9th Annual State of Smart Manufacturing Report en

9 T H
A N N U A L
State of Smart
Manufacturing Report
How global manufacturers are harnessing emergent
technology to maximize workforce potential, reduce
risk, increase quality and deliver sustainable growth
9 T H A N N U A L S TAT E O F S M A R T M A N U FA C T U R I N G R E P O R T
A letter from our CEO and Chairman
Creating the Future of Industrial Operations
Welcome to Rockwell Automation’s 2024 State of Smart Manufacturing Report. greater resilience and underscored by subsequent supply chain shortages.
Resilience includes the ability to weather these shortages in the future,
Rockwell Automation, together with our customers and partners, is creating
to deal with pervasive scarcity of skilled labor and to create more
the future of industrial operations. While the technology has certainly changed
sustainable business models. The results of our survey reflect these views.
over our 120 years, our approach has been proven time and again, around the
world and in diverse industries. We are pleased to share these results with you and hope that this global
benchmark report provides a guide for successful decision-making
In this year's State of Smart Manufacturing Report, we explore current
throughout 2024, driving the positive business outcomes that will deliver
disruptors, including emerging technologies like industrial AI, and their
a competitive edge, profitable growth and a sustainable future.
potential to alleviate the biggest challenges facing manufacturers.
With best wishes for a productive and successful 2024,
We take a uniquely human-centric approach to automation; the winning hand
is technology thoughtfully applied by an engaged and inspired workforce.
This is even more essential with the rapid acceleration of technology adoption,
driven first by the necessities of the pandemic, continuing with the need for Blake Moret
Chairman and CEO,
Rockwell Automation
Key report
results
94% 95% 98%
expect to maintain or grow their are using or evaluating smart have a sustainability / ESG
workforce as a result of smart manufacturing technology, policy in place, with almost half
manufacturing technology adoption up from 84% in 2023 of those having company-wide
formalized policies
9 T H A N N U A L S TAT E O F S M A R T M A N U FA C T U R I N G R E P O R T :: 02
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 04
Overview 05
The Current State of 07 Manufacturers' 15 The Future State of 23

Smart Manufacturing Biggest Challenges Smart Manufacturing
Industry obstacles and outlook :: 08 The race to capitalize on AI :: 24
Industry 4.0 skills shortages :: 16
Technology investment up 30% :: 09 Automation crucial for success :: 25
Quality #1 focus for smart :: 17
AI use cases deliver outcomes, :: 10 manufacturing Sustainability and ESG at heart :: 26
drive ROI of risk mitigation
The focus on cybersecurity intensifies :: 18
Skills gap reduces competitiveness :: 11 Technology investment drives :: 27
Employees navigating seismic change :: 19
:: 12 long-term business resilience
Better data management needed :: 20
Improving efficiency top reason
to fuel AI and empower teams AI will improve quality and lower risk :: 28
for pursuing sustainability and ESG
Sustainability and ESG policies :: 13 Leaders will balance people, process :: 29
The data divide :: 21
increasingly driven by energy concerns and technology
Adversity accelerates transformation :: 22
Factory floor processes see :: 14
most smart manufacturing adoption Taking Action 30
Demographics / 34
Firmographics
99TTHH AANNNNUUAALL SSTAT

TATEE OOFF SSMMAARRTT MMAANNUUFA
FACCTTUURRI INNGG RREEPPOORRTT :: 03
Executive Summary
The Industrial GenAI Revolution: Emerging Technologies Rising Cyber Threats and the Impact
Shifting from Vision to Reality Drive Change on Risk and Resiliency Operations
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) Looking to supplement and amplify the The lines between OT and IT continue to blur,
rocketed up the technology priority list over workforce, cobots, autonomous mobile robots increasing the connectivity between digital and
the last twelve months, creating fierce demand (AMRs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and physical operations. This elevates the need for
for industrial applications embedded with this wearables all ranked prominently in new areas cybersecurity awareness and action to mitigate
transformative technology. for technology investment in 2024. the risk of a breach or attack.
83% anticipate using GenAI 94% expect to maintain or grow their Cybersecurity broke into the
in their operations in 2024
workforce as a result of smart manufacturing top 5 external risks
technology adoption for the first time, ranking 3rd overall
GenAI ranked #2 for ROI, 81% plan to be using wearable Cybersecurity ranked as the
Artificial Intelligence
behind only Cloud / SaaS #1 skill employers are seeking in 2024

technology by the end of 2024
Cybersecurity
GenAI is the #1 new area for Change management Cybersecurity predicted as
Workforce
technology investment is the top workforce-related obstacle in 2024 #2 most impacted by AI

