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 organizations. This year, executives are prioritizing:

  • 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 modernization efforts to increase efficiency and streamline operations
  • Turning ESG performance into a competitive advantage while complying with regulations

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 digitization 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
Engineer wearing a hardhat holding a tablet

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

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

eye with connectors icon

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

+27pp

vs. others*

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Have highly agile business models to adapt to digitization

+26pp

vs. others*

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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 modernizing core platforms, scaling AI, navigating regulations, and embedding sustainability to unlock smart, secure and resilient operations. Learn more about:

 

Unified Manufacturing    Data-driven Manufacturing   Artificial intelligence   Supply Chain Ecosystems     Cybersecurity