ABI Research’s "Manufacturers’ Technology Adoption & Attitudes Survey": Hardware Priorities, Use Cases, and Practical Concerns

ABI Research’s “Manufacturers’ Technology Adoption & Attitudes Survey” has just been completed. More than 450 individuals (senior managers, plant managers, Information Technology (IT) professionals, and engineers) employed by discrete and process manufacturers located in the United States, Germany, and Malaysia proffered their opinions on a wide range of topics pertaining to their operations and technology investment plans.

What follows are the key findings and takeaways related to hardware devices that should be of interest to device Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), their component suppliers, and those involved in network connectivity.

Respondents answered that they envision that technological change will continue and evidence of this will be increased levels of automation and data utilization. While those working in greenfield facilities are more likely to be implementing and scaling newer technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) or digital twins, those working in brownfield facilities will be implementing strategies that align their Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) teams having made progress on digitizing processes.

These initiatives are reliant on hardware and the majority of respondents have completed the initial rollout of industrial devices (sensors, gateways, and actuators placed on machinery) and were now implementing Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enhanced devices, mobile devices, and ruggedized devices.

The survey focused on how respondents were looking to improve productivity. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) was the most cited way for plant managers to improve productivity, but in conjunction with the move toward alignment between teams, the ability to control operations was ranked 6th out of 24 categories, indicating a desire for devices that transmit data that can be utilized within and away from the facility. Furthermore, in response to another question, respondents were looking to analyze data in real time, and for workloads to be transmitted to the cloud for remote monitoring and enabling collaboration.

Unfortunately, there are risks when it comes to remote monitoring and collaboration. Respondents agreed that increased use of digital technologies opened them up to cyberthreats and, in particular, the risk of losing data. The cloud, AI, and robotics were cited as particular risks, and access control, authentication, and threat detection were investment areas.

In addition to improving their posture around cybersecurity, respondents also raised concerns about their ability to deploy technologies at their facilities. They have ambitions to digitally transform their operations, but often lack the confidence and ability to achieve them.

Vendors need to be conscious of providing customers with sufficient support to onboard and implement the devices. This could be delivered via remote support, training videos, and working with partners and system integrators that the client uses. Furthermore, vendors should consider incorporating Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) into their products as part of scaling technology deployments. Both the survey and ABI Research’s Generative AI Use Cases from Hannover Messe 2024 report (PT-2911) uncovered an appetite from industrial and manufacturing firms for Gen AI tools to aid with worker instructions.

Both plant managers and IT professionals expressed an interest in AI-enhanced devices, and a desire for solutions that are underpinned by AI. It would be a mistake to infuse AI into any new products and solutions for the sake of it; any positive sentiment toward AI will plummet if customers suspect the inclusion of AI is superficial. Vendors need to focus on use cases, and how their devices enable customers to be more productive and/or solve customer pain points.