over the next 12 months in the next three years, just behind quality
Overview
Over 1,500 manufacturers around the world contributed to this year’s
WH AT IS
State of Smart Manufacturing Report. The survey reveals optimism
as advanced industrial operations technology delivers results Smart
that offer hope in the face of evolving economic conditions,
Manufacturing?
"
labor shortages, skills gaps and cybersecurity concerns.
The 9th annual edition of the State of Manufacturing Report is the largest to date.
Smart Manufacturing is the intelligent, real-time
1,567 decision-makers from 17 of the top manufacturing countries took part, orchestration and optimization of business,
nearly two-thirds of whom (64%) work for firms with over $1B in revenue. physical and digital processes within factories
and across the entire value chain. Resources and
processes are automated, integrated, monitored,
GEOGRAPHIC SPLIT RESPONDENT ROLES TOP INDUSTRIES SURVEYED and continuously evaluated based on all available
information as close to real time as possible."
Asia
North
America 54% Primary 27%
Hi-Tech, Electronics,
Semiconductor MESA International
Pacific decision-maker
Auto & Tire, Auto Tier
17 Latin 34% 12% Suppliers, EV, Battery

America Share
COUNTRIES Metals, Metal Fabricators,
decision-making
responsibility 12% Metal Formers
Europe, 12% This report from Rockwell Automation, in association
Middle Give input in CPG (Food & Beverage, with Sapio Research, includes a plan for taking action
East and Africa decision-making process 10% Home and Personal Care) alongside the research findings to help you turn insights
into action. Refer to our glossary of AI-related terms
View all survey demographics used throughout the report.
What are examples of smart manufacturing technology?
Production Monitoring provides seamless
connectivity to machines on the plant floor, delivering
Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) transparent, real-time operational KPIs like Overall
track and document the transformation of raw materials Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
INDUSTRIAL into finished goods, providing real-time production
O P E R AT I O N S management to drive enterprise-wide compliance, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
quality and efficiency. automates front- and back-office processes across
business management and related functions.
Distributed Control Systems (DCS) Supply Chain Planning (SCP) combines

use decentralized elements to control dispersed systems, data from multiple departments to sync demand
such as automated industrial processes or large-scale and supply forecasting to improve inventory
infrastructure systems. accuracy and production management.
Computerized Maintenance Quality Management Systems (QMS)

Management Systems (CMMS) standardize and automate quality documentation,
help organizations track and manage processes and measurements.
maintenance and repair activities for their facilities,
equipment and other assets in one place.
Production Logistics
delivers an orchestrated, agile, zero touch
Asset Performance Management (APM) material flow through manufacturing operations
combines process, operational and machine-level data with autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).
through dashboards to monitor machine and plant health.
Analytics use data to solve manufacturing

Design & Visualization bottlenecks, optimize output and quality and
tools transform raw ideas into intuitive HMIs provide new insights, tapping into the power of
and immersive VR simulations for smarter, Industrial AI.
faster production.
Robotics accelerate autonomous / semi-autonomous

operations and contribute to systems that are more
Power Control drives continuous flow of valuable process
intelligent, intuitive and flexible.
and diagnostic data that informs the design environment,
visualization systems and information software.
Smart Devices are self and system-aware assets
Industrial Control Systems that acquire, process and monitor operating data.
improve processes and production quality at every stage
of your operation and provide seamless data exchange.
THE CURRENT STATE OF
SMART
MANUFACTURING
Manufacturers report a tough
operating climate of inflationary
pressures, high energy prices
and ongoing skills shortages.
The drive to find incremental

efficiencies pervades the organization,
from the boardroom to the factory floor.

:: THE CURRENT STATE OF SMART MANUFACTURING ::
Industry obstacles and outlook E X T E R N A L O B S TA C L E S

2024 2023
For the second year in a row, inflation is named as the 1 Inflation Inflation
primary obstacle to growth. This year it is compounded 2 Rising energy costs Supply chain disruption
by rising energy costs, which ranked second. 3 Cybersecurity risks Raw materials / microchip shortage / prices
4 Shortage of skilled workers Shortage of skilled workers

Cybersecurity ranked third, appearing in the top 5 for the
Supply chain disruption Impact of COVID-19 pandemic
5
first time. Risks to OT and IT networks are increasing from
Q. What do you see as the biggest external obstacle(s) to your organization’s growth for calendar year 2024?
the interconnectivity of digital and physical infrastructure. Select all that apply. Base: 1567
Q. What do you see as the biggest external obstacle(s) to your organization’s growth for calendar year 2023?
Workforce issues continue to dampen growth, ranking Select top 5. Base: 1353
in the top 5 for both external (4th) and internal (1st)

