Tariffs, shifting trade landscapes, and rising global tensions are disrupting today’s manufacturing industry, challenging leaders to navigate complex decisions each day. Our latest research highlights how manufacturers are adapting, the forces behind these changes, and what the future may hold.
Read on to discover how to turn these insights into practical advantages when considering the implementation of a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform and strategy. By connecting industry trends and actionable strategies, you’ll be better equipped to future-proof your processes and unlock greater value from your technology investments.
Here’s what you need to know:
Today’s manufacturers face new challenges almost every single week. Whether it’s political tensions, new tariffs, or economic uncertainty—staying ahead requires flexibility. This is not business as usual; it’s a time of real transformation.
To better understand these challenges and how manufacturers are solving them, Revalize recently commissioned a survey of 500 business leaders in North America and the DACH region.
According to our findings, a staggering 85% of manufacturers have already changed their supply chain strategies because of tariffs and economic uncertainty.1 This means that eight-in-ten leaders in the manufacturing industry have changed long-standing processes.
This marks a significant change. Old habits focused on cost and efficiency; now, resilience and adaptability have become the top priorities. Companies want tech savvy partners who can deliver, even when things get tough. Some are moving production closer to home, while others are spreading operations across multiple regions to minimize disruption. Data visibility is a key factor. By tracking data in real time, companies can quickly pivot if a particular market or partner becomes unstable.
That’s where technology comes in. A best-in-class PLM platform is crucial for building a robust PLM strategy because it enables you to easily manage your product data in one place. By centralizing product data and delivering real-time visibility, PLM solutions provide full transparency into supply chains to spot potential issues and minimize the fallout from unexpected disruptions.
While supply chain resilience is the top priority, efficiency and profitability cannot be neglected. Manufacturers are facing rising costs across the board. Whether it’s materials, shipping, compliance, procurement, or logistics, expenses are clearly trending upward. Over half (53%) of companies are saying production costs are up. 1
Companies are getting creative with tackling rising prices. Some are changing suppliers frequently to get the best prices, while others are focused on real-time cost management. The aim is to stay agile and competitive, no matter how tough the environment gets.
With a modern PLM platform, businesses can get a single source of truth for all product-related data, empowering teams to pinpoint cost drivers and simulate cost alternatives in no time.
Innovative, reliable software has become essential to how companies compete, adapt, and thrive in today’s rapidly changing world. Over half of manufacturers now use AI across a wide range of operational areas like supply chain management, process optimization, and quality control—enabling teams to spot problems early, forecast demand, and make smarter decisions.
While the benefits are clear, the path isn’t always smooth. Many encounter roadblocks like outdated systems, disorganized data, and a lack of skills that cause challenges with AI adoption and limit innovation. Nonetheless, the momentum behind digital transformation is undeniable as manufacturers who master this transition move faster and sidestep expensive errors.
This is exactly where a comprehensive PLM strategy shines. By connecting processes and data seamlessly across the product lifecycle, PLM enables manufacturers to adapt quickly and efficiently, especially in the current turbulent times.
