Super-Power People with Emerging Tech
Workforce shortages are obstacles to growth. Here’s how smart manufacturing can get you over the hurdle.
Ongoing skill shortages are forcing manufacturers to look for ways to supplement and amplify the workforce.
In the 9th Annual State of Smart Manufacturing Report from Rockwell Automation, manufacturers again cited a lack of skilled workforce as the top reason they will struggle to outpace the competition. How to deploy and integrate new technology also remains a top concern, highlighting the importance of the relationship between people and technology to drive results.
Emerging Tech Can Address Workforce Shortages
The severity of today’s global labor shortage and skills gap intensifies the problem of attracting, managing, and retaining skilled workers.
As manufacturers look for incremental efficiencies, technology investment becomes a priority. Rather than replacing workers, investments in new and emerging technology, like GenAI, robotics, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and wearables, were ranked highly in the survey as investment options to fill skills gaps and amplify effort.
Through the increased use of smart manufacturing, companies plan to superpower people with tech technology:
- 94% expect to maintain or grow their workforce as a result of smart manufacturing technology adoption, and
- 81% plan to use wearable technology by the end of 2024.
Investment Drives Long-Term Business Resilience
For many manufacturers, the adoption pace of smart manufacturing technology is complementing the workforce, reducing errors, increasing speed to value, and improving quality.
One-third of survey respondents, when asked about technology investment, selected Emergency / Immediate need due to broken, non-operational technology, which highlights the global obsolescence organizations are facing in 2024. Investing in technology is one way to address obsolescence while elevating competitive advantages and building business resilience into the future.
Today’s emerging technologies will be tomorrow’s table stakes, and organizations that become early adopters will be set up for future success.
Get the Full Report
The State of Smart Manufacturing Report reveals optimism as advanced industrial operations technology delivers results that offer hope in the face of evolving economic conditions, labor shortages and skills gaps. The report explores emerging technologies like GenAI and their potential to alleviate the biggest manufacturing challenges of 2024.
About This Research
The 9th annual edition of the State of Manufacturing Report is the largest to date: 1,567 decision-makers from 17 of the top manufacturing countries took part, nearly two-thirds of whom (64%) work for firms with over $1B in revenue. In association with Sapio Research, the State of Smart Manufacturing Report from Rockwell Automation surveyed the broadest audience yet, welcoming a global population that represents the modern manufacturing industry.
State of Smart Manufacturing Report Webinar Series
The 2024 State of Smart Manufacturing is our largest report to date, so we're digging deeper into the research with our State of Smart Manufacturing webinar series. Register now to explore everything you need to know from this year's report, including what's trending in manufacturing across the globe, key takeaways and more.