obstacles. Deploying and integrating new technology
I N T E R N A L O B S TA C L E S
remains a top concern, highlighting the importance of
2024 2023
the relationship between people and technology to
1 Attracting employees with desired skillsets Balancing quality and growth
drive results.
2 Deploying and integrating new technology Deploying and integrating new technology
Supply chain disruption dropped in the rankings this
3 Internal budget constraints Worker retention / knowledge retention
year, but it is important to remain vigilant with a strategic
approach to planning in order to mitigate future supply 4 Balancing quality and growth Using and understanding data to improve
chain instability. 5 Capturing and contextualizing data to improve Onboarding new employees
Q. What do you see as the biggest internal obstacle(s) to your organization’s growth for calendar year 2024?
Select all that apply. Base: 1567
Q. What do you see as the biggest internal obstacle(s) to your organization’s growth for calendar year 2023?
Select top 5. Base: 1353
Technology investment up 30%
Prompted by inflationary pressures 30%

and rising energy costs, manufacturers
23%
2024
2023
are stepping up technology investment
to counter risks.
Spending in this area increased Technology
30% year-over-year: from 23% investment
to 30% of operating budget.
Adoption of technology is seen by
manufacturers as the best way to mitigate
against both external and internal risks.
Adopting
new technology
Adopting / using Digitizing business through Hiring new or different Upskilling Adopting smart Hiring new or different
artificial smart manufacturing types of talent or existing talent technology / smart types of talent
intelligence technology adoption upskilling existing talent manufacturing
and automation technology
E X T E R N A L R I S K M I T I G AT I O N I N T E R N A L R I S K M I T I G AT I O N
Q. How is your organization mitigating the external risk mentioned in the previous questions? Select all that apply. Q. How is your organization mitigating the internal risk mentioned in the previous questions? Select all that apply.
Base: 1567
AI use cases deliver outcomes, drive ROI
BIGGEST ROI AI / ML deliver bigger business outcomes

than all other smart manufacturing capabilities.
Cloud / SaaS
GenAI or causal AI
C A P A B I L I T I E S T H AT
5G DELIVER OUTCOMES
Results show that
AI / ML
AI is core to technology
Supply Chain Planning (SCP)
strategies and roadmaps. AI / ML
Advanced analytics (using AI / ML)
Adopters are seeing
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
tangible results, with only
Process automation
Robotics Cloud / SaaS delivering and optimization
Manufacturing Execution System (MES) more ROI than GenAI
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and causal AI. Cybersecurity
Q. Which of the technologies that your company has invested in
had the biggest ROI over the last 12 months? Select top 3. Base: 1562 Adaptability / agility to keep pace with
competition and a changing market
Scalability to meet business needs

and drive profitable growth
Q. What smart manufacturing features / capabilities do you think drive the

biggest business outcomes? Select all that apply. Base: 1567
Skills gap reduces competitiveness
COMPETITIVE WEAKNESS
For two years in a row, manufacturers have cited a lack
of skilled workforce as the top reason they will struggle Skilled workforce
to outpace the competition.
Technology
94% Respondents plan to use new and emerging

89% technology to amplify their workforce, fill Speed
2024
the skills gap and maintain quality against

2023
a backdrop of employee turnover. Through

Innovation
increased use of smart manufacturing
Maintaining technology, 94% expect to hire more
or increasing workers or repurpose workers to new
Ability to use data
workforce to make decisions
as a result of or different roles.
technology adoption
Q. Please read the statement below and select the answer options that apply to your organization:
“My organization lacks the _____ to outpace the competition over the next 12 months.” Select
Q. By increasing your use of smart manufacturing technology in the next 12 months, all that apply. Base: 1567
which best describes changes to your workforce? 'We will…’ Base 1567
Better data management needed to fuel AI and empower teams

Energy
management
Respondents believe those at the forefront HOW LEADERS Cybersecurity
of the manufacturing industry are using data U S E D AT A protection
to fuel AI / ML and optimize processes. Improve / monitor

product quality
However, those surveyed believe their own
Process
organizations use less than half of collected optimization
data effectively. AI / ML and

Applied AI /
GenAI
Leaders in the industry are accessing

contextualized data to drive informed,
real-time decision-making.
"
Q. How do you perceive leaders in your industry are using the data collected from their currently
employed technologies, processes, connected devices, etc.? Select all that apply. Base:1567
As IT and OT worlds continue to integrate, and with subdued customer demand in many sectors, continuing
above average historical rates of inflation, rising energy costs and a changing manufacturing workforce,
the adoption of IT technology in OT environments together with new as a service offerings is key to
only 44% of data
competitive advantage." is being used effectively
Mark Watson | Senior Director, Government & Manufacturing, Omdia,
Omdia Tech Trends to Watch 2024
Sustainability and ESG policies increasingly driven by energy concerns
W H AT M AT T E R S M O S T
FOR 2024
98% of organizations have some form of

