IDC reveals worldwide manufacturing predictions for 2015 and beyond

Framingham, Mass.-based International Data Corp. (IDC) recently hosted the IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Manufacturing 2015 Predictions web conference, providing organizations with insight and perspective on long-term industry trends and new developments that might be on the horizon.

"IDC Manufacturing Insights sees a number of important industry drivers that will shape the manufacturing industry for the next few years, including complex value chains, support for continuing emerging market growth, customer (and consumer) centricity, ubiquitous connectivity, and data-driven insights,” said Simon Ellis, practice director.

According to Ellis, these drivers inform the 10 decision imperatives for 2015 and beyond:

1. By 2017 manufacturers will actively channel 25 percent of their IT budgets through industry clouds that enable seamless and flexible collaboration models.
2. In 2015 product quality, including compliance, will underpin two-thirds of all IT application investments across the manufacturing organization.
3. By 2016, 30 percent of manufacturers will invest substantially in increasing the visibility and analysis of information exchange and business processes, within the company and with partners.
4. In 2015 customer centricity will require higher standards for customer service excellence, efficient innovation, and responsive manufacturing, which will motivate 75 percent of manufacturers to invest in customer-facing technologies.
5. By 2017, 50 percent of manufacturers will explore the viability of micrologistics networks to enable the promise of accelerated delivery for select products and customers.
6. By 2018, 75 percent of manufacturers will be coordinating enterprisewide planning activities under the umbrella of rapid integrated business planning.
7. By 2016, 70 percent of global discrete manufacturers will offer connected products, driving increased software content and the need for systems engineering and a product innovation platform.
8. By 2018, 40 percent of the top 100 discrete manufacturers and 20 percent of the top 100 process manufacturers will provide product-as-a-service platforms.
9. In 2015, 65 percent of companies with more than 10 plants will enable the factory floor to make better decisions through investments in operational intelligence.
10. Investments that enable digitally executed manufacturing will increase 50 percent by the end of 2017 as manufacturers seek to be more agile in the marketplace.

To learn more, visit www.idc.com/predictions2015. An audio replay of the web conference is available at http://bit.ly/IDCManufacturingFutureScape2015.