Case Study: Why embracing Location-Based Services is imperative for survival
Ubisense
Countries: UK, USA, France, Japan, Germany
Nunmber of interviews: 330
Respondent profile: middle managers or senior managers, owners or partners, working in business transformation, operations, logistics, quality or IT connected to the manufacturing or assembly process in organisations of over 1,000 employees
Verticals: aerospace, automotive, defence
To drive thought leadership and spark industry conversations, Ubisense partnered with Arlington Research to conduct an in-depth survey on the evolving role of IoT in manufacturing and assembly. This third installment in a series of surveys explores how attitudes towards IoT and technology have shifted over the past two years, while identifying the financial and operational challenges manufacturers are navigating. The findings underscore the urgency for manufacturers to adopt real-time location systems (RTLS) or risk falling behind in the race for efficiency.
Key Takeaways
- IoT Adoption on the Rise: Today, over three-in-five manufacturers (62%) are integrating IoT into their processes, with more than two-in-five (43%) already using RTLS.
- A Vision for 2028: 70% of manufacturers foresee RTLS as an industry standard by 2028, and the same percentage believe that companies who ignore it will struggle to compete.
- Economic Climate Spurs Investment: 76% of organizations are now more likely to invest in IoT to stay resilient in today’s economic landscape.
- Operational Challenges Persist: Over a third of manufacturers report frequent struggles to measure operational efficiency (36%), locate tools and materials (36%), and maintain sequence and timing in processes (35%).
- Wasted Time Adds Up: On average, 36% of manufacturers report losing at least one person-hour daily searching for tools and equipment.
- Limited Real-Time Visibility: Fewer than 60% of manufacturers can track production machinery (59%), parts and materials (59%), or work-in-progress (58%) in real time.
- Adoption Barriers: More than half of manufacturers cite complexity in management (54%) and setup (52%) as key obstacles to implementing location-based systems.
These findings make it clear: real-time location systems are no longer a luxury but a necessity. For manufacturers, embracing IoT and RTLS could be the difference between growth and stagnation. The time to act is now.