AI's Exposing A Capacity Crisis In Manufacturing

InnovationAI's Exposing A Capacity Crisis In ManufacturingBySanjay Brahmawar,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)May 18, 2026, 06:00am EDTBy Sanjay Brahmawar, CEO, QAD|Redzone. Works with manufacturers to help frontline teams move faster and make better decisions. gettySpend enough time in manufacturing, and you'll hear concerns about AI coming for jobs. It's an understandable fear. Every wave of automation has raised the same question: What happens to the people doing the work?If you walk a factory floor today, however, the reality looks very different from the headlines.Manufacturers aren't dealing with excess labor. Rather, they're operating with too little of it. According to a 2024 study by The Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte, the U.S. may need up to 3.8 million additional manufacturing workers by 2033, with nearly half those roles at risk of going unfilled. Similar dynamics are playing out globally. The challenge is figuring out how to keep up with demand using the workforce you actually have.That's the context AI is entering. At the same time, the work itself has changed. Manufacturing is more dynamic, more interconnected and far less predictable than it was even a decade ago. Supply chains shift mid-cycle. Demand moves faster than planning systems can absorb. Energy costs, regulation and geopolitical pressure all introduce variability that doesn't wait for a quarterly review.Layer on top of that the explosion of data—every machine, process and transaction-generating signals—and the problem becomes clear: Information is overwhelming manufacturers. What I hear consistently from plant leaders is the need for fewer decisions competing for their attention and a faster way to act on the ones that matter.​At its best, AI removes friction from the work. It helps priorit...