Manufacturing Momentum: Why 2025 Is the Year to Modernize with Practical Automation
- John Stikes
- Aug 25
- 2 min read
If your ops team has been waiting for a clear signal to automate, it just flashed green. In the past two weeks alone, Apple committed an additional $100 billion to US manufacturing, GE Appliances announced $3 billion for US plants, and Rolls-Royce expanded its South Carolina engine facility by $75 million. This isn’t a fad—it’s a structural realignment of supply chains and factory tech in North America. TechRepublicReuters+1
On the floor, the technology is ready and real. Swisslog’s new IntraMove AMRs move up to 3,000 kg for flexible pallet transport—ideal when volumes spike or routes change. Zebra + Geneva10 are targeting >40% productivity with AI-orchestrated picking and AMRs. And Amazon’s “zero-touch” manufacturing step shows how digital twins let you introduce new products without ripping out hardware. Swisslog Globalinvestors.zebra.comNVIDIA Blog
This momentum is backed by talent and policy. MIT’s Initiative for New Manufacturing is rallying industry and education around AI-enabled production and workforce upskilling—exactly what plant leaders need to address labor gaps while increasing throughput. MIT News
How we help OEMs
Design for automation: We model takt, buffers, and flows in a digital twin before equipment lands on the dock—cutting changeover risk and speeding payback. (Amazon’s approach shows why this matters.) NVIDIA Blog
Modularize the cell: We integrate standardized AMR-ready cells (e.g., heavy pallet transport via IntraMove) so you can scale from one pilot lane to a full line. Swisslog Global
Proof-points that sell upstream: We baseline and track the KPIs CFOs care about—cost per order, labor per 1,000 units, and cash-to-cash.
How we help end users
Start where it pays back in <12 months: Think dock-to-stock moves, batch/cluster pick cells, and goods-to-person retrofits. Zebra’s G10 example shows the upside when software, AMRs, and analytics are integrated. investors.zebra.com
Make change human-positive: We bundle operator training and maintenance pathways to upskill your team in step with the tech (aligned with MIT’s INM workforce vision). MIT News
Ready to explore a low-risk pilot? We’ll simulate your flow, quantify ROI, and build a phased roadmap—so operations sees the gains, finance sees the payback, and your team sees a better workday.
