Within a survey’s data, even respondents working in “manufacturing leaders” were struggling to use digital transformation to achieve a fully-connected factory

In a survey of 1,200 C-Suite executives and IT and OT leaders within various types of manufacturing sectors* on key trends and challenges faced in the evolving landscape of digital transformation, some findings were noted.

First, 61% of respondents expected AI to drive growth by 2029, up from 41% in a previous similar survey.

Second, some 30% to 40% of global and APAC* respondents cited digital transformation obstacles: , the cost and availability of labor; the scaling technology solutions; and the convergence of information technology and operational technology (IT/OT). This made achieving a fully connected factory elusive: with a low 16% of global respondents and 25% of APAC respondents — from organizations deemed as industry leaders — citing they had real-time, work-in-progress monitoring across the entire manufacturing process.

Third, 57% globally, 63% in APAC of respondents working in “manufacturing leaders” expected to increase visibility across production and throughout the supply chain by 2029. Some 33% globally (38% in APAC) cited a key barrier to digital transformation was “getting IT and OT to agree on where to invest”. Some 86% of respondents (82% in APAC) from global “manufacturing leaders” indicated they were struggling to keep up with the pace of technological innovation and to securely integrate devices, sensors, and technologies throughout their facilities and supply chain.

Other findings

In terms of regions, the data showed:

  • APAC: 30% of respondents from “manufacturing leaders” in the region indicated using machine vision across the plant floor, while 67% were implementing or planning to deploy this technology within the next five years.
  • Europe, Middle East, Africa: Reskilling labor to enhance data and technology usage skills was the top ranked workforce strategy by respondents in “manufacturing leaders” to drive growth today (46%) and in five years (71%).
  • Latin America: 24% of respondents in this region and working in “manufacturing leaders” indicated relying on track and trace technology; 74% were implementing or planning to implement the technology in the next five years.
  • North America: 68% of respondents from “manufacturing leaders” ranked deploying workforce development programs as their most important labor initiative.

Also, 73% of respondents from global “manufacturing leaders” indicated plans to reskill labor to enhance data and technology usage skills, expecting to augment workers with mobility-enabling technology. This intention was about 2.5% higher among APAC respondents from “manufacturing leaders”. 

According to Tan Aik Jin, APAC Solutions Lead, Zebra Technologies, the firm that commissioned the survey: “Beyond just adopting technology, businesses need to be prepared and equipped to continually transcend current capabilities. The future of manufacturing demands a symbiotic relationship between technology and human expertise to redefine the essence of manufacturing.”

*including automotive, electronics, food and beverage, and pharma and medical devices from parts of Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. No details of the date of the survey, or the composition of countries representing each region, or what constituted “manufacturing leaders” were indicated.