Nearly four in ten automotive industry decision-makers in Asia Pacific (Apac) are building capacity for next-generation vehicles, such as electric vehicles (EVs).
They expect to increase their spending on technology (69%) and manufacturing infrastructure (63%) this year, according to the Automotive Ecosystem Vision Study by Zebra Technologies Corporation. This is in response to the high pressure from consumers to produce next-generation vehicles (i.e., EVs) and to deliver products that are more eco-friendly, sustainable, and safer for the environment.
Consumers are also demanding the ability to customise a vehicle to their liking, with 86% prioritising personalisation options in their purchasing decisions.
Since it can be difficult to keep up with increasing customisation demands, Apac automotive manufacturers say building strategic partnerships with tech companies for their next generation of production is a top priority for them.
The study also reveals that 83% of consumers in the region want end-to-end visibility during the manufacturing process.
Yet, less than half of decision-makers in the automotive industry say they will prioritise connecting real-time data systems to enable a holistic view of operations (30%) and increase visibility across production and throughout the supply chain (32%) over the next five years.
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Slightly more than one-third of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in Apac believe autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), RFID, rugged handheld mobile computers and scanners, as well as industrial machine vision will improve supply chain management.
Similarly for suppliers, one-third of those surveyed cite mobile barcode label/thermal printers, wearable computers and location technology as the technologies to do so.
“Electric vehicles are gaining popularity in APAC and across the globe, with consumers displaying greater preference towards a greener automotive future,” says Tan Aik Jin, vertical solutions marketing lead for Apac at Zebra Technologies.
He continues: “Automotive decision-makers must take the necessary steps to meet the increasing customer expectations by actively investing more in safe technologies and robust infrastructure. Meeting regulations and sustainability expectations will be a priority moving forward, as the automotive sector strives to provide real-time visibility throughout the supply chain, which can be achieved by digitalising operations via RFID and rugged mobile computers.”
