I work at the intersection of technology and manufacturing, and every day, I see the evidence and outcomes of a curious truth: Manufacturing tends to lag behind other industries when it comes to software and technology adoption.
As I see it, manufacturing’s lagging adoption of technology solutions stems from the industry’s complex history, but there are several actions leaders can take to overcome precedent and move forward.Russian Infantry Flung Explosive Drones At A Ukrainian Trench, Turning A Skirmish Into A Bloody Rout Today’s manufacturing consists of incredibly complex operations. Business leaders aren’t unaware of their facilities’ shortcomings and the available technology that could optimize production, but they may believe the downtime required to install new tech and—if one only operates off past experiences—reconfigure an entire facility would be prohibitively expensive. In many manufacturers’ views, the least-worst option that lets them meet demand is constant production.