Manufacturers in North American are strengthening factory resilience by restructuring regional production and supply networks to sustain production amid challenges such as trade-policy shifts, economic uncertainty, and supply disruptions, according to a report from Information Services Group (ISG).
In a bid to preserve safety, continuity, and traceability, manufacturers are coordinating product, plant, and service workflows, the tech research firm said in its “2026 ISG Provider Lens Manufacturing Industry Services and Solutions” report.
Aging plants and regional supplier networks make this coordination especially important. Companies are pursuing AI deployment and brownfield modernization while addressing the need for workforce skills and local support.
“North American manufacturers are making operational continuity a central requirement for technology decisions,” said Bob Krohn, ISG partner, manufacturing. “Technology must fit the realities of aging assets, skill shortages and live production environments.”
At plants, enterprises are incorporating manufacturing execution systems, quality systems, maintenance, and SCADA data into a common production context. They are evaluating physical AI for machine vision, adaptive process control, autonomous material movement, and predictive maintenance. These applications require simulation, human oversight, safety assurance, and rollback-tested deployment before influencing physical operations.
Companies are also upgrading smart-factory capabilities in brownfield environments while limiting downtime and cyber exposure. Supply chain control towers are incorporating supplier, inventory, transport, and plant constraints for stronger regional traceability. Aftermarket programs combine connected-asset data, spare-parts planning, field service, and reverse logistics to support service lifecycles.
The report also explores other trends affecting North American manufacturers, including the rising need for workforce enablement for technicians and operators and industrial cybersecurity for control systems.