sustainability or ESG policy
Energy management
Product quality / safety

35%
33%
Health and safety 33%
Reducing
32%
manufacturing waste
We’ve seen an increase in the adoption of
Commitment to
48%
32%
have a formal, company-wide sustainability and ESG policies over the last year. "eco-friendly" processes
The number of organizations with some form Recycling 29%
of policy increased to 98%, and those with Carbon offsetting /

carbon neutral
29%
39% some locations have a formal

formal policies is 86%, up from 78% in 2023.
Q. What matters most to your organization’s
sustainability / ESG policy? Select all
that apply. Base: 1567
11% have informal policies

but not an official stance
Q. Which of the following best describes your organization’s current efforts around
sustainability / ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance)? Select one. Base: 1567
Factory floor processes see most smart manufacturing adoption
H A R D WA R E / D E V I C E S PERCENT OF S O F T WA R E
Q. Which of the following smart manufacturing hardware / smart
devices has your company adopted or has plans to adopt? Base: 1567 S MART
MANUFACTURING
Q. Which of the following smart manufacturing software solutions
has your company adopted or has plans to adopt? Base: 1567
ADO P T ION
Manufacturers are Manufacturers are benefitting
upgrading their networking 84% Networking
hardware
Production
monitoring 82% from modular, scalable smart
infrastructure and investing manufacturing solutions that can
in more connected hardware be deployed quickly at a lower
82% Connected
devices
Quality Management
System (QMS) 80%
devices. More data from systems cost than more highly complex,
allows companies to capitalize rigid legacy systems. These
on their software investments 79% Sensors
and instruments
Supply Chain
Planning (SCP) 78% practical applications require
and further empower their fewer resources, are easier to
workforce with information to 79% Industrial
computers
Energy
management 78% integrate and deploy and deliver a
optimize operations in real time. faster return on investment.
Programmable Logic Enterprise
73% Controllers (PLC) Resource Planning (ERP) 76%
MANUFACTURERS'
BIGGEST
CHALLENGES
The severity of today’s global labor
shortage and skills gap intensifies
the problem of attracting, managing
and retaining skilled workers, but
there is hope.
New and emerging technology, like
GenAI, robotics and wearables, are
filling skills gaps and amplifying effort
rather than replacing workers.

Industry 4.0 skills shortages
:: MANUFACTURERS' BIGGEST CHALLENGES ::
Skills shortages are holding

manufacturers back. Attracting skilled
employees and training the workforce
to adapt to new systems and software
will be vital for success in 2024.
This year communication / teamwork,

knowledge of smart technology and
cybersecurity practices and standards
BARRIERS TO SMART
are the #1 skills employers are seeking. M A N U FA C T U R I N G A D O P T I O N
1. Cost / Expense
2. Lack of skill set to implement
3. Lack of skill set to optimize

Communication / teamwork
4. Employee resistance to change
Knowledge of smart technology 79% 5. Replacing / upgrading legacy systems
Cybersecurity practices and standards
6. Technology infrastructure
Analytical thinking readiness / data readiness
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) skills

77% 7. Lack of commitment to or
understanding of Organizational
Q. Over the next 12 months, how important are the following knowledge and / or skills Change Management (OCM)
as your organization recruits its next generation of employees? Base: 1567
8. Leadership resistance to change
Q. What are the barriers to adopting smart

manufacturing? Select all that apply. Base: 1567
Quality #1 focus for smart manufacturing
Improved quality is the number one outcome respondents hope

to achieve from existing smart manufacturing technology.
S M A R T M A N U FA C T U R I N G I S D R I V I N G
BUSINESS OUTCOMES AROUND THE WORLD Quality control tops the chart
Growing into new markets / for planned AI / ML use cases
40%
new products / international
expansion in 2024.
EMEA
Improve financial position
overall / revenue growth 43%
AMERICAS 45% Quality control
Drive OEE 43% 40% Cybersecurity
67%
ASIA
PACIFIC
Reduce cost 39% Process optimization
LATIN
AMERICA 34% Supply chain management
Improve
quality BY REGION 33% Robotics
Q. Where do you plan to use AI / ML in 2024?
Select all that apply. Base:1567
Q. What positive business outcomes are you looking to achieve from your smart manufacturing technology? Select all that apply. Base:1567
The focus on cybersecurity intensifies
As the technology landscape becomes more complex, and

OT systems are further integrated into enterprise IT networks,
the opportunities for cyber attacks quickly increase.
Manufacturers are looking to a combination of human skill
and emerging technology to strengthen their security posture
in the face of this growing concern.
Cybersecurity broke into the Cybersecurity ranked

the top 5 external risks #2 use case for AI / ML
for the fist time, ranking 3rd overall over next three years, just behind quality control
See page 8 See page 17
"
Cybersecurity ranked as the 3rd for
Cybersecurity ranked
#1 skill employers driving biggest outcomes
are seeking in 2024 through smart manufacturing technology
See page 16 See page 10
With over 71% of all ransomware attacks on industrial organizations focused on
manufacturing, ransomware continues to broadly target many manufacturing
sectors and subsectors. As ransomware activity increases, it results in more
risk for OT networks, particularly networks with poor segmentation.”
Dragos, 2023 OT Cybersecurity Year in Review
Employees navigating seismic change
Helping employees adapt to seismic shifts within the industry will distinguish successful manufacturers from the rest.
Change management and training employees on updated processes are the top two workforce-related obstacles.
Number three on the list is also linked: helping employees stay engaged and feel valued in their roles.
32% 31% 31%

