Master Class Session
Description
As digital maturity grows, a new challenge is emerging: complexity. Technology has made mass customization possible, but disconnected systems, siloed teams and fragmented processes can keep success out of reach.
As manufacturers push further into automation, AI and customization, complexity is rising faster than many organizations can manage. Today, 67% of manufacturers report that their products are very or extremely complex—a 20-point increase in just one year. As complexity grows, many organizations are discovering that their systems, teams and processes remain disconnected, creating new challenges for profitability, delivery and growth.
Based on a survey of 280 manufacturing leaders, Tacton’s State of Manufacturing 2026 report reveals how manufacturers are navigating an increasingly complex business environment. Automation and AI investment is rapidly growing to help ease operational obstacles, but it’s landing on a broken digital thread that doesn’t align sales, engineering and production around a single source of configuration truth.
Join us for an executive discussion on the trends shaping manufacturing and how leaders are navigating rising complexity, connecting the digital thread from quote to delivery, and building the foundation that makes digital transformation actually work.
Hear perspectives on:
- What the latest data reveals about complexity, customization, profitability and digital transformation across manufacturing sectors
- Why AI investments are surging and why a shared configuration foundation is key to success
- What’s working, what isn’t, and where the biggest opportunities lie in the year ahead
Panelists/Moderator:
- Nils Olsson, Chief Strategy Officer, Tacton
- Moderator: Penelope Brown, Senior Content Director, Manufacturing Leadership Council
