Manufacturers use AI mainly to improve customer satisfaction and operations
Turns out, manufacturers are turning to AI mainly to keep customers happy (49%) and make their operations smoother (47%), according to a Cisco survey.
Surprisingly, saving money is less of a priority (only 23%).
Instead, companies are using AI for real-time insights, catching defects early, and making their factories more energy-efficient.
Manufacturers report gains but integration lags
Big names like Mercedes-Benz use AI assistants to boost quality and speed on the factory floor.
Danfoss managed to shrink product development from two years down to about six to seven months thanks to AI.
RPG Group even saw 28% energy savings and sped up supply chains by 25%.
Still, while 57% use AI for faster onboarding and skill transfer, and 46% cite improving shop floor safety, only 3% have fully embedded into their operational architecture, so there is room for growth.