How AI is revolutionising the manufacturing industry

More than three quarters of managers from the manufacturing industry surveyed worldwide plan to increase their budgets for artificial intelligence (AI) over the next twelve months - with clear expectations of the economic benefits: Almost two thirds already report a return on investment (ROI) of more than 10 per cent, while one third even expect an ROI of more than 30 per cent in the short term.

Our white paper "Intelligent Manufacturing" sheds light on how companies can increase efficiency, growth and competitiveness through targeted AI integration - and what prerequisites they need to create to achieve this.

Intelligent Manufacturing

Wie KI Effizienz, Innovation und Wachstum in der Industrie vorantreibt

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Key findings of the study:

93 % of respondents

are convinced that companies that systematically utilise artificial intelligence will secure a clear competitive advantage over hesitant competitors.
72 % track

of companies use AI to increase efficiency; 77% use it specifically to promote growth.
74 % integrate

AI is already being systematically integrated into the development of products and services.
91 % of the companies

trust AI to make fully autonomous decisions in certain processes.
45 % report

from improved financial performance.

of which

62 %

are already achieving an ROI of over 10%.
40 % see

challenges among employees - such as a lack of skills or resistance to new technologies. 80% have therefore invested specifically in training and qualification measures.

AI investments are increasing in the manufacturing industry - but so far mostly on a moderate scale

The manufacturing industry is in the midst of a dynamic investment cycle in artificial intelligence. Around a third of companies are already spending more than 10 per cent of their total IT budget on AI technologies. And the trend is continuing: the majority are planning to increase their spending further over the next twelve months, often by more than ten per cent.

A majority of manufacturing companies are aiming to increase operational efficiency through the use of AI

Percentage of respondents whose companies want to achieve the following goals through the use of AI

The manufacturing industry primarily uses AI to speed up decision-making and reduce business risks.

Percentage of respondents whose organisation has achieved the following benefits through the use of AI

How you can benefit from your AI transformation journey

In addition to the results of the survey, "Intelligent Manufacturing" offers a practice-oriented AI roadmap for the manufacturing industry - developed on the basis of extensive analyses and the industry experience of our experts.

It supports manufacturing companies in tapping the potential of artificial intelligence in a targeted manner and systematically integrating it into industrial operations. The roadmap is divided into three phases that build on each other:

Enable

In this phase, companies lay the foundations: a clear AI strategy is defined, responsibilities are assigned, initial pilot projects are set up and promising use cases are identified. At the same time, employees are empowered to use AI technologies safely and productively. Ethical framework conditions are also taken into account from the outset.
Embed

The second phase is characterised by integration: AI is embedded in central business processes, products and services. The focus is on scaling and acceptance. Companies are driving forward retraining and transformation in a targeted manner - with a particular focus on trust, security and transparency.
Evolve

In the final step, companies develop new, AI-based business models and ecosystems. Future technologies are strategically combined to solve cross-company and cross-industry challenges. Accompanying measures for further qualification and consistent ethical governance form the framework for sustainable growth.

"The future of industrial manufacturing lies in the intelligent integration of AI technologies. Our study shows that companies that make extensive use of AI can not only increase their efficiency, reduce costs and secure their competitiveness, but also develop sustainable and innovative business models."