Industry report roundup: Perspectives on MRO optimization, solar manufacturing, and technological innovations
If you’re looking for an accurate analysis of the state of the manufacturing industry, then go straight to the source: the workers. Reputable research conducted by industry organizations is invaluable when you’re trying to make decisions for your plant or your business. In this roundup, we’ll highlight the latest surveys, reports, studies, and research that delves into the trends, topics, and technologies that are affecting the manufacturing sector.
Verusen’s Future Strategies for MRO Optimization survey
Methodology:
To obtain the data for the report, Verusen partnered with WBR Insights to interview 250 procurement and operations leaders. Survey participants were at least partially responsible for indirect, spare parts, or maintenance procurement or operations at companies that manufacture their own products without outsourcing.
Key takeaways:
- 71% of surveyed leaders think MRO procurement/operations should be treated as a strategic initiative, but only 58% actually do
- 46% of organizations do not include asset criticality in their materials planning process
- 39% of survey respondents report full data uniformity across all materials
Quotes:
"The survey highlights a critical need for organizations to align their MRO practices with broader business goals to drive strategic value. By leveraging advanced technologies and improving data uniformity, companies can transform MRO from a cost center to a source of innovation and competitive advantage." - Chris Rand, Head of Research at WBR Insights
“Rather than merely seeing the MRO function as a necessary project or cost, businesses now see it as a mission-critical deliverable, and companies are more apt to explore new methods and technologies, including AI, to enhance this capability and drive innovation. This is because improving MRO, while addressing asset criticality, delivers tangible results by removing risk and expense from procurement initiatives.” - Scott Matthews, CEO of Verusen
U.S. Solar Market Insight Q3 2024 report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie
Report excerpt:
The US solar industry installed 9.4 gigawatts-direct current (GWdc) of capacity in the second quarter of 2024, the largest Q2 capacity addition in US history. While installations declined 21% quarter-over-quarter, they increased 29% from a year earlier.
This growth was mostly driven by the utility-scale segment. By contrast, installation volumes across the distributed solar segments were weak. Residential solar shrank by 37% year-over-year, driven strongly by California’s transition to net billing and sustained high interest rates. With 427 MW dc installed, commercial solar declined 5% year-over-year but increased 6% from the first quarter. Several major state markets like California, Illinois, and New Jersey were relatively flat. Community solar declined 12% both year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter with 270 MWdc installed. A handful of states saw quarter-over-quarter growth, but this was outweighed by declines in key markets like Maine, Massachusetts, and Illinois. There is pending legislation to establish new community solar programs in several states, but progress has been slow. Finally, utility-scale solar had a healthy quarter, growing 59% year-over-year with 7.6 GW dc installed. The project pipeline is strong, but impediments to project execution continue to suppress growth.
Key takeaways:
- Domestic module manufacturing capacity increased by over 10 GW to 31.3 GW in Q2 2024
- Solar accounted for 67% of all new electricity-generating capacity added to the US grid in the first half of 2024
- Texas was the leading state for solar installations in the first half of the year, with 5.5 GWdc online
- The commercial solar segment installed 427 MWdc in Q2 2024, 5% less than Q1 2024 and 6% more than Q2 2023
Quotes:
“The solar and storage industry is turning federal clean energy policies into action by rapidly creating jobs and powering economic growth in all 50 states, particularly in battleground states like Arizona, Nevada and Georgia. We are now manufacturing historic amounts of solar energy in America, and soon, we will have enough domestic module production to supply nearly all U.S. demand for years to come.” - Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA president and CEO
“The solar industry had a great second quarter, mostly due to growth in the utility-scale segment. But future solar growth is being hindered by broader power sector challenges – interconnection backlogs, electrical equipment shortages, and constraints on labor availability. The industry also faces uncertainty related to newly proposed tariffs and the presidential election. There is currently a lot to navigate in the solar industry.” - Michelle Davis, head of global solar at Wood Mackenzie and lead author of the report
ABI Research’s The State of Technology in the Manufacturing Industry
Methodology:
To obtain the data for their report, ABI Research surveyed 461 manufacturing decision-makers across the United States, Malaysia, and Germany. The purpose of the survey was to discover real-world attitudes, adoption trends, and valuable insights that reflect the current technological landscape within the manufacturing industry.
Key takeaways:
- 50% of manufacturers' top ten workforce challenges are people-related
- 76% of respondents agree that the cloud can foster real-time collaboration
- 79% of surveyed manufacturers agree that the industrial metaverse can aid new product development
- 39% of manufacturers say that their IT and OT teams collaborate to solve issues
Quote:
"An interesting find from the survey is that some of the biggest issues for manufacturers involve people, not technology. Recruiting, retaining, and upskilling staff are among the top challenges manufacturers face today. Skilled individuals are required to operate and maintain equipment while also focusing on optimizing production lines. Simply put, there aren't enough of these individuals in the workforce today." - Michael Larner, Distinguished Analyst, ABI Research