FEATURE News
Technology predictions for 2025
Here, Toby Mankertz, Principal Business Transformation Advisor & Global Manufacturing Industry Lead at Columbus UK, pinpoints the four areas where technological advancements will impact the manufacturing industry the most in 2025
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n 2024, 44% of manufacturers planned to invest in digital technologies. Fast forward a year and the manufacturing industry’s appetite for digital technologies has only increased, with now over half expecting an improvement in technological developments to help boost the manufacturing industry. But the question that remains unanswered
here is just where will these developments
Prediction 1: AI is no longer an option,
it’s the new industry standard In 2025, investment in AI technologies such as Machine Learning (ML), predictive analysis, and robotics is expected to soar. Only 7% of manufacturers successfully introduced this technology in their daily operations, indicating that full-scale adoption is still in development. AI tools are quickly becoming indispensable for the industry and for manufacturers to stay competitive, integrating AI is a must as it can product quality. The hype for AI and ML is real in manufacturing, but we must go beyond the hype and deliver measurable outcomes. across manufacturing processes in 2025: 1. Maintenance scheduling goes predictive: Sensor data is taken from the machinery and fed into AI algorithms to anticipate when equipment will fail before it occurs.
2. Improved product quality: ML models can conduct product inspections to identify inaccuracies or defects in real-time and more accurately than humans, improving production and ensuring high-quality standards are maintained.
3. Robotics and automation ease the industry skills shortage: Monotonous tasks
8 May 2025 | Automation
Technology predictions for 2025
can be performed by AI-powered robots and collaborative robots with greater accuracy more complex tasks.
4. Enhanced supply chain management: AI can optimise supply chains by forecasting demand, managing inventory, and streamlining logistics.
5. Data-insights increase production
rates: enhance throughput and consistency. Prediction 2: It’s time to build a resilient Over recent years, issues securing raw materials, soaring transportation costs, natural disasters have put a strain on global manufacturing supply chains. With supply chain disruptions lasting a month or longer now happening every 3.7 years according to McKinsey research, a key focus for manufacturers in 2025 is to increase supply chain resilience. To tackle these challenges head-on, manufacturers can look to adopt advanced digital supply chain management solutions, including real-time tracking, automated inventory management, and strategic sourcing practices. With over 40% of UK manufacturers looking to enhance their going digital with Internet of Things (IoT) technology will be crucial. IoT can improve relationships with suppliers by identifying when a restock is needed and informing suppliers in order to avoid any potential delays. AI tools can also improve
supply chain management as sensors and temperature controls can inform manufacturers of issues to resolve before they become costly. staple tactics for manufacturers to reduce costs. However, recent challenges with transportation costs and global disruptions have exposed weaknesses in this approach. As a result, manufacturers should look to bring their operations back home and reduce dependency on global supply chains. This will enhance quality control, reduce lead times, and increase agility.
Prediction 3: Manufacturers are going green as ESG targets get set for 2025 The manufacturing industry’s perspective is quickly changing on sustainability. It is now a critical factor for all manufacturers to consider, particularly as over half are expecting their biggest challenge of 2025 to be energy costs. Regulations surrounding sustainability
are also increasing with the introduction of the Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting (SECR) and the UK Sustainability Disclosure Standard (UK SDS) in the UK. Pressure is also mounting from employees, stakeholders, customers, and suppliers, which is evident by the number of manufacturers setting ESG targets increasing by 48%. Technology is taking sustainability to the next level in 2025. The introduction of data- driven autonomous tools onto production lines can allow manufacturers to reduce waste by only using the exact amount of material needed, and reduce costs by
automationmagazine.co.uk
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