Lower commodity prices and shrinking government reserves are shrinking military budgets. This means that defense contractors must be cost competitive, which may mean finding cheaper ways to produce goods.

As military budgets decrease, aerospace manufacturers must diversify, and seek out new channels to expand their business.

While growth a slowed markedly in recently years, a recent report by Accenture stated that production capacity and employment are expected to increase in 2017 and beyond.

Aerospace manufacturers need to think long term. As the government aims to modernize technology, that will require a commitment from contractors to be forward-thinking if they expect to win multi-year government contracts.

Nearly three out of four aggregates companies stated that their sales have increased each year since 2016. 82% of aggregates manufacturers plan to raise prices due to the industry-wide growth.

As the aggregates market flourishes, many companies are choosing to re-allocate those earnings into digital platforms, that will see them through the next era of aggregates manufacturing.

The biggest challenge facing the industry is a shortage of skilled labor. To combat the shortage in labor, aggregates manufacturers are turning to software to pick up some of the slack.

A study by PWC found that chemicals companies plan to invest 5% of annual revenue on digitization over the next five years. These initiatives can produce near-term benefits across three primary business dimensions: operations, customer-facing, and organizational.

Pricing can rapidly improve profitability. With a lower volume industry-wide, chemicals companies need to glean greater value from other parts of their operations to improve profitability.

Global economies in the chemicals industry have been steadily declining since 2007, forcing small-businesses to look internally for cost savings and efficiency to drive organizational growth.

Use of robotics and automation was considered to be one of the latest trends in the electrical and electronics manufacturing market. Many electronic equipment companies are using robotics and automation to improve plant efficiency and productivity. Sensors are being used in various machines to access invaluable data for improving efficiencies and reduce potential breakdowns.

Due to the rising prices in the housing markets, more people are renting than ever before. Renters are more likely to look for cost-effective home furnishings which will drive a greater focus on margins for furniture manufacturers in an already price-sensitive market.

There are more generations buying furniture than ever before, calling for producers to diversify their product offerings to appeal to different groups. This line of thinking carries with it a greater emphasis on a streamlined process that is automated and easily repeatable to create company-wide cost control.

The increase in online retailing means a greater need for a simple E-commerce platform that is easily navigable on mobile platforms, with an intuitive checkout process.

The building material industry has ranked near the bottom in terms of digital presence and website design. Companies that focus resources on improvements in these areas will likely see increased sales due to the competitive advantage.

Virtual reality, 3D printing, and programmable cement are just a few things that may shake up the marketplace in a couple years. Those companies focused on modern technology are expected to reap the benefits in a wide open market.

A steadily increasing cost of building materials has forced companies to raise prices across the board. Having predictive, evaluative, real-time data will allow companies to anticipate these changes and proactively react to mitigate losses.

The industry is at an inflection point forcing companies to think differently in terms of automation and worker productivity as there are substantial cost savings in automating production.

The industry is at an inflection point forcing companies to think differently in terms of automation and worker productivity as there are substantial cost savings in automating production.

Demand volatility is on the rise as OEMs reduce inventories, relying more on fabricators for on-time deliveries. A lot of fabricators have been struggling with on-time deliveries, allowing those that are able to meet deadlines to gain market share.

It's projected that E-commerce spending will nearly double by 2020. With more and more products being ordered electronically, packaging manufacturers will be forced to reinvigorate their designs to enhance the E-commerce experience.

Vintage designs have been growing in popularity over recent years, and that trend is expected to continue.

There's a growing trend towards customization and an increased focus on sustainability, which carries along the need for a change both in product creation and packaging technologies.

Manufacturing in plastic and rubber industries is getting faster and leaner with the adoption of sensor and wireless technologies. Companies large and small are using sensors to generate insights for improving process efficiencies and reduce potential breakdowns.

3D printing is expected to play a major role in the rubber product manufacturing industry. More companies are adopting 3D technology to design and develop rubber products.

A lack of qualified workers is leading investments in more labor-saving equipment. Such purchases can bolster productivity and worker output, allowing the industry and the economy to reach greater heights in the road ahead.

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is growing across many verticals. Companies like Apple and Samsung have already introduced AI to smartphones, and it's expected that more industries/verticals will follow suit.

Component shortages, a rising bill of materials (BOM) and the prospect of having to raise average selling prices will create a volatile market in the upcoming years.

Autonomous vehicles and IoT in the automotive industry will continue to be a major driver for semiconductor growth.

Increasing wage rates abroad are causing more companies to bring foreign-owned textile companies to the United States. However, they are coming with more lean, automated, and environmentally conscious production facilities.

Despite the increase in labor rates abroad, it is still cheaper than the United States. For American companies to compete, they are beginning to look to automation technology to increase efficiency and better compete with foreign manufacturers.

In today's world, consumers preferences are changing, as they aren't tolerant of long turnaround times causing textile manufacturers to increase efficiency through automation to fulfill retail demands.

The direct-to-consumer subscription models for alcoholic beverages are not popular with millennials, causing sellers/distributors to get more creative in their selling tactics.

The selling locations in the United States range from dollar stores to online marketplaces. Companies utilizing data driven digital marketing strategies can rise above the competition with a clear understanding of cost & value.