The digital transformation that the manufacturing industry is undergoing extends far beyond robotics and assembly lines. Manufacturers are rethinking the way people work.
Tasks such as procurement, compliance, quality control, and engineering documentation are increasingly handled through automation — not to cut corners but to stay competitive and to ensure their teams have time to focus on impactful projects. With supply chains still unpredictable and skilled labor harder to find, automation has shifted from optional to a must.
At the heart of this transformation are advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), which is powering intelligent automation across manufacturing organizations. These AI tools are proving invaluable for reducing manual workloads, streamlining cross-functional collaboration, and most importantly, managing the deluge of data and documentation that modern manufacturers generate every minute.
Automation as a Response to Labor Gaps
The need for intelligent automation is growing more urgent. According to industry forecasts, the manufacturing sector could face up to 4 million unfilled positions by 2030, with potential losses exceeding $1 trillion annually. In this environment, manufacturers can offset the impact of unfilled roles while making the most of their existing talent by automating routine tasks.
Employees spend less time on repetitive data entry or chasing approvals and more time applying their expertise in ways that move the business forward. With tools like predictive analytics and process modeling, organizations can also anticipate bottlenecks and address issues before they disrupt operations.
Beyond the Factory Floor
While smart manufacturing often conjures up images of robotic arms and autonomous machinery, many of the industry’s most promising automation opportunities lie behind the scenes in metadata management, document version control, and process governance.
From engineering change orders to supplier contracts and product specifications, multiple employees rely on complex documentation that must be accurate, current, and accessible at all times to complete critical manufacturing processes.
AI tools are now helping companies eliminate inefficiencies associated with traditional document handling. Organizations are increasingly turning to intelligent data capture tools to handle the flood of unstructured content entering their systems each day.
Instead of just scanning documents, they extract key details and reformat them into structured, usable data. From there, metadata-based classification frameworks take over, automatically sorting files into the correct categories right from the start.
Building a Smart Data Infrastructure
The success of digital automation hinges on a strong data strategy. Many manufacturers still rely on siloed systems and manual handoffs, barriers that often prevent them from getting the full value out of newer technologies.
To move forward, industry leaders are shifting toward integrated data ecosystems that break down these walls and enable information to move seamlessly across teams. But this goes far beyond simply scanning paperwork or moving files online, either from email or a storage drive.
A truly unified content management platform pulls everything into one place—from ERP records and supplier emails to quality control logs and production reports—making it possible to see the bigger picture and fine-tune operations across the board. For small and mid-sized manufacturers, this approach offers a practical path forward.
While large-scale factory automation may be out of reach due to cost or complexity, streamlining document-heavy workflows—automatically structuring and populating unorganized data is truly a game changer that—is an accessible way for all manufacturing organizations to boost productivity with immediate ROI and lay the groundwork for broader digital transformation.
A Real-World Example: Orano’s Transformation
Orano, a global leader in nuclear materials, offers a compelling case study of how automation can unlock operational value. With operations that span the full nuclear fuel cycle — from engineering and certification to transport logistics — the company generates hundreds of new records each week, including technical files, purchase orders, and safety documentation, that must be reviewed, approved, and retained in accordance with strict compliance rules. These processes are time-consuming and vulnerable to human error.
By centralizing and automating records management, Orano has built a “single source of truth” that not only improves operational oversight but also strengthens audit readiness. Processes that once took days or weeks now take hours, with efficiency gains reaching up to 95% for some critical business processes that support operations and supply chain. This allows organizations to achieve clear visibility into those business processes and assists fast decision making. For example, online templates ensure that documents are submitted with complete and consistent information.
Optical character recognition (OCR) capabilities allow staff to search across the organization’s documentation with just a few keystrokes. Employees can now retrieve engineering records, procurement files, and vendor contracts faster and more accurately.
The Road Ahead
Smart manufacturing is about more than adopting the latest tech; it’s about creating a culture that embraces continuous improvement and agility. Success depends on the ability to integrate people, processes, and platforms and to do so in a way that scales.
As manufacturers continue to navigate economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and a tightening labor market, advanced automation technologies offer a clear path to resilience.
With the right digital foundation in place, companies will be well-positioned to take the next step, whether that means implementing digital twins, expanding predictive maintenance programs, or simply delivering better products faster. In the race toward smart manufacturing maturity, the winners won’t just be the most automated, they’ll be the most connected and have the most access to the right data.
Grace Nam, Strategic Solutions Manager – Manufacturing at Laserfiche.
