Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), a leading digital solution provider enabling businesses to intelligently
connect data, assets, and people, today announced the findings of its 2024 Manufacturing Vision Study. The study showed
that globally, 61% of manufacturers expect AI to drive growth by 2029, up from 41% in 2024. In APAC, 68% of
manufacturers expect AI to drive growth by 2029, increasing from 46% in 2024. This surge in AI adoption, combined with
92% global and 87% of APAC survey respondents prioritising digital transformation, underscores manufacturers’ intent to
improve data management and leverage new technologies that enhance visibility and quality throughout the manufacturing
process.
While digital transformation is a priority for manufacturers, around 30% to 40% of global and APAC respondents recognise
achieving it is fraught with obstacles, including the cost and availability of labour, scaling technology solutions, and
the convergence of information technology and operational technology (IT/OT).
Visibility is the first step to transformation – through adopting AI and other new technologies. This enables
manufacturers to leverage data more effectively to identify, react and prioritise problems and projects to deliver
incremental efficiencies across the manufacturing process, ensuring the greatest impact upfront.
“Manufacturers recognise the need to adopt AI and other digital technology solutions to leverage their data effectively
and create an agile, efficient manufacturing environment,” said Colin Hughes, Regional Sales Manager for ANZ, Zebra
Technologies. “While only 30% of manufacturing leaders use machine vision across the plant floor in APAC, 67% are
implementing or planning to deploy this technology within the next five years. Zebra’s solutions help manufacturers work
with technology in new ways to automate and augment workflows, achieving a well-connected plant floor where people and
technology collaborate at scale.”
Zebra empowers manufacturers with strategic insights and technologies to advance the connected factory by boosting
visibility, optimising quality, and augmenting their workforces.Focusing on Closing Visibility Gaps
Although manufacturers say digital transformation is a strategic priority, achieving a fully connected factory remains
elusive. Visibility is key to optimising efficiency, productivity, and quality on the plant floor, yet a large
visibility gap exists. Only 16% of manufacturing leaders globally report they have real-time, work-in-progress (WIP)
monitoring across the entire manufacturing process, while this is true for most APAC manufacturing leaders, at 25%.
While nearly six in 10 (57% globally, 63% in APAC) manufacturing leaders expect to increase visibility across production
and throughout the supply chain by 2029, around one-third of leaders (33% globally, 38% in APAC) say getting IT and OT
to agree on where to invest is a key barrier to digital transformation. Adding to these obstacles, 86% of global
manufacturing leaders agree they are struggling to keep up with the pace of technological innovation and to securely
integrate devices, sensors, and technologies throughout their facilities and supply chain, with 82% of APAC
manufacturing leaders in agreement. Enterprises can use Zebra solutions to put their data to work, allowing for higher
levels of security and manageability, as new analytics elevate the performance of their business.Augmenting the Workforce, Elevating Value and Efficiency
Zebra’s study found manufacturers are shifting their growth strategies by integrating and augmenting workers with AI and
other technologies to transform manufacturing and build a skilled workforce over the next five years. Nearly
three-quarters (73%) of global manufacturing leaders plan to reskill labour to enhance data and technology usage skills,
as seven in 10 expect to augment workers with mobility-enabling technology. These sentiments were shared by 76% and 75%
of APAC manufacturing leaders respectively.
The technology tools being implemented by manufacturing leaders include tablets (51% globally, 52% in APAC), mobile
computers (55% globally, 53% in APAC), and workforce management software (56% globally, 62% in APAC). In addition, six
in 10 of manufacturing leaders (61% globally, 65% in APAC) plan to leverage wearable mobile computers to augment their
evolving workforce.
Manufacturing leaders across the C-Suite, Information Technology (IT), and Operational Technology (OT) understand how
labour initiatives must extend beyond improving worker efficiency and productivity with technology. Six in 10 of global
and APAC leaders rank ongoing development, retraining/upskilling, and career path development to attract future talent
as a high priority for their organisations.Advancing Automation to Optimise Quality
Overall, the quest for quality has intensified as manufacturers across segments must do more with fewer resources.
According to the survey, manufacturing leaders say today’s most significant quality management issues are real-time
visibility (33% globally, 40% in APAC), keeping up with new standards and regulations (29% globally, 30% in APAC),
integrating data (27% globally, 31% in APAC), and maintaining traceability (27% globally and in APAC).
Manufacturing leaders’ technology implementation plans will address these challenges. Over the next five years, many
plan to implement robotics (65% globally, 72% in APAC), machine vision (66% globally and in APAC), radio frequency
identification (RFID) (66% globally, 72% in APAC), and fixed industrial scanners (57% globally, 62% in APAC). Most
manufacturing leaders agree these automation solutions are driven by a variety of factors including the need to provide
the workforce with high-value tasks (70% globally, 75% in APAC), achieve service level agreements (69% globally, 70% in
APAC), and add more flexibility to the plant floor (64% globally, 66% in APAC).KEY REGIONAL FINDINGSASIA PACIFIC (APAC)
· While only 30% of manufacturing leaders use machine vision across the plant floor in APAC, 67% are implementing or
planning to deploy this technology within the next five years.EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA (EMEA)
· In Europe, reskilling labour to enhance data and technology usage skills is the top ranked workforce strategy for
manufacturing leaders to drive growth today (46%) and in five years (71%).LATIN AMERICA (LATAM)
· While only 24% of manufacturing leaders rely on track and trace technology in LATAM, 74% are implementing or plan to
implement the technology in the next five years.NORTH AMERICA
· In North America, 68% of manufacturing leaders rank deploying workforce development programs as their most important
labour initiative.
SURVEY BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY
Zebra commissioned Azure Knowledge Corporation to conduct 1,200 online surveys among C-Suite executives and IT and OT
leaders within various types of manufacturing sectors, including automotive, electronics, food and beverage, and pharma
and medical devices. Respondents were surveyed in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America.