Digital transformation in manufacturing

Today’s ever-changing markets combined with on-demand customer expectations have resulted in extreme pressure on manufacturing capabilities. With continued volatility and disruption, increasing workforce and talent shifts, and evolving regulatory requirements, the focus on operations is at an all-time high.

PwC’s manufacturing consulting team helps companies capitalize on opportunities, and mitigate the challenges that lie ahead. We help leverage strategies, operational approaches and technologies to manufacture products in a manner that significantly improves operational efficiency, quality and cost performance while enabling future growth opportunities.

91% of operations and supply chain leaders say they’ll significantly change supply chain strategies because of US trade policy changes

^{Source: PwC’s 2025 Digital Trends in Operations Survey}

25/08/25

Embracing digital manufacturing transformation

Discover how leading manufacturers leverage technology for operational excellence and growth.

At PwC, we believe that the digital era offers immense opportunities for manufacturers to enhance their operations and drive efficiency. As we witness a new industrial revolution, organizations should reimagine their factory floor and adopt a connected, data-driven approach. This transformation hinges on leveraging six key technologies that empower manufacturers to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Leading organizations are transforming their operations and shifting from isolated innovation to enterprise-wide, connected transformation—powered by six key technologies:

IoT for real-time, shop floor insights
AI + Robotics that adapt, interact, and accelerate throughput
AR/VR that empower connected workers, globally
Digital Twins to simulate, improve, and stress-test operations
Generative AI for smarter decisions and predictive maintenance
And of course, Cybersecurity to confirm it runs securely

How PwC can help your manufacturing process

Manufacturing companies are looking for ways to remain resilient and drive new levels of efficiency, quality and cost improvements. This capability journey begins with the overall manufacturing strategy including make-or-buy, operating model and network decisions. In concert with the manufacturing strategy, companies need real performance improvement ‘inside the four walls’. They achieve this through operational excellence, asset maintenance and reliability techniques combined with digital manufacturing and manufacturing automation advancements. PwC offers a set of manufacturing-specific services to help address these challenges:

Manufacturing strategy

Our team will help perform the analysis, design and development of strategic and operational imperatives that set the blueprint for your manufacturing network, operating model, culture and performance measurement. Key services include:

Manufacturing strategy: Align your manufacturing strategy to enable and support the overall company strategy.
Operating model: Develop an operating structure that best enables your strategy and determine the correct ways of working and measuring performance within that structure.
Talent strategy: Attract, train, motivate and retain talent in this highly competitive environment.
Pre- and post-M&A analysis: Analyze merger and acquisition opportunities and deals by defining targets, providing diligence of those targets and planning and executing the target into your operations.
New product introduction and tech transfer management: Drive effective planning and execution of product launches into your operations or a contract manufacturer's operations.
Contract manufacturing strategy and management: Define and execute a make/buy strategy for manufacturing operations and drive best practice operations for engaged contract manufacturing partners.

Operations excellence

We’ll help you drive efficiency, quality and cost improvements inside the four walls of your manufacturing environment. Key services include:

Lean operations: Leverage lean discipline techniques to drive improvement in operational performance.
Quality: Drive sustained quality and yield improvement in the extended manufacturing environment.
Maintenance and reliability: Drive higher and more consistent levels of asset and plant reliability through effective maintenance strategies and operations.
Workforce transformation: Attract, recruit, train, develop and retain a workforce that is ready and able to operate in your digital manufacturing environment.

Smart manufacturing

PwC’s manufacturing consulting team will help you create digitally connected and adaptive manufacturing in concert with operational excellence improvement. Key services include:

Smart factory: Identify, value, design and deploy the right digital strategy for your manufacturing environment.
Smart ecosystems: Enable digital strategy and execution across your network of sites, contract manufacturers, distribution network and suppliers.
Advanced data and analytics: Leverage data, analytics and machine learning to solve high-value challenges within the plant.
Cyber and risk management: Ensure your sites and network are protected from cyber and other digital risk attacks.
Digital workforce: Attract, recruit, train, develop and retain a workforce that is ready and able to operate in your digital manufacturing environment.

Manufacturing automation

Our team will help you develop more flexible, efficient and repeatable manufacturing processes through automation capabilities. Key services include:

Mobile workers: Leverage handheld and wearable technologies to drive worker efficiency in the manufacturing environment.
Robotics and 3D printing (3DP): Identify opportunities and help deploy robotics and 3DP technologies for cost and quality improvements.
Industrial automation: Identify opportunities and deploying capabilities for general industrial automation within a manufacturing environment.

PwC has been rated as a Leader in Forrester’s Connected Product Engineering Services Wave, Q4 2025

Formula 1®: Rewiring the future of race operations.

Contact us

Russell Rasmus

Product Development & Manufacturing Practice Leader, PwC US

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Digital transformation in manufacturing

Embracing digital manufacturing transformation