34% Training current employees
28%
on updated processes Employee engagement Rising cost of Employee
(feeling purpose / value labor / skilled staff
Change retention
in their role)
management
Q. Which of the following are the biggest workforce-related obstacle(s) your organization faces in the next 12 months? Select all that apply. Base:1567
Improving efficiency top reason
T O P 1 0 M O T I VAT I O N S T O
for pursuing sustainability and ESG P U R S U E S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y / E S G
Reducing energy usage, repurposing / recycling and maximizing

1 Improve efficiencies
resources are must-haves as technology is being used to

squeeze every ounce of efficiency from operations.
2 Competitive differentiation
Manufacturers are turning to smart manufacturing technology to 3 To address potential environmental

issues before they arise
achieve their sustainability and ESG goals, with a focus on improving
quality, cutting costs and driving OEE. 4 Fosters a collaborative environment
5 Government regulations
6 A desire to do good
Smart Manufacturing 7 To build our presence in the community
technology drives efficiency:

8 To address social inequalities
suppresing talent in the workforce
1 Improve
quality 2 Reduce
cost 3 Drive
OEE
9
10
Supplier / Customer demands
It’s good for the bottom line

Q. What positive business outcomes are you looking to achieve from your smart
manufacturing technology? Select all that apply. Base: 1567
Q. Which of the following drives or motivates your organization to pursue
sustainability / ESG? Select all that apply. Base: 1567
The data divide
Manufacturers with annual revenues less than $500 million use only Size of manufacturer
38% of their data effectively, compared to those with revenues matters when it comes
of over $30 billion who effectively use more than half (51%). to using data effectively
51% 38%
"While ARC believes recent generative AI breakthroughs
are an evolutionary step in the domain of Industrial AI,
its impact on the user interaction paradigm for
industrial software solutions, and democratization
Manufacturers with
revenue more than $30B
Manufacturers with
revenue less than $500M
Q. What percentage of the data you collect is used effectively? Select one. Base: 1567
of access to AI is likely to be revolutionary."
Colin Masson | Director of Research, ARC Advisory Group

How Leaders Are Embracing Industrial AI
ARC Advisory Group
Adversity accelerates transformation
The vast majority of manufacturers (83%) 83% say the obstacles they face are
accelerating digital
say the obstacles they face are accelerating
transformation
digital transformation.
This figure rises above 90% in Brazil, China,

India, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United
Arabs Emirates (UAE).
91%
UAE, SAUDI
Given supply chain disruptions over ARABIA
the last few years, the warehouse

and fulfilment industry sees the
92%CHINA
highest acceleration of digital
transformation, followed by 94% 91%
91%
BRAZIL INDIA
the renewable energy and
JAPAN
chemical sectors.
Q. Are the internal and external obstacles accelerating the need for digital transformation in your organization? Select one. Base: 1567
THE FUTURE OF
SMART
MANUFACTURING
Today’s emerging technologies will be
tomorrow’s table stakes, and organizations
that become early adopters will be set up
for future success.
Balancing people, technology and

sustainability and ESG practices will
be key to industry leadership.

The race to capitalize on AI
:: THE FUTURE OF SMART MANUFACTURING ::
TO P 1 0 I N VE ST M E N TS A R E AS
OVER NEXT 12 MONTHS
1
GenAI and causal AI, cobots and AMRs have already been
GenAI or causal AI
adopted by manufacturers to enhance and complement the
workforce, while reducing errors, increasing speed to value
and improving quality. 2 Cobots (Collaborative Robots)
85% have already 3 Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs)
invested or plan
to invest in AI / ML 4 Zero trust architecture
this year.
5 Generative design
6 AI / ML
AI
7 Industrial metaverse
8 RFID / geotagging
9 Voice recognition / Natural Language

Processing (NLP) technology
10 Digital thread
Q. Which of the following technologies has your company invested in? Respondents
selected: Plan to invest in the next 12 months from four options. Base: 1567
Automation crucial for success
43% Increased automation
The top ways manufacturers are

Adopting smart
addressing the industry’s labor Use of automation, smart manufacturing 42% manufacturing technology
technology and AI / ML will increase over
shortage and skills gap are increasing
the next 5 years to drive positive business
automation and introducing AI / ML. outcomes, along with investment in 41% Increased use of AI / ML
employee training and programs to Better use of real-time

