Plex: 2022 Smart Manufacturing Report

Plex released the "2022 Smart Manufacturing Report", revealing the ongoing challenges manufacturers face in the supply chain crisis and the struggle to regain control of key commodities, supplier life, technological innovation and logistics complexity. The study surveyed 321 global manufacturers to understand their agility, technology adoption and need for process improvement in response to market adversity.

The speed of popularization of intelligent manufacturing has increased by 50%

Technology and automation are driving the next generation of manufacturing, and the adoption of smart manufacturing will continue to accelerate in 2022. Software modularity allows for the adoption of incremental technology, which is increasingly attractive as manufacturers look to become more agile in the face of adversity.

• The adoption rate of smart manufacturing increased by 50% year-on-year.
• Supply chain planning ranks second in terms of key organizational components.
• Barriers to entry are lower, leading to higher adoption levels and more attractive ROI.

The pandemic exposed the lack of a complete supply chain planning solution

The pandemic exposed and exacerbated the stopgap measures previously used by manufacturers. The fragile nature of systems, processes, and supply chain solutions that had historically been measured as “good enough” became apparent.

• Modern supply chain management solutions need to take into account today's complexities.
• With more than 800,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs, a new approach is needed to address the skilled worker shortage and its impact on the supply chain.
• Risk reduction requires resilience built on alternative suppliers, continuous monitoring, and vigilant cybersecurity.

Once overhyped technology is solving today’s problems

Technologies once viewed as overhyped and unlikely to make meaningful contributions are now critical to success. Cloud computing, industrial rugged equipment, and process automation are helping companies overcome challenges such as skilled labor shortages, supply chain management, and risk reduction. Additionally, machine learning/artificial intelligence is gaining mainstream adoption to support complex supply chain planning.

• 80% of enterprise software usage is aimed at connecting people, systems, machines and supply chains.
• 74% of respondents are actively using or planning to use machine learning/AI, particularly in managing the complexities of supply chain planning.