Matthew Addley, Senior Director of Product and Industry Market Strategy, Infor

 

Reflecting on 2025 have there been any key industry developments that surprised you or perhaps met your expectations?

 This year delivered a few unexpected turns for manufacturers. Evolving regulations and increasing market pressures prompted organisations to overhaul the way they source products and validate data from suppliers, helping them stay compliant, manage risk, and advance sustainability goals.

Meanwhile, rapid innovation, rising customer expectations, and broader economic shifts intensified the push for change – such as moving to automated, real-time verifications platforms – and highlighted the importance of a technology-first approach.

Shifting gears to look ahead now, with supply chain risks increasing, many businesses are moving to ‘just-in-case’ resilience by diversifying and nearshoring. How can businesses balance this approach with keeping operations lean and profitable in 2026 and years to come?

With recent geopolitical developments and weather events, companies have moved from ‘just-in-time’ models to adopt ‘just-in-case’ strategies, which include diversification of suppliers and nearshoring.

However, the balance is now to ensure that ‘just-in-case’ doesn’t mean inventory blow-out and lost profitability.

Technology is a critical enabler of this shift, with platforms offering end-to-end visibility and real-time data from suppliers and logistics partners to mitigate the risks with a balanced, ‘just-enough’ approach.

It’s the convergence of innovation, increasing customer demands, and global economic factors that drive this need for transformation, and the viability of a technology-centric response.

With the rise of automation comes a demand for new skills but how do businesses take action on their initial, urgent needs for new capabilities while still working towards their long-term ambitions?

 The rise of automation, AI, and robotics isn’t about replacing workers, but should be seen as augmenting their capabilities to create the ‘connected worker’.

Enterprise applications are evolving to be more intuitive, providing workers with real-time data, insights, and guidance, along with the choice of how and where to deliver information, such as kiosks, glasses, and tablets, empowering them to make smarter decisions, optimise tasks, and respond to disruptions.

The demand for new skills – like data analysis and AI literacy – is growing rapidly, making workforce upskilling and reskilling a top priority for manufacturers but it’s important to focus on both the initial need as well as long-term ambition.

For some employees, such as machine operators, the immediate need might be as simple as in-context safety checks, work instructions, and quality measures deployed on a mobile device. Analytics and efficiency insights can come later.

How can intelligence and technology integration drive profitable and sustainable growth in the manufacturing and distribution industries?

 The pursuit of improved productivity and profitable growth remains constant. This is becoming more complex as companies seek to grow their market share without sacrificing quality while also responding to demands for improved sustainability.

The key is to leverage technology to achieve both. For instance, AI and machine learning can be used to optimise production processes, reduce waste, and improve resource efficiency, directly impacting the bottom line, a company’s energy consumption, and environmental footprint.

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) regulations are tightening in line with consumers demanding greater transparency. How can technology help with supply chain visibility and traceability and what are the implications for businesses long term?

 For many manufacturers and distributors ESG is now a strategic imperative. Regulations are tightening, and consumers and investors are demanding greater transparency.

Technology can provide the necessary tools for supply chain visibility and traceability, allowing businesses to track the origin of materials, monitor ethical labour practices, and ensure compliance with environmental standards.

The move to a circular economy – where waste is minimised and resources are kept in use for as long as possible – is also gaining traction.

The right capability, delivered through a more open platform, can facilitate this by enabling the tracking of materials for reuse and recycling, ultimately building a more sustainable and resilient business for the long term.

Ultimately, the future of manufacturing and distribution is about integration and intelligence.

It’s about connecting every part of the business – from product development to the supply chain and factory floor to the end customer – to drive faster, more targeted innovation, improved productivity, and achieve sustainable, profitable growth.