New Study Finds GenAI as Top Tech Investment for Manufacturers, While 94% Expect to Maintain or Expand Their Workforce
March 26 2024 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
Global State of Smart Manufacturing Report
reveals impact of emerging technologies on addressing workforce,
quality, cybersecurity, and sustainability challenges
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest
company dedicated to industrial automation and digital
transformation, today announced the results of the 9th annual
“State of Smart Manufacturing Report.” The global study surveyed
more than 1,500 manufacturers across 17 of the leading
manufacturing countries.
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Rockwell Automation's 9th annual State of
Smart Manufacturing Report (Graphic: Business Wire)
This year’s report reveals a focus on harnessing new and
emerging technologies to build resiliency, improve quality,
maximize workforce potential, and drive sustainable growth.
“A skilled workforce is the cornerstone of any successful
manufacturing operation, but attracting, managing and retaining
workers is proving to be an ongoing challenge,” said Cyril
Perducat, senior vice president and chief technology officer,
Rockwell Automation. “The survey found technology alone is not the
answer. To remain competitive, manufacturers need to focus their
staff on embracing new technology as a core part of their evolving
organizational culture, creating a technology/worker partnership
that drives their business forward.”
Key global findings include:
- AI ranks as the top capability that manufacturers believe will
drive the biggest business outcomes. 83% of manufacturers expect to
use generative AI (GenAI) in their operations in 2024.
- 95% of manufacturers are using or evaluating smart
manufacturing technology – up from 84% in 2023.
- 94% of manufacturers plan to maintain or grow their workforce
due to smart manufacturing technology adoption, with a heavy focus
on repurposing workers to new or different roles and/or hiring more
workers.
- Change management is the leading workforce-related obstacle for
manufacturers in 2024.
- Manufacturers cite “improved quality” as the top positive
outcome they hope to achieve from existing smart manufacturing
technology for a second consecutive year. Additionally, “quality
control” ranks as the #1 AI/Machine Learning use case in 2024.
- For the first time, cybersecurity is listed as one of the top
five external risks for manufacturers in 2024, ranking third
overall.
- Energy management is the factor that matters most to
manufacturers’ sustainability/ESG programs.
“The workforce of 2019 is not coming back,” said Allison Kuhn,
principal analyst, LNS Research. “Developing a sustainable
workforce strategy is critical to successfully navigate daunting
manufacturing challenges. Leaders are winning the war for talent by
embracing this new reality and with a laser focus on three
imperatives: 1) Total Employee Experience, 2) Servant Leadership,
and 3) Connected Frontline Workforce (CFW) Applications.”
Manufacturers continue to face a significant challenge:
combining people, processes, and technology to drive long-term
business growth and resilience. According to the report, around
one-third of manufacturing leaders cite “matching technology and
talent to business need” and “effectively managing people and
resources” as the biggest obstacles their organizations face over
the next year. Manufacturers can overcome this challenge by
selecting a partner with relevant industry expertise and experience
who can provide tailored solutions and support in aligning
technology and talent with business objectives.
“At Rockwell, the combination of our deep industry expertise
with our exceptional PartnerNetwork™ puts us in the best position
to advise and guide leading global manufacturers. Being the largest
company dedicated solely to industrial automation and digital
transformation, we strive to help companies realize the promise and
value of their digital transformation, no matter where they are in
their journey,” said Perducat.
The full findings of the report can be found here.
Methodology
This report analyzed feedback from 1,567 respondents from 17 of
the top manufacturing countries with roles from management up to
the C-suite and was conducted in association with Rockwell
Automation and Sapio Research. The survey pulled from a range of
industries including Consumer Packaged Goods, Food & Beverage,
Automotive, Semiconductor, Energy, Life Sciences, and more. With a
balanced distribution of company sizes with revenues spanning $100
million to over $30 billion, it offers a wide breadth of
manufacturing business perspectives.
About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in
industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the
imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand
what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more
sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell
Automation employs approximately 29,000 problem solvers dedicated
to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about
how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across
industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.
About the Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork™
Rockwell Automation believes we're better together—and we do our
part by delivering an expansive, global partner ecosystem of
market-leading technology, superior support and services, and an
integrated and streamlined approach to business. Succeed on an
international scale by utilizing our network's breadth of
innovative technologies and services that no single vendor can
provide alone. To learn more about how the PartnerNetwork is
helping to deliver the value of The Connected Enterprise, visit
PartnerNetwork Program.
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Rockwell Media Relations Chaya Jacobs, Director, PR &
Social Media CJacobs@ra.rockwell.com +1 414-305-2784
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