My long-time colleague Julie Fraser is still at it. I remember the room where the Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association International (MESA) announced its first Metrics That Matter study. It was 2006. 

The Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association International (MESA) is working with Tech-Clarity, Inc. on the next iteration of its long-standing Analytics that Matter research program. Formally launched during the MESA Smart Manufacturing NOW virtual event, this research will review manufacturers’ progress in performance metrics and analytics and explore the value manufacturers and producers can gain from using artificial intelligence (AI).

MESA and Tech-Clarity will conduct a survey to understand the goals, challenges, and successes companies have for their analytics and AI initiatives. They will share the findings in a research report, infographic, and webinar during the first half of 2025. The survey will be open for manufacturers’ responses later in 2024. To date, the program has three sponsors: Aegis Software, Epicor, and GE Vernova. The program is capped at six sponsors, so additional sponsors are welcome. For more information about sponsorship, please contact Julie Fraser at Tech-Clarity, [email protected].

Making Analytics and AI Matter is the continuation of an 18-year MESA initiative focused on uncovering the value of analytics through an online survey of manufacturers and producers worldwide across process, batch, and discrete industries. Tech-Clarity, MESA, and the sponsors will collaborate to develop the survey. The 2024-25 study continues work that began in 2006 under Julie Fraser’s guidance. This round extends it to reflect the growing role of not only metrics and analytics but AI and generative AI in manufacturers’ success.

Fraser will again lead the research program, supported by MESA’s Knowledge Committee and Analytics Working Group. Some questions will be based on previous MESA Analytics studies so the team can analyze trends and progress. In the last study, industrial analytics showed the quickest time to impact among various IT projects, and more respondents had live advanced analytics projects in 2022 than in previous surveys. New questions will focus on the impact of GenAI, what types of analytics work best where, and what helps AI to deliver its full value in production companies.

MESA’s International Knowledge Committee and Analytics Working Group Chair Chris Monchinski of InflexionPoint says, “We have seen the value of this analytics research over the years. It shows progress in manufacturers’ technology use and business understanding. Now, we will explore both traditional metrics and analytics and the uptake of the newest AI and GenAI technologies to deliver manufacturing insights. MESA’s Analytics Matter podcast has supported these topics for several years. Now, we will have new quantitative research to understand where the value lies.”

“Manufacturers have long known there is more they could do with their data. This research aims to demonstrate what they are doing to analyze their data to create actionable insights and high-value improvements from descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics and current AI approaches. MESA Members and study sponsors will get invaluable learning from sharing experiences,” Tech-Clarity’s Vice President of Research for Operations and Manufacturing Julie Fraser remarked. “We are grateful for the sponsors who have already stepped up to ensure this industrywide research can continue in this time of rapid progress in AI and looking forward to welcoming a few more sponsors to the team.”

MESA conducts this study with a research partner every few years. In November 2024, look for a press release inviting manufacturers and producers to take the survey. Then, in 2025, we will announce the release of the findings report, infographic, and webinar. MESA members and sponsors will have special access and rights to these survey deliverables.

Tech-Clarity is an independent research firm dedicated to making the business value of technology clear. We analyze how companies improve innovation, product development, design, engineering, manufacturing, and service performance through the use of digital transformation, best practices, software technology, industrial automation, and IT services.

Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA) International has been helping the global manufacturing community use information technology to achieve business results through premier educational and research programs, best practice sharing, and networking since 1992. MESA is a 501(c)6 not-for-profit trade association. The Manufacturing Enterprise Solutions Association (MESA International) is a global community of industry thought leaders actively driving business improvement through the effective application of technology and best practices.