demand.”
Despite this, UK manufacturers increasingly compete through precision engineering, technical expertise and production agility rather than commodity-scale output alone, with investment in advanced machining and integrated design processes strengthening support for specialised low-volume production where responsiveness and engineering support often carry greater value than marginal reductions in component pricing.
This shift holds relevance within motion control applications, where customisation and system integration often shape final performance. More than a motor distributor, EMS supports OEMs through application-specific drive system design, combining engineering collaboration with in-house manufacturing from its 40,000 sq ft facility in Dorset.
Alongside precision gear cutting, CNC machining and assembly capability, EMS also supports prototype development, testing and low-to-medium volume production for a range of sectors including medical, aerospace and industrial automation.
This approach becomes particularly valuable where off-the-shelf products cannot fully satisfy packaging constraints, performance requirements or lifecycle expectations. By combining design support with direct manufacturing access, OEMs can refine specifications more efficiently during development while reducing delays during prototyping, validation and production changes.
As supply chains evolve, OEMs are placing greater value on suppliers that can provide responsive engineering support alongside dependable manufacturing capability. Within motion control applications, engineering accessibility and UK-based motion system expertise are becoming clear competitive advantages, helping manufacturers reduce integration risk, accelerate development and maintain greater control throughout the supply chain.
To discover more about EMS and its UK manufacturing capabilities, visit the EMS website today.
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