Manufacturing Report 2025

INDUSTRY 4.0 ASSESSMENTS

176

Greater Grand Rapids manufacturers supported by Industry 4.0 Assessments since 2021

Top Three Recommendations for All Assessments:

• System Integration • Robotics/Cobotics

• Automation

Industry 4.0 Assessment

MMTC-West offers no-cost assessments to help manufacturers across Greater Grand Rapids adopt and integrate advanced manufacturing technologies and processes. In 2024, MMTC-West assessed 41 manufacturers and recommended system integration, automation, and robotics/cobotics in the majority of cases. Recommendations are provided to help companies achieve their own specific needs and goals. The graph below shows the evolution of recommendations presented since the Industry 4.0 Assessment program began in 2021. 2024 marked a shift in recommendations from previous years, reflecting a broader evolution in manufacturing where digital transformation is becoming a top priority. Many manufacturers have already invested in automation and robotic equipment to solve workforce challenges. As these investments continue, companies are increasingly integrating disparate business and manufacturing systems and replacing legacy software to improve insights and drive efficiency. Modern manufacturing systems like ERPs, vision systems, machine learning, and predictive maintenance increasingly use AI, which requires well-structured, comprehensive data. As manufacturers adopt AI to enhance their operations, greater emphasis will be placed on integrating and improving these systems.

Industry 4.0 Assessment Recommendations

2021-2023 Campaigns

2024 Campaign

System Integration

Automation

Robotics/Cobotics

ERP

IIoT

Simulation Software

Strategy Development

Additive Manufacturing

Cybersecurity

AR/VR

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Source: MMTC-West & The Right Place

Companies are increasingly focusing on improving and integrating their business and manufacturing systems to improve insights and drive efficiencies.

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