Accelerating digitization to reinvent for the future

Despite slow progress in producing results from their digitization strategies, manufacturers felt increasing customer pressure due to the pandemic’s impacts on their business models. Optimizing operations to save costs remains top of mind; however, a heightened focus on becoming digital to satisfy customer expectations and collaborate across traditional silos for growth will accelerate their digitization journey.

Key findings from our conversations with 171 manufacturing executives in 2021 follow or you can download the PDF.

Top trends and industry priorities

Top trends
  1. Becoming digital organizations
  2. Digitization for data integration
  3. Protecting through cybersecurity
Top business priorities
  1. Optimizing operations
  2. Improving the customer experience
  3. Collaborating across traditional silos
Top IT priorities
  1. Digitizing processes and integrating systems
  2. Driving IT modernization of applications
  3. Protecting through cybersecurity

Sustainability and consumer pressure are key topics

71%
view environmental sustainability as highly core to creating value for customers
54%
say consumer pressures impacted their approach to digitization to a high degree
15%
say they are producing results from their digital strategies

Digital leaders in manufacturing

Among the 15% of manufacturing executives who report achieving results from their digital strategies, some common attributes emerge. The table below compares responses to questions from these digital leaders to those from executives whose organizations are still building or launching digital strategies. Learn more about the attributes of digital leaders.

Common attributes
of digital leaders

Executives producing results from digital strategies

Executives building or launching digital strategies
Are better at introducing applicable innovation 38% 24%
Modernize more of their applications 35% 28%
Migrate more solutions to the cloud 27% 18%
Use managed services and partners more 84% 74%

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Manufacturing worker

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Insights for Manufacturing

Download the CGI Voice of Our Clients research report.

Download our 2021 manufacturing report

Resources to help achieve your top priorities

Going green in manufacturing

Going green in manufacturing: Recommendations to get started on your sustainability journey 

Industry 4.0 and cybersecurity: How to protect your business against cyber risks

Industry 4.0 and cybersecurity: How to protect your business against cyber risks 

Collaborating with Michelin to use data for safe, connected and sustainable mobility

Collaborating with Michelin to use data for safe, connected and sustainable mobility