Scaling AI in Manufacturing Operations: A Practitioners’ Perspective

AI in manufacturing is a game-changer. It has the potentialto transform performance across the breadth and depth of manufacturing operations. 

AI in manufacturing is a game-changer. It has the potential to transform performance across the breadth and depth of manufacturing operations. However, the massive potential of this new Industrial 4.0 era will only be realized if manufacturers really focus their efforts on where AI can add most value and then drive the solutions to scale. 

To understand whether organizations are focusing on the most promising use cases, and then achieving scale with the solution, we have undertaken significant research and analysis. We analyzed 300 leading global manufacturers from four key segments – automotive, industrial manufacturing, consumer products, and aerospace & defense - to understand the focus of their AI initiatives. We also spoke with 30 senior industry executives, all of whom are involved in their organization’s AI initiatives. Finally, we analyzed 22 AI use cases in manufacturing operations. These use cases were spread across seven broad functional areas, from inventory management through to production and quality control.