Almost half of companies say that they aren't confident in their manufacturing strategy to deliver on business outcomes over the next three years. 

According to a Gartner survey of 128 chief supply chain officers (CSCOs), two-thirds of organizations aren't pursuing necessary aggressive redesigns of their manufacturing operations, even with growing expectations around the use of advanced automation. This is also despite the fact that advanced automation with minimal human oversight was among the top three manufacturing capabilities driving competitive advantages that were highlighted by CSCOs.

"Leadership wants to embrace future capabilities to increase competitiveness, yet 66% of survey respondents say integrating supply chain and manufacturing is the most significant challenge," Gartner VP analyst Simon Jacobson said in an October 28 release. "This uncomfortable reality should motivate leaders to take more aggressive action to reinvent their operations."

Gartner's survey also found that CSCO's expect machines to handle 32% of manufacturing operations within the next three years, compared to the 21% of operations currently handled by advanced automation. Comparatively, humans are expected to take on 40% of manufacturing tasks within that same time frame, down from the 52% they're responsible for now. 

Overall, Gartner concluded that the manufacturing industry needs a reset when it comes to how it plans for the implementation of advanced automation. To accomplish that, the firm recommends that CSCOs begin integrating emerging technologies as they become available, and empower plant managers to use those tools to make faster, data-driven decisions directly on the production floor.