The quiet shift reshaping how production teams work together
Walk into almost any production site in Belgium today, and you can feel a big change from before. Machines are smarter, the pace is faster and a stream of information flows through every step of production to keep everything in motion.
In fact, according to Deloitte, 92% of European manufacturers now say that smart manufacturing, where data, automation and connectivity meet, will be the main driver of competitiveness over the coming years.
More than 74% of Belgian businesses already report a basic level of digital adoption, well above the EU average, showing that the shift toward smarter, cloud-based tools is already underway.
But there’s one element that often goes unnoticed and unchanged, even though it influences every part of the workday. And that element is communication.
It’s the ability for people to reach each other quickly and effortlessly, exactly when it matters. It sounds simple, and yet, for many industrial businesses, it can be one of the most important drivers of productivity and efficiency.
Production environments run on people, and people run on communication
Production and industry don’t stand still. A machine needs attention, a forklift driver can’t find a pallet, a planning question comes in. Customers need updates and a maintenance job suddenly becomes urgent.
Workflows shift constantly, and small delays have a way of becoming large problems. That’s why communication matters so much more today than it did even a few years ago. It’s the thread that quietly holds entire operations together. When it flows, work flows. When it breaks, productivity slows down in ways that are hard to trace but easy to feel.
And here’s the thing: many businesses are still relying on communication setups designed for a much simpler time.
The communication challenges many businesses recognise
- People move more than the technology supports
Production and warehouse teams are constantly on the move. Yet the systems they rely on seem to assume they’re not — things such as fixed phone lines, outdated DECT networks with patchy reception and aging antennas, or mobile phones that get stuck in a desk drawer.
- Old DECT setups are aging out
Many companies installed their DECT systems over a decade ago. Coverage weakens, hardware is harder to replace, and IT keeps things running with patience and a lot of creativity.
- Office communication and shop-floor communication are still separate worlds
This kind of setup worked once upon a time. But today it creates gaps, and every gap slows down the flow of information and increases the risk of messages being lost somewhere along the line.
- Modern tools don’t always talk to each other
Production environments rely on many different tools, systems and workflows. But communication is often managed separately, creating extra steps, manual work and unnecessary complexity in day-to-day operations.
- Coverage inside large buildings is still a real pain point
Thick concrete walls, machinery, long distances… even good networks can struggle under those conditions. And when you can’t reach someone, that usually leads to lost efficiency.
These are everyday realities, but they also show why good communication is quietly climbing the list of strategic priorities.
A new mindset is emerging in the industry and production sector
Across production sites, warehouses and logistics hubs, companies are starting to rethink communication in a more holistic way, not as a phone system or a device, but as a foundation for faster coordination, smoother workflows, more connected teams, better customer responsiveness and simpler IT management. Just as important, modern communication gives teams and IT more control through simple, user-friendly self-service, without needing complex changes or constant support.
We’re seeing a shift toward communication that fits the way people actually work: a mobile-first approach that is easy to use, where you can have one device instead of many and one number that follows you anywhere. Reliable across the entire site and designed to fit naturally into the way teams work every day.
Basically, communication designed to people’s needs, not people adjusting to communication.
The invisible layer that boosts productivity
Here’s what many companies discover once communication gets easier:
- Issues get solved faster
- Production flows more smoothly
- Shift handovers are cleaner
- Maintenance responds quicker
- Warehouse teams coordinate more easily
- IT has fewer systems to juggle
- Customers get updates sooner
- Employees feel more supported
None of these changes are dramatic on their own. But together, they can transform the day-to-day experience for teams on the floor and in management, often leading to an overall lift in operational performance. Communication becomes the quiet force multiplier in the background.
A simple takeaway
Industrial and production businesses are stepping into a more digital, flexible, fast-moving future. And seamless communication is becoming one of the most important enablers of that shift.
A Deloitte survey reports that companies already using digital strategies often see 10–20% improvement in production output, 7–20% increase in workforce productivity, or 10–15% increase in unlocked capacity.
When teams can reach each other easily, when tools connect and when communication fits naturally into daily workflows, everything moves just a little smoother.
And in production, those small improvements aren’t small at all.
