Product Code: US51483123
This IDC study provides IDC's 2025 top 10 predictions for manufacturing product and service innovation."Manufacturers are continuing to adapt to geopolitical and supply chain uncertainties and are striving to become agile in pursuing opportunities and resilient in responding to disruptions. Discrete and process manufacturers need to deliver comprehensive value propositions that benefit both customers and stakeholders. Fast access to accurate data is the key to success in the digital-first world, providing manufacturers with real-time decision support that represents the foundation for growth and profits. AI (generative, interpretive, and predictive) plays an expanding role for improving development by accelerating product design, validation, and modification and for service/support by delivering predictive maintenance and interactive fault isolation. Over the next five years, manufacturers will face unforeseen challenges and opportunities, but only digitally driven businesses leveraging AI will be prepared to navigate these waters and continue to deliver better products, faster service, and higher customer satisfaction." - John Snow, research director, Product Innovation Strategies at IDC Manufacturing Insights
IDC FutureScape Figure
Executive Summary
IDC FutureScape Predictions
- Summary of External Drivers
- Predictions: Impact on Technology Buyers
- Prediction 1: By 2028, 60% of G1000 Manufacturers Will Use GenAI Copilots to Upskill Engineers On Demand, Drawing on Industry Standards, Engineering Practices, Corporate Processes
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 2: By 2026, AI-Driven Digital Environments for Engineering/R&D Will Enable G2000s to Change Their Innovation Practices and Redeploy up to 40% of the Workforce
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 3: By 2027, 40% of G1000 Manufacturers Will Use Model-Based Persistent Simulation to Ensure Every Design Change Is Validated Against Product Requirements
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 4: By 2027, 60% of Manufacturers Will Share R&D Data on Innovation, Quality, and Best Practices to Global Data Spaces, Leading to Five Times Faster Time to Market and Overall Lower Cost of Quality
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 5: By 2027, 50% of Global Engineering-Driven Organizations Will Connect Their Supply Chains via Digital Threads to Improve Secure Data Exchange and Speed up Information Sharing
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 6: In an Attempt to Contain Costs, by 2029, 65% of G2000 OEMs and Service Firms Will Leverage AI and Advanced Analytics to Detect Potential Fraudulent Claims and Suggest Next Actions Autonomously
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 7: By the End of 2028, 55% of Global OEMs and Service Companies Will Consider End of Life of Assets and Products to Optimize Spares Pricing, Maximizing Profits Without a Negative Impact on Service
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 8: Reacting to Service Worker Attrition, by 2026, 75% of OEMs and Service Firms Will Leverage Advanced Scheduling Tools to Optimize a More Diverse Field Team Incorporating Gig Workers and Contractors
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 9: Embracing the Drive for Increased Sustainable Service Operations, by 2029, 55% of G2000 Manufacturers and Service Firms Will Utilize Electric Vehicles to Execute Field Service and Issue Resolution
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Guidance
- Prediction 10: In a Race to Enhance Customer Value, by 2027, 70% of G2000 Manufacturers and Service Firms Will Offer Training and Consulting Services to Customers Based on IoT-Connected Product Usage Insights
- Associated Drivers
- IT Impact
- Guidance
Advice for Technology Buyers
External Drivers: Detail
- AI-Driven Business Models - Moving from AI Experimentation to Monetization
- The Drive to Automate - Toward a Data-Driven Future
- Future Proofing Against Environmental Risks - ESG Operationalization and Risk Management
- AI-Driven Workplace Transformation - Building Tomorrow's Workforce Today
- Geoeconomic Reordering - Rethinking Globalization, Supply Chains, and Macroeconomic Challenges
- Battling Against Technical Debt - Overcoming Hurdles to IT Modernization
- Customer Experience Squared - Consumer and Citizen Expectations for Digital Services
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