Consultancy CEO Predicts Major Industrial Transformation in 2025 Across Multiple Sectors

Manufacturing, Airports and Healthcare set for significant operational changes, says leading UK consultancy

The CEO of a leading UK consultancy firm has predicted 2025 will be a transformative year across multiple sectors, as industries push ahead with major operational changes following recent elections and budget settlements.

Steve Boam, Chief Executive of Develop Consulting, suggests that manufacturing, airports, and healthcare are all poised for significant transformation, with each sector facing its own unique challenges and opportunities.

Mr Boam said: “2025 will be a year for industry to push ahead. With elections and budgets now out of the way, it will allow businesses to focus on their operations, staff, stakeholders and customers to provide more value at the same or less cost, with productivity and efficiency at the forefront.”

In manufacturing, the firm identifies multiple challenges including skills shortages, supply chain disruptions, and rising inflation as key issues facing UK manufacturers. The sector must also adapt to new regulatory changes while managing the costs and complexity of adopting new technologies.

The consultancy highlights several critical areas where manufacturing support will be needed in 2025.

Mr Boam said: “Our focus will be on strengthening supply chain resilience through diversifying suppliers and adopting just-in-time inventory practices. We’re also seeing increasing demand for support with digital transformation, particularly in implementing Industry 4.0 technologies such as AI and IoT to enhance productivity and reduce costs.”

The aviation sector is experiencing unprecedented demands, with UK airports seeing passenger volumes exceeding pre-2019 levels. Major changes are on the horizon, with new night flight restrictions at key airports like Heathrow, Gatwick, and Stansted set for October 2025. Simultaneously, the industry faces pressure to meet sustainable aviation fuel mandates, with the UK government targeting 10% of all jet fuel from sustainable sources by 2030.

Mr Boam added: “Airports are facing increasing demands from customers, partners and airlines to improve the passenger experience across every touchpoint – from car parking and check-in to baggage handling, security and border control. Our team has been working with many of the UK’s airports to implement improvements that enhance both passenger experience and performance for shareholders and key stakeholders.”

In healthcare, with the publication of the Darzi report this year and the anticipated 10-year NHS plan due in Spring 2025, the government has outlined three crucial areas of transformation for the NHS: moving care from hospitals to community settings, transitioning from analogue to digital systems, and shifting from reactive to proactive care.

Simon Bricknell, Healthcare Director at Develop Consulting, said: “The new government has to do things differently. You can’t keep allocating money to the NHS in the same way it’s always been done and expect things to change. There is significant waste in the system currently, and simply trying to reduce that waste incrementally will never be enough. The NHS has to think bigger and transform the way it manages patients and the local population.”

To support transformation across all sectors, the consultancy has developed a suite of innovative digital solutions. These include their Demand and Capacity Optimisation Tool (DCOT) launched two years ago, and their Improving General Practice (IGP) programme, designed to deliver swift, practical improvements to GP practices across the UK, with outstanding results creating capacity, reducing waiting and improving the patient experience.

Max Pardo-Roques, Commercial Director at Develop Consulting, highlighted that the NHS will launch its 10-year plan in the new financial year. Mr Pardo-Roques said: “Patients need to feel they’re getting a better experience and better service, and that the system is working. This isn’t going to be an easy fix, but our expertise is focused on making these changes happen on the ground.”

The company has also introduced Click2Learn, a CMI-recognised training provider offering 24/7 access to interactive courses based on Lean methodology. Steve Clark Manufacturing, Operations and Training Director thinks that industry and the NHS needs more than ever to focus on people and processes.

Mr Clark said: “Taking staff out for days of training is no longer the right way to train and retain learning. Plus, most organisations can’t afford the time to release staff. At C2L we have developed bite sized training modules that can be completed on any device and at any time, with interactive content, online coaching and assignments. This makes for efficient time management, better learning and for trainees to apply what they just learnt immediately so they can learn by doing.”

“Our vast experience across multiple sectors positions us well to help both existing and new clients identify improvements, establish proper governance, and tackle improvement in a systematic and practical way to achieve results,” Mr Boam added.