Survey findings from Fluke Corporation reveal a significant acceleration in digital maturity across manufacturing, propelled by a YoY increase in predictive maintenance adoption.

Rising investment in Generative AI (36%) and Industrial AI (35%) underscores this transition, as organizations move beyond pilot programs toward production-scale impact.

“The progress is encouraging, but it’s not enough yet. Predictive maintenance is no longer a future ambition: it is the baseline. Manufacturer’s next challenge is scaling adoption and integrating it across the organization, ensuring these capabilities work in harmony across the organization, not in isolation,” says Vineet Thuvara, chief product officer, Fluke Corporation.

Key takeaways:

 

·        Within one-year, reactive maintenance remained flat at 36%. Proactive maintenance fell from 55% to 45% while predictive maintenance adoption doubled from 9% to 18%, signaling a shift from traditional preventive models to data-driven execution.

·        The findings indicate this transition is being reinforced by increased capital allocation. Over the next 12 months, manufacturers are prioritizing technologies that deliver measurable operational impact quickly. The data shows a clear shift toward pragmatic investment: nearly eight in 10 (72%) organizations now allocate 16–30% of their maintenance budgets to new technologies, with investment moving away from exploratory AI (44% in 2024) toward operational priorities including cybersecurity (37%), data management (36%), Generative AI (36%), and Industrial AI (35%).

·        However, the data shows a growing disconnect between technology adoption and workforce readiness, with skills-related challenges accounting for approximately 78% of all reported obstacles, including lack of expertise (23%), knowledge shortages (18%), skilled labor gaps (19%), and broader workforce skills shortages (17%).

·        Those expecting completion within six months fell from 33% to 22%, while 40% now anticipate a 1- to 4-year timeline.

·        Instead, the data suggests manufacturers are concentrating on what is achievable now. Nearly half of respondents (49%) plan to advance connected reliability initiatives within the next 12 months; signaling reliability as the practical bridge between near-term operational needs and longer-term Industry 5.0 ambitions.

 

“Manufacturers are continuing to invest in digital technologies, but progress depends on how effectively those technologies are applied. Our findings show that reliability and workforce skills are now the critical factors in converting technology spend into measurable operational improvement. We need a solution to the skills shortage to supplement technology investment for the best results,” says Parker Burke, president of Fluke Corporation.

 

Source link