25TH ANNIVERSARY Things to come...


The future of manufacturing and how to succeed then


By Brian Fitzgerald, Chief Revenue Officer at Augury T


here’s a saying that people overestimate what they can accomplish in a month but underestimate what they


can achieve in a year. In technology, we overestimate how much new technologies and trends will impact us in the short term whilst underestimating their long-term transformational impact. But, we still need to anticipate


and prepare for the technologies of the future, so let’s consider some predictions about the trends impacting manufacturing and how to be ready for them.


A five-year view


AI will continue to be a thing. Conditions are finally right for AI to really change how we work and make products; there’s enough computing power at the edge of our networks to have real-time impact on the manufacturing floor; enough high- quality data to train AI models in ways that we can trust; and a workforce able and willing to embrace AI copilots as partners in how we work and make decisions.


Supply chains will reform in healthy ways after being twisted out of shape by the global pandemic and subsequent government responses to product shortages and geopolitical tensions. This reformation will also be driven by new consumer demands – we’ll see increased local production for products that consumers feel benefit from it (food, clothing, medicine, etc.) but a return to global sourcing for the commodities where locality matters less. And we’ll see more government pressure and intervention through tariffs and stimulus.


The workforce will remain tight but we’ll see a better flow of workers as improved manufacturing wages compared to the high cost of college and thus reduced ROI flattens out


66 May 2024 | Automation


the earning differences for many. Introduction of technology, focus on sustainability and a touch of “made at home” patriotism will also make manufacturing a more attractive field. Key actions for manufacturers, then, are:  technology stack as an integrated architecture not a disparate collection of tools. Build that architecture with


connectivity, agility and scale in mind, and focus on how data and insight can move easily. Choose solutions that have APIs for data sharing and pick partners that have a track record of innovation and scale.


 opportunities coming from governmental intervention; funds for investment will be plentiful but the cost of


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