The Manufacturing sector, traditionally defined by stable processes and infrastructure, is now facing a pivotal shift. Rapid technological advancements and shifting global market dynamics have rendered incremental improvements inadequate for long-term competitiveness and growth. To thrive, manufacturers must fundamentally reimagine their entire value chain.
By embracing intelligent systems, enhancing agility, and proactively shaping future-ready operations, organisations can navigate today’s industrial complexities and position themselves for sustained success.
Here are recent examples of Manufacturing transformation in the Asia Pacific.
Click here to download “Future Forward: Reimagining Manufacturing” as a PDF.
Intelligent Automation & Efficiency
Komatsu Australia, a global industrial equipment manufacturer, tackled growing inefficiencies in its small parts department, where teams manually processed hundreds of PDF invoices daily from more than 250 suppliers.
To streamline this, the company deployed intelligent automation – AI now extracts and validates data from invoices against purchase orders and inputs it directly into the legacy mainframe.
The impact has been sharp: over 300 hours saved annually for one supplier, 1,100 invoices processed in three weeks, and a dramatic drop in manual errors. Employees have shifted to higher-value tasks, and a citizen developer program is enabling staff to build custom automation tools. With a scalable framework in place, Komatsu has not only transformed invoice processing but also set the stage for broader automation across the enterprise.
Data-Driven Insights & Agility
Berger Paints India Ltd., a leader in paints and coatings, needed to scale fast amid rising database loads and complex on-prem systems.
In response, Berger Paints migrated its mission-critical databases and core business applications – covering finance, manufacturing, sales, and asset management – to a high-performance cloud platform.
This shift boosted operational efficiency by 25%, doubled reporting and system response times, and enhanced scalability and disaster recovery with geographically distributed cloud regions. The move simplified access to data, driving faster, insight-driven decision-making. With streamlined infrastructure management and optimised costs, Berger Paints is now poised to leverage advanced technologies like AI/ML, setting the stage for continued innovation and growth.
Connected Operations & Customer Centricity
JSW Steel, one of India’s leading steel producers, set out to shift from a plant-centric model to a customer-first approach. The challenge: integrating complex systems like ERP, CRM, and manufacturing to streamline operations and improve order fulfillment.
With a robust integration platform, JSW Steel connected over 32 systems using 120+ APIs – automating processes and enabling real-time data flow across orders, inventory, pricing, and production.
The results speak for themselves: faster order fulfillment, reduced cost-to-serve, and real-time visibility that optimises scheduling. Scalable, composable APIs now support growth, while a 99.7% success rate across 7.2 million API calls ensures reliability. JSW Steel has transformed how it operates – running faster, serving smarter, and delivering better customer experiences across the entire order-to-cash journey.
Modernising Core Systems & Foundational Transformation
Fujitsu General, a global leader in air conditioning systems, was constrained by a 30-year-old COBOL-based mainframe and fragmented processes. The legacy system posed a Y2K-like risk and limited operational agility.
The company implemented a modern, unified ERP platform to eliminate risk, streamline operations, and boost agility.
By integrating functions across sales, production, procurement, accounting, and HR and addressing unique business needs with low-code development, the company created a clean, adaptable core system. Robust integration connected disparate data sources, while a central repository eliminated silos. The transformation delivered seamless end-to-end operations, standardised workflows, improved agility, and real-time insights – setting Fujitsu General up for continued innovation and long-term resilience.
Powering Growth with a Modern Network
As a critical supplier to India’s infrastructure boom, Hindalco needed to modernise its network across 55 sites – improving app performance, enabling real-time insights, and building a future-ready, sustainable foundation.
Hindalco replaced its ageing hub-and-spoke model with a modern mesh architecture using SD-WAN.
The new architecture prioritised key app traffic, simplified cloud access, and enabled segmentation. Centralised orchestration and SSE integration brought automation and robust security. The impact: 30% lower costs, 50% faster apps, real-time visibility, rapid deployment, and smarter bandwidth. Hindalco now runs on a lean, secure digital backbone – built for agility, performance, and scale.
Ecosystm research finds that 54% of organisations place cost savings as the key focus of AI adoption. This explains why Operations shapes AI and use cases.
But the teams often lack control over data and solutions.
Overcoming these gaps will be crucial for stronger execution and long-term success.
Here’s where Operations leaders stand today.
Operations leaders are on the front lines of the AI revolution. They see the transformative potential of AI and are actively driving its adoption to streamline processes, boost efficiency, and unlock new levels of performance. The value is clear: AI is no longer a futuristic concept, but a present-day necessity.
Over the past two years, Ecosystm’s research – including surveys and deep dives with business and tech leaders has confirmed this: AI is the dominant theme.
Here are some insights for Operations Leaders from our research.
Click here to download “AI Stakeholders: The Operations Perspective” as a PDF
From Streamlined Workflows to Smarter Decisions
AI is already making a tangible difference in operations. A significant 60% of operations leaders are currently leveraging AI for intelligent document processing, freeing up valuable time and resources. But this is just the beginning. The vision extends far beyond, with plans to expand AI’s reach into crucial areas like workflow analysis, fraud detection, and streamlining risk and compliance processes. Imagine AI optimising transportation routes in real-time, predicting equipment maintenance needs before they arise, or automating complex scheduling tasks. This is the operational reality AI is creating.
Real-World Impact, Real-World Examples
The impact of AI is not just theoretical. Operations leaders are witnessing firsthand how AI is driving tangible improvements. “With AI-powered vision and sensors, we’ve boosted efficiency, accuracy, and safety in our manufacturing processes,” shares one leader. Others highlight the security benefits: “From fraud detection to claims processing, AI is safeguarding our transactions and improving trust in our services.” Even complex logistical challenges are being conquered: “Our AI-driven logistics solution has cut costs, saved time, and turned complex operations into seamless processes.” These real-world examples showcase the power of AI to deliver concrete results across diverse operational functions.
Operations Takes a Seat at the AI Strategy Table (But Faces Challenges)
With 54% of organisations prioritising cost savings from AI, operations leaders are rightfully taking a seat at the AI strategy table, shaping use cases and driving adoption. A remarkable 56% of operations leaders are actively involved in defining high-value AI applications. However, a disconnect exists. Despite their influence on AI strategy, only a small fraction (7%) of operations leaders have direct data governance responsibilities. This lack of control over the very fuel that powers AI – data – creates a significant hurdle.
Further challenges include data access across siloed systems, limiting the ability to gain a holistic view, difficulty in identifying and prioritising the most impactful AI use cases, and persistent skills shortages. These barriers, while significant, are not deterring operations leaders.
The Future is AI-Driven
Despite these challenges, operations leaders are doubling down on AI. A striking 7 out of 10 plan to prioritise AI investments in 2025, driven by the pursuit of greater cost savings. And the biggest data effort on the horizon? Identifying and prioritising better use cases for AI. This focus on practical applications demonstrates a clear understanding: the future of operations is inextricably linked to the power of AI. By addressing the challenges they face and focusing on strategic implementation, operations leaders are poised to unlock the full potential of AI and transform their organisations.
