#153 – Inside Our Industry – State of Smart Manufacturing Report
Posted on | Inside Our Industry
The automotive sector is evolving at probably its fastest pace ever. Rockwell Automation’s survey looks at where automotive industry manufacturers are doing and what their future plans include to remain competitive in the industry.
State of Smart Manufacturing Report
Rockwell Automation has released its 8th annual “State of Smart Manufacturing Report: Automotive Edition”
Industrial automation and digital transformation technologies provider Rockwell Automation, Inc. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, has announced the results of its 8th annual “State of Smart Manufacturing Report: Automotive Edition.” The global study encompasses the responses of 197 leaders from automotive manufacturers, automotive suppliers, and electric vehicle manufacturers across thirteen of the leading manufacturing countries.
This year’s report emphasizes the evolution of the automotive industry with a focus on the pursuit of quality, the impact of process automation, the adoption of smart manufacturing, and the essential role of technology when mitigating risks, navigating workforce challenges, minimizing costs, and boosting production.
According to the company, key global findings include the facts that:
- 85% of automotive manufacturers expect to maintain or even increase their current workforce due to technology adoption – moreover, 64% of businesses are using software to automate processes, and 54% of leaders are increasing automation to address labor shortages
- 23% of operating budget is spent on technology
- 31% of automotive manufacturers either plan to or have already invested in AI and machine learning technologies, which is expected to continue growing as more use cases develop along with ease-of-use applications
- 42% of automotive manufacturers expect to repurpose their existing workforce, and 27% believe they’ll hire more workers as a result of technology adoption, indicating technology can both address current issues and act as a catalyst for growth
- In practice, 35% of these businesses report that smart manufacturing has helped mitigate issues with deploying and integrating new technologies; additionally, 29% believe it has helped with the lingering impact of the pandemic
- 97% of automotive manufacturers and suppliers report having sustainability and ESG initiatives in place, with 49% pursuing sustainability and ESG initiatives as a competitive differentiator