Today, Samsara announced its 2023 State of Connected Operations Report, offering a new look into how the organizations within industries that drive more than 40% of the global GDP are reinventing their operations. Based on a global survey of more than 1,500 C-suite executives, presidents, vice presidents, and directors at organizations that manage physical operations across nine countries, the report uncovers the investment strategies leaders are pursuing to build new revenue streams, leverage cutting-edge technologies, and rise above economic and geopolitical uncertainty. 

The report reveals that physical operations leaders are capitalizing on this moment of global transformation to fundamentally reimagine how they operate within the next few years—leveraging real-time data to increase agility, while stepping up investments in their workforce and technology:

• <span style="color:#0384FB; font-weight:bold">90% say having accurate, real-time operational data is critical to decision-making</span> in 2023.

• <span style="color:#0384FB; font-weight:bold">95% are onshoring, nearshoring, or friendshoring operations this year</span> to increase supply chain predictability and efficiency.

• <span style="color:#0384FB; font-weight:bold">84% plan to use generative artificial intelligence (AI) by 2024,</span> while only 5% have no plans to adopt it.

• In just two years, <span style="color:#0384FB; font-weight:bold">1 in 6 operations employees are predicted to be doing jobs that don’t exist today.</span>  

• <span style="color:#0384FB; font-weight:bold">62% will monetize their electric vehicles (EVs) through pay-per-use or subscription charging stations</span> and 58% will sell energy back to the grid by 2025.

This year’s report also shines a light on how Connected Operations Leaders—those who report the highest level of digital maturity across their operations—are outperforming their peers. Compared to organizations in the beginning stages of digitization, Connected Operations Leaders are 5x more likely to rate the productivity of their workforce as "excellent" and 6x more likely to report exceeding their financial goals by 25% or more.

Read on for a preview of the insights uncovered in our 2023 State of Connected Operations Report, and download the full report to unlock additional insights and actionable takeaways today. 

Macroeconomic pressures demand efficiency—making data a competitive advantage.

As familiar supply chain pains persist and global recession fears loom, leaders are doubling down operational visibility and innovation. According to our data, 59% of leaders plan to move operations back to their country of origin, known as onshoring, this year. Real-time operations data is also considered a competitive advantage and critical for decision-making for 90% of leaders. In fact, 67% are increasing their technology budgets this year, suggesting that while the state of the global economy may be in flux, technology is seen as a wise investment.

Out with the old—in with AI, automation, and digital workflows.

With boosting efficiency top of mind, leaders are leaning into generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automation. By 2024, 84% of leaders plan to use generative AI and 91% plan to use automation to modernize their operations. Furthermore, 51% are already using or plan to use autonomous vehicles and/or equipment this year. Leaders are also scrapping pen-and-paper processes for digital workflows, and by 2025 they predict 55% of their employees in the field will rely on digital workflows to perform day-to-day tasks.

Workforce development isn’t a perk, it’s a priority.

As digitization and innovation continue to redefine physical operations, leaders are reimagining employee engagement, recruitment, and retention. In just two years, by 2025, 1 in 6 operations employees are predicted to be doing jobs that don’t exist today. This helps illustrate why more than half (52%) of leaders report training, upskilling, and reskilling employees to use new technologies as a top priority this year. Across the organizations surveyed, an estimated $7 billion will be spent on training, upskilling, and reskilling employees in 2023 alone. Download the full report to see which skill gaps are top of mind to address in the next two years.

Sustainability is fueling the invention of new revenue streams.

Going green is proving good for the environment and game-changing for business. Last year, Samsara’s research found 49% of respondents were planning to accelerate their electric vehicle (EV) adoption to combat rising fuel costs. Now, leaders are looking beyond adoption—in the next two years, 62% will monetize EVs through pay-per-use or subscription charging stations and 58% plan to sell energy back to the grid. EV adoption will continue to rise; leaders predict more than half (53%) of their organizations' fleet vehicles will be electric or hybrid by 2025.

Unlock additional insights & actionable takeaways in the full report.

Looking for insights to stay ahead of the curve on emerging trends shaping the future of operations? Download your copy of the 2023 State of Connected Operations Report today to discover the strategies Connected Operations Leaders are leveraging to outperform their peers—and access a summary of five actionable takeaways for transforming your operations in 2023.