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This week, we’re exploring the major manufacturing trends that will shape the industry in 2024 and providing you with NAM resources that will help you keep pace with them.

Today’s trend is a big one: the increasing adoption of AI throughout the manufacturing ecosystem, from software to plant floor control systems to sustainability efforts and beyond.

What manufacturers should do: Manufacturers preparing for the AI expansion should focus on these four tasks, according to the NAM’s experts and partners:

• Understanding where to apply the combination of advanced data and algorithms to predict, identify and solve problems in manufacturing
• Discovering how AI can be used in manufacturing, especially among small and medium-sized manufacturers, and how it can be the differentiator
• Using AI technology to increase speed and agility across the organization
• Defining the return on investment for AI

Expert opinion: According to Matt Dollard, principal of RSM US LLP, manufacturers should apply AI to a few important areas: predictive maintenance, supply chain optimization and quality control.

• “AI’s growing significance in manufacturing cannot be overstated,” he said. “This game-changing technology has already unlocked a wide array of benefits and introduced unprecedented levels of efficiency, productivity and innovation to manufacturers.”

Resources for you: Check out these NAM resources to learn more about AI.

• Take a look at this informative survey of manufacturers from the Manufacturing Leadership Council, the NAM’s digital transformation division. It will tell you how your peers and competitors are adapting to the age of AI.
• Keep on top of the latest AI news by signing up for Leading Edge SmartBrief, the NAM’s indispensable daily digest of technology stories.

 Read the full 2024 trends report here.