37%
accelerate successful technology data to make decisions
adoption and optimization. 36% Increased training and
employee programs
Increasing automation 42%
Q. How do you plan to drive positive business outcomes
"
over the next five years? Select all that apply. Base: 1567
Introducing AI / ML technologies 37%
Leveraging remote work to access a wider talent pool 34%

At Microsoft, we see a future where intelligent factories powered by people using AI and Generative
Introducing flexible scheduling
(working hours as-able, short shifts, etc.) 34% AI become the norm, not the exception. Emerging technologies delivered through partnered
ecosystems are helping to pave the way for sustainable, autonomous operations that redefine
Adding / using technology to create more
engaging jobs 33% productivity. Imagine production lines optimized by data insights, robots collaborating seamlessly,
and materials sourced responsibly. This isn't just a vision, it's a reality we're building together.
Q. How are you addressing the manufacturing industry’s
labor shortage and skills gap? Select all that apply. Base: 1567 Let's unlock the future of manufacturing, one innovation at a time."
Gary Nafus | Vice President, US Manufacturing
Sustainability and ESG at heart of risk mitigation
Manufacturers have signaled

their intent to make sustainability
and ESG a core priority. The top way
respondents are mitigating against
internal risk, alongside upskilling existing
talent, is adopting technology for tracking
and quantifying sustainable practices,
an increase from third place last year. TOP 3 APPROACHES TO
M I T I G AT E I N T E R N A L R I S K
1 Adopting
"
technology for tracking / quantifying
sustainable practices
No matter where you are in your journey, IT is a critical enabler for that (sustainability) transformation and
2 Upskilling existing talent
for value generation through corporate sustainability practices, and it is important to understand how to
best leverage technology to move up to the next stage." 3 Adopting smart manufacturing technology
Bjoern Stengel, Global Sustainability Research Lead, Sustainable Strategies and Technologies at IDC Q. How is your organization mitigating the internal risk mentioned in the previous question?
IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Sustainability/ESG 2024 Predictions Select all that apply. Base: 1567
Technology investment drives long-term business resilience
Despite current challenges and setbacks, manufacturers

are looking at their businesses through a long-term
lens. By investing in technology, they expect
to elevate their competitive advantage
and build business resilience into
the future.
62%
long-term impact
At the same time, a third of respondents
selected Emergency / Immediate need due
on the business to broken, non-operational technology,
which highlights the global obsolescence
organizations are facing in 2024.
57%
top-level business 31% emergency / immediate need
objectives / outcomes due to broken, non-operational tech
MAIN DRIVER OF
TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS
Q. What was the main driver of your technology investments? Select all that apply. Base: 1567
AI will improve quality and lower risk
TOP 10 TECHNOLOGIES TO
ADDRESS WORKFORCE CHALLENGES
Over the next three years, the areas most Manufacturers
impacted by AI will be two of manufacturing’s cite AI as the
technology that will
1 GenAI or causal AI
evergreen concerns: maintaining quality

and reducing risk, specifically cybersecurity. have the biggest
impact on
2 Advanced analytics (using AI / ML)
workforce
challenges.
3 AI / ML
B I G G E ST A I I M PACT 4 Robotics
BY 2027
5 Cloud/SaaS
"
39% Quality
6 Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
37% Cybersecurity
7 Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)
and Automated Guide Vehicles (AGVs)
36% Robotics – According to Gartner®,
35%
Process
optimization
"By 2026, more than 80% of enterprises 8 5G
will have used generative AI APIs, models
31% Supply chain
management and/or deployed generative AI-enabled
9 Supply Chain Planning (SCP)
applications in production environments, 10 Manufacturing Execution System (MES)

Q. What areas will AI most impact the manufacturing
industry by 2027? Select all that apply. Base: 1567 an increase from fewer than 5% today.”
Top Strategic Technology Trends 2024, Democratized Generative Q. Which of the technologies that your company has invested in will have the
AI, Gartner, 2023 biggest impact on workforce challenges over the next 12 months? Select top 3.
2024 Gartner Top Strategic Technology Trends: Detailed Guide (eBook) Base: 1562
GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or
its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission.
All rights reserved.
Leaders will balance people, process and technology
When asked about leadership obstacles, manufacturers identified

two interlinked areas: assessing business and technology / talent
fit and effectively managing people and resources. Respondents
recognize that it’s not an either / or scenario. Both adopting the
right technology to complement their team and managing their LEADERSHIP
O B S TA C L E S
team to capitalize on resources will be equally crucial.
"
31%
31%
matching technology
The workforce of 2019 is not coming back. Developing a and talent to
sustainable workforce strategy is critical to successfully business need
navigate daunting manufacturing challenges. Leaders are effectively managing
winning the war for talent by embracing this new reality people and resources
and with a laser focus on three imperatives:
1. Total Employee Experience
2. Servant Leadership
Q. Which of the following are the biggest leadership obstacle(s) your organization
3. Connected Frontline Workforce (CFW) Applications faces in the next 12 months? Select all that apply. Base: 1567
Allison Kuhn, Principal Analyst at LNS Research

Attract and Retain a Quality Workforce with Future of Industrial Work Initiatives
TAKING
ACTION
Smart manufacturing technology enables
manufacturers to stay competitive, increase
agility and unlock long-term opportunities
by connecting and automating the business.
Use the information in this report to plan

or continue your digital transformation journey.

