Over four in five small and mid-sized UK manufacturers hit by unplanned downtime every month

Unplanned downtime has become a routine challenge for the UK’s small and mid-sized manufacturers, with 84% reporting it at least once a month, Aviva has found.^[2] Nearly a fifth (18%) of manufacturers are experiencing downtime at least once a week, according to new research.

The impact varies by type of manufacturer, with light manufacturers (89%) most likely to experience unplanned downtime at least once a month. 

Supply-chain disruption was the leading stated cause of downtime across all manufacturers surveyed, cited by 22% of respondents. Cyber incidents followed at 17%, while equipment failure and staff shortages were each named by 14%.  

Nearly four in five manufacturers (78%) said current risks are causing moderate to significant disruption to their operations. For small and mid-sized manufacturers, unexpected disruption could divert valuable time and resources away from investment and growth plans, making it vital that firms understand the parts of their business they depend on most and are prepared when something goes wrong.

Disruption can come from across a manufacturing business: a missing component can hold up production, while a cyber incident, machinery breakdown or staff shortage can stop work at short notice. Manufacturers need to identify the suppliers, equipment, systems and skills they rely on most, and plan how they would restore them. This can be especially hard for firms that depend on specialist machinery, key suppliers or a small pool of skilled workers.

Supply chains in particular remain a challenge, but the study shows manufacturers are taking action to stay ahead of disruption. More than a third (37%) regularly review supplier performance, while the same proportion monitor wider market and geopolitical developments that could cause disruption. Some 35% use supply-chain management software.

Manufacturers also want more practical support. More than a quarter would value help from their insurer with business continuity and resilience planning (27%), while 28% want help identifying underinsurance and gaps in cover. 

Concern about the cost of recovery is also widespread. Nearly eight in ten manufacturers (79%) are somewhat or very concerned about the cost of replacing key machinery, plant or equipment after a breakdown, fire or other major event.

Chris Andrews, Director of Global Risk Management Solutions, Aviva, said, “Manufacturers want to be able to focus on growing their businesses, investing and serving their customers. When something unexpected stops production, attention can quickly shift to getting the business back up and running.

“That’s why resilience matters. A supplier can fail to deliver, a cyber incident can take systems offline or a key machine can stop working. Businesses need to understand what could bring production to a halt and have a clear, tested plan for how they would respond.

“That means looking closely at critical suppliers, customers, machinery, systems and skills, testing business continuity plans and understanding how long key equipment could take to replace. Firms should also check that their sums insured reflect current replacement costs and that their business interruption cover provides a suitable recovery period following an insured event such as a flood or fire.

“Good risk management can help businesses reduce avoidable disruption and recover faster when something does go wrong, so they can get back to focusing on running and growing their business.”

Aviva Risk Management Solutions (ARMS) provides practical tools and specialist support to help manufacturers identify weak points and plan for recovery. This includes Aviva’s Supply Chain Risk Assessment Tool, which helps firms assess supply-chain weaknesses and resilience measures. Aviva’s Loss Prevention Standards, a free-to-use library of risk management guidance, is designed to help businesses manage a wide range of risks. This proactive approach is intended to help firms identify risks early and plan how to respond if disruption does occur.

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References:

^1. _{The 84% figure is the sum of respondents reporting unplanned downtime:} 

• _{weekly: 18%}
• _{every two to three weeks: 44%}
• _{every month: 22% [↑]}

^2. _{Censuswide surveyed 500 senior decision-makers or insurance buyers at UK manufacturing and industrial businesses between 25 August and 9 September 2026. Respondents worked for businesses with 20–249 employees and annual turnover of £10 million to £100 million. [↑]}

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