Top trends and priorities focus on unifying data, talent and technology

We met with 177 manufacturing executives to understand their top priorities and how they are preparing for and adapting to key trends shaping their organisations. This year, executives are prioritising:

  • Advancing AI and data strategies to build more sustainable, efficient and resilient value chains
  • Addressing talent shortages by building stronger employer brands, upskilling and fostering better IT-business alignment
  • Rethinking operations to focus on supply chain sovereignty through nearshoring and reshoring
  • Pushing forward with modernisation efforts to increase efficiency and streamline operations
  • Turning ESG performance into a competitive advantage while complying with regulations
Female and male engineers in a lab

Rising economic pressures accelerate AI adoption, identified as the top investment area

+27pp
year-over-year increase in executives citing a high impact of the shift in the world economic order
67%
indicate difficulty hiring IT talent
81%
say digitisation has a high impact on business models

Regulatory and economic pressure drive a shift in top macro trends

  • 66%
    cite shift in world economic order
  • 66%
    cite climate change
  • 58%
    cite changing political, fiscal and regulatory environments
  • 52%
    cite technology and digital acceleration
  • 40%
    cite changing social demographics
Automation engineer uses tablet for programming robotic arm in factory.

Digital leaders excel in AI, agility and ecosystem-wide strategies

42% of organisations generating expected results from their digitisation strategies—the digital leaders—share common traits that help them deliver superior performance. In manufacturing, digital leaders:

padlock icon

Have an AI strategy for either the entire enterprise or for parts of it

+27pp

vs. others*

computer screen icon

Have highly agile business models to adapt to digitisation

+26pp

vs. others*

Two people shaking hands

Have a holistic data strategy extending to the ecosystem

+28pp

vs. others*

* "Digital leaders” are those producing expected results, and “others” are those building or launching their digital strategies.
pp = percentage points

At CGI, we help manufacturing leaders accelerate ROI-led transformation by modernising core platforms, scaling AI, navigating regulations, and embedding sustainability to unlock smart, secure and resilient operations. Learn more about:

 

Artificial Intelligence  Cyber security

 

 

Read more