23
Manufacturers start their digital transformation
journey in one of two places:
:: TAKING ACTION ::
1
I'm ready to begin
an assessment and
develop a strategy
2 I have a strategy and
I'm ready to start piloting
program implementation

Realize the promise of digital transformation SCALE
minimum viable products
Strengthen the solution through updating functionality,
finalizing the architecture, setting system specifications
OPTIMIZE and defining plant specific customization rules. Scale
core capabilities to new assets, lines and plants while
Maintain and continuously improve expanding to add additional use cases.
the solution, architecture and
I'm ready people infrastructure for sustained I have a
strategy
:: TAKING ACTION ::
and widespread value realization.

for assessment
starts here starts here
IDENTIFY S TA N D U P
your greatest needs Manage the change, minimum viable products
Gather the people connected to the change.
Diverse perspectives clarify the key opportunity
measure value, Focus on priority MVPs per your roadmap
that deliver a full stack of capabilities in
areas, whether disconnected systems, people, communicate results, a specific area to realize value early.
Aim to implement additional MVPs every
processes, supply chains, unexpected downtime,
poor quality, lack of visibility, control iterate and improve 90-100 days to quickly build
and / or something else. a foundation to scale.
PRIORITIZE, DEFINE
justify and roadmap your OT/IT architecture
Prioritize use cases that address your opportunity areas, Use case enablement requires an enterprise-level
balancing value creation and time-to-value. Develop your OT/IT architecture. Define your future state vision,
business case tied to business imperatives and build a strategy identify the gaps and select potential solutions
and roadmap to orchestrate and focus efforts. to fill the gaps.
8 steps to drive value, achieve success
Prove value Investments with a Plan for Foster enterprise

vs. technology short-term payback scalability collaboration
:: TAKING ACTION ::
Technology works. Find and Transformations stall when ROI To deliver desired outcomes Siloed solutions are a dead end.
prioritize specific digital use is slow. Build rapid, steady flow at scale, plan for the optimal set Enterprise (OT / IT) digital
cases that solve manufacturing of value to drive adoption of technologies with integration connectivity and collaboration
and operational issues. and self-funding. to the existing backbone. Focus unlock exponential value.
on common work processes
across the enterprise.
Learn, iterate Communicate Define and Equip and

and improve progress and success apply governance champion people
Long-term planning helps, but Momentum matters. Spread Protect sustained value. To get ROI from digital, empower
inflexibility can mean missed the word beyond the Embrace new ways of people beyond introduction of new
opportunities. Keep an eye on impacted group to build working, including adherence technology. Skills and mindsets
your digital vision while learning and maintain excitement to process and data standards. that support new ways of working
and adjusting your strategy and for what’s possible. are key to success and
execution to build on proven driving self-service.
value as it emerges.

DEMOGRAPHICS /
FIRMOGRAPHICS

23
REGION
41%
JOB ROLE
43%
EMEA
20% 17%
:: DEMOGRAPHICS / FIRMOGRAPHICS ::
9% 12%
COMPANY LOCATION
31%
AMERICAS 28% Manager Director Dept.
Head
VP / SVP C-Suite
ASIA
PACIFIC
US 13%
Mexico 6% ANNUAL REVENUE
Canada 5%
Brazil 6% 17% $100M - $499M
UK 13% 19% $500M - $999M

France
Germany
6%
6%
27%
Hi-Tech, Electronics,
Our 1% 31% $1B - $14.9B
survey
Water / Wastewater
Semiconductor
Italy 5% 21% $15B - $30B
Spain
UAE
5%
4%
12%
Auto & Tire, Auto Tier
respondents 1%
Pulp and Paper
12% $30B +
Saudi Arabia 2% Suppliers, EV, Battery
China 6% 12% 1% RESPONDENT ROLES

Japan Mining
6% Metals, Metal Fabricators,
Australia 5%
Precision Metalforming 54% Primary
decision-maker
India 5% 10% 2%
South Korea 5% CPG - Food and Beverage,
Home and Personal Care
Aerospace
34%
New Zealand 1% Share
10% decision-making
3% responsibility
INDUSTRY Energy Transition,
Renewable Energy Chemical 12%
7% Give input
Life Sciences -
7% 5%
Warehouse Oil and Gas in decision-making process
Pharmaceuticals,
Medical Devices and Fulfillment
Appendix

