The distribution of value in the manufacturing industry has transferred from manufacturing to service. Photo: FILE

One important feature of the modern manufacturing industry is its tendency to be service-orientated.  Currently, at this critical period of economic structural adjustment and industry transformation and upgrading, a service-oriented manufacturing industry will be beneficial to high-quality economic development. However, the service-oriented manufacturing industry still faces many problems. Scholars gave advice on this issue.

Han Wenlong, director of the Department of Economics under the School of Economics at the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, said, generally speaking, enterprises that have already completed the service-oriented transformation are still beset with problems such as low technological standards, lack of core technologies and overall solutions, and the value-added of services being a low proportion of gross operational revenue. Dai Hongwei, a professor from the School of Economics at Central University of Finance and Economics, added that from the perspective of corporations, the service-oriented manufacturing industry is restrained by the following three factors. First, corporations do not attach sufficient importance to products’ quality and brand building. Second, corporations’ service supply cannot meet residents’ increasing demands. Third, corporations cannot effectively balance brand building and economic interest.

First, Han suggested, we should develop an advanced manufacturing industry and continuously improve corporations’ production efficiency and the added value of their services. Second, we should develop a modern service industry and emphasize the supporting role of the modern service industry in advancing the manufacturing industry through developing the consumption-oriented service industry, producer services industry, knowledge-based service industry and public service industry. Third, we should guide the manufacturing industry to fully leverage the internet and adapt to individual demands. Fourth, corporations should invest more in service content during the process of production, including pre-production and post-production. They should also create innovative organizational structures, proactively integrate into the Belt and Road construction, and explore the market for the service-oriented manufacturing industry.

Du Chuanzhong, director of the Institute of Industrial Economics at Nankai University, said that academia, corporations and related functional departments of the government should build a consensus and make joint efforts to push ahead with the transformation of the manufacturing industry toward service orientation. First, corporations and related functional departments of the government should continue to improve their understanding of the service-oriented manufacturing industry by following the new trends and models of its development at home and abroad. Second, we should push forward service orientation in key manufacturing fields and leverage their leading positions. Third, we should push ahead with the deep integration of the manufacturing industry and service industry by strengthening the supporting role of new technologies represented by the internet, big data and artificial intelligence. Fourth, measures should be taken to cultivate high-skilled talent and speed up the construction of public service systems and platforms.

edited by SU XUAN