Organization outlines 10 manufacturing predictions for 2018

IDC's top 10 manufacturing predictions for 2018 focus on topics such as ecosystems, embedded intelligence, the IT/OT convergence, supply chain advances, and intelligent assets.

By IDC November 9, 2017

Image courtesy: Bob Vavra, CFE MediaIDC lists their top 10 manufacturing predictions for 2018 in their report: "IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Manufacturing 2018 Predictions," which focuses on the underlying drivers expected to impact manufacturers’ information technology (IT) investments in 2018 and beyond. Key themes woven into this report include the focus on ecosystems and experiences, greater intelligence in operational assets and processes, data capitalization and the convergence of IT and operations technology (OT). 

Kimberly Knickle, research vice president, IT Priorities and Strategies, IDC Manufacturing Insights, said, "Manufacturers of every size and shape are changing rapidly because of new digital technologies, new competitors, new ecosystems, and new ways of doing business. Manufacturers that can speed their adoption of digital capabilities in order to create business value will be the leaders of their industry. Our predictions create a framework for IT and line-of-business executives to plan and execute technology-related initiatives in the year ahead." 

IDC’s top 10 predictions for 2018

1. Ecosystems and experiences – By 2020, 60% of G2000 manufacturers will rely on digital platforms that enhance their investments in ecosystems and experiences and support as much as 30% of their overall revenue.

2. Embedded intelligence – By 2021, 20% of G2000 manufacturers will depend on a secure backbone of embedded intelligence, using the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and cognitive, to automate large-scale processes and speed execution times by up to 25%.

3. Data capitalization – By 2020, 75% of all manufacturers will participate in industry clouds, although only one-third of those manufacturers will be monetizing their data contributions.

4. IT/OT organizations – By 2019, the need to integrate OT and information technology as a result of IoT will have led to more than 30% of all IT and OT technical staff having direct project experience in both fields. 

5. Customer-driven design – By 2019, 50% of manufacturers will be collaborating directly with customers and consumers regarding new and improved product designs through cloud-based crowdsourcing, virtual reality, and product virtualization, realizing up to a 25% improvement in product success rates.

6. The service gig economy – In 2020, augmented reality and mobile devices will drive the transition to the gig economy in the service industry, with "experts for hire" replacing 20% of dedicated customer and field service workers, starting with consumer durables and electronics.

7. The thinking supply chain – By the end of 2020, one-third of all manufacturing supply chains will be using analytics-driven cognitive capabilities, thus increasing cost efficiency by 10% and service performance by 5%.

8. Supply chain commerce networks – By 2020, 80% of supply chain interactions will happen across cloud-based commerce networks, dramatically improving participants’ resiliency and reducing the impact of supply disruptions by up to one-third.

9. Market-driven assets – By 2020, 25% of manufacturers in select subsectors will have balanced production with demand cadence and achieved greater customization through intelligent and flexible assets.

10. Intelligent assets – By 2019, 15% of manufacturers that manage data-intensive production and supply chain processes will be leveraging cloud-based execution models that depend on edge analytics to enable real-time visibility and augment operational flexibility.

IDC

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