What plant managers need to know before automating

As a plant manager, you’re facing an industrial landscape that’s changing faster than ever. Some challenges—like fluctuating raw material costs or sudden regulatory shifts—are temporary. These are called VUCA events: volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. They can disrupt your operations, but they eventually pass.

What you can’t ignore are structural trends—the long-term shifts that are reshaping manufacturing for good. Right now, three trends are top of mind:

• Labor shortages
• An aging workforce
• Escalating labor costs

These trends aren’t going away. In fact, they’re accelerating. If you want your plant to maintain output, meet demand, and stay competitive, you need to take action now, and automation should be part of that plan.

By Linnea Bruce on Aug 04, 2025 in Automation. 3 min read time