23
Glossary of AI-Related Terms
Artificial Intelligence is fundamentally changing the Manufacturing Ecosystem
There are many AI-related terms used throughout this report that we define below for clarity.
Artificial intelligence (AI) Deep learning Generative AI (GenAI) Advanced machine learning (ML)
applies advanced analysis and is a variant of machine learning refers to AI techniques that learn a algorithms are composed of many
logic-based techniques, including algorithms. It uses multiple layers representation of artifacts from data, technologies (such as deep
machine learning, to interpret events, to solve problems by extracting and use it to generate brand-new, learning, neural networks and
support and automate decisions and knowledge from raw data, and unique artifacts that resemble but natural language processing),
take actions. transforming it at every level. don’t repeat the original data. These used in unsupervised and supervised
These layers incrementally obtain artifacts can serve benign or nefarious learning, that operate guided by
Causal artificial intelligence
higher-level features from the raw purposes. GenAI can produce totally lessons from existing information.
(Causal AI) data, allowing the solution of more novel content (including text, images,
identifies and utilizes cause-and- complex problems with higher video, audio, structures), computer
effect relationships to go beyond accuracy and less manual tuning. code, synthetic data, workflows,
correlation-based predictive models and models of physical objects.
and toward AI systems that can Industrial AI*
GenAI also can be used in art, drug
prescribe actions more effectively is the application of artificial
discovery, or material design.
and act more autonomously. It includes intelligence in an industrial setting,
different techniques, such as causal focused around harnessing real-time
graphs and simulation, that help data to feed learning processes that
uncover causal relationships to can predict, automate and interpret
improve decision-making. action from large and complex
data sets. Gartner® Glossary
* Term not defined in Gartner Glossary
GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
Connect with us.
Allen-Bradley and expanding human possibility are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc.
Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.
Publication INFO-BR027C-EN-P - March 2024 | Supersedes Publication INFO-BR027B-EN-P- March 2023

Copyright © 2024 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA.
9 T H A N N U A L S TAT E O F S M A R T M A N U FA C T U R I N G R E P O R T

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9 T H

The Current State of 07 Manufacturers' 15 The Future State of 23

99TTHH AANNNNUUAALL SSTAT

behind only Cloud / SaaS #1 skill employers are seeking in 2024

technology investment is the top workforce-related obstacle in 2024 #2 most impacted by AI

17 Latin 34% 12% Suppliers, EV, Battery

Distributed Control Systems (DCS) Supply Chain Planning (SCP) combines

Computerized Maintenance Quality Management Systems (QMS)

Analytics use data to solve manufacturing

Robotics accelerate autonomous / semi-autonomous

The drive to find incremental

99TTHH AANNNNUUAALL SSTAT

Industry obstacles and outlook E X T E R N A L O B S TA C L E S

4 Shortage of skilled workers Shortage of skilled workers

in the top 5 for both external (4th) and internal (1st)

Technology investment up 30%

Prompted by inflationary pressures 30%

AI use cases deliver outcomes, drive ROI

BIGGEST ROI AI / ML deliver bigger business outcomes

Scalability to meet business needs

Q. What smart manufacturing features / capabilities do you think drive the

Skills gap reduces competitiveness

94% Respondents plan to use new and emerging

the skills gap and maintain quality against

a backdrop of employee turnover. Through

Better data management needed to fuel AI and empower teams

to fuel AI / ML and optimize processes. Improve / monitor

data effectively. AI / ML and

Leaders in the industry are accessing

Sustainability and ESG policies increasingly driven by energy concerns

98% of organizations have some form of

Product quality / safety

Health and safety 33%

of policy increased to 98%, and those with Carbon offsetting /

39% some locations have a formal

11% have informal policies

Factory floor processes see most smart manufacturing adoption

99TTHH AANNNNUUAALL SSTAT

Skills shortages are holding

This year communication / teamwork,

2. Lack of skill set to implement

3. Lack of skill set to optimize

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) skills

Q. What are the barriers to adopting smart

Improved quality is the number one outcome respondents hope

As the technology landscape becomes more complex, and

Cybersecurity broke into the Cybersecurity ranked

32% 31% 31%

Reducing energy usage, repurposing / recycling and maximizing

resources are must-haves as technology is being used to

Manufacturers are turning to smart manufacturing technology to 3 To address potential environmental

Smart Manufacturing 7 To build our presence in the community

technology drives efficiency:

It’s good for the bottom line

Colin Masson | Director of Research, ARC Advisory Group

This figure rises above 90% in Brazil, China,

the last few years, the warehouse

Balancing people, technology and

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