64% of manufacturers believe improvement is needed in their shop floor IT capabilities

Following research by InfinityQS, it has been revealed that 64% of manufacturers has admitted concerns about their shop-floor IT capabilities.

The research, which was conducted through a survey by over 100 manufacturers, found that the firms branded their IT capabilities as being non-existent, weak or average-at-best.

The new findings illustrate that not all manufacturing companies have embraced digital transformation yet despite the fourth industrial revolution.

It has also been found that the shop floor, which is the area in a facility where production is undertaken, still relies on using outdated manual processes which includes using a pen and paper to record critical data.

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Jason Chester, Director of Channel Programs for InfinityQS, said: “The findings are not surprising, we see on a daily basis that the IT capabilities in most manufacturing shop-floor environments are woefully inadequate. What is surprising is that so many manufacturers agree with this sentiment themselves, which begs the question of why is this not being addressed?” 

“Knowing the problem exists but not doing anything about it is not going to make it go away. Manufacturers must act. They need to understand what the barriers are and make strides at correcting it. Whether that is creating a compelling business case, gaining executive sponsorship, putting the right skills and talent in place, developing a long-term strategy and roadmap, or procuring the right solutions.”  

The report continues that only 6% of manufacturing companies interviewed were content with the current state of their IT capabilities.