The modern manufacturing landscape is increasingly relying on partner ecosystems to drive growth, enhance efficiency and scale digital transformation efforts. These ecosystems are essential for fostering innovation, improving operational agility, and ensuring long-term competitiveness in a rapidly evolving marketplace. As manufacturers navigate challenges such as supply chain disruptions, rising operational costs, and increasing sustainability demands, adopting a collaborative approach enables accelerated innovation and progress.
This is especially crucial in Asia Pacific (APAC), the world’s largest manufacturing hub, accounting for over 52% of global output. According to Deloitte, 85% of manufacturers believe that ecosystem partnerships are critical for long-term success.
Yet success depends on navigating key challenges; these include finding the right partners, integrating data effectively, and balancing governance with innovation. That’s why Rockwell Automation partners with leading companies including technology providers, distributors, OEMs and system integrators, that have experience delivering products or services that are designed to work with our solutions through our extensive global PartnerNetwork™ ecosystem. Partners can bring complementary expertise when business objectives are aligned. Effective data integration can unlock deeper customer insights. Balancing governance and innovation can deliver experimentation and adaptation.
Managing this complexity takes focus, time and effort. But when companies coordinate partner ecosystems effectively, they can accelerate digital transformation, enhance operational agility and unlock new revenue streams in a rapidly evolving industry.
Unlocking Growth Through Strategic Collaboration
At Rockwell Automation’s Asia Pacific Business Center in Singapore, we partnered with the International Centre for Industrial Transformation (INCIT) to leverage the Smart Industry Readiness Index (SIRI) to pinpoint key areas for transformation—shopfloor automation, workforce upskilling, and data-driven decision-making. By prioritising these, we created a ‘Plant of the Future’, enhancing operational efficiency while positioning ourselves to help other manufacturers in APAC accelerate their digital journeys.
Another example is Castrol BP Petco’s collaboration with PIACOM and Rockwell Automation. Castrol BP Petco worked with Vietnam’s PIACOM, our System Integrator Partner, integrating Rockwell’s FactoryTalk® Batch solution, to modernise its lubricant production system, improving efficiency, accuracy, and productivity while reducing manual work.
A McKinsey study highlights that manufacturers leveraging digital ecosystems can reduce operational costs by up to 30% while accelerating product development by 50%. By adopting a partnership-driven approach, companies can share knowledge, streamline operations, and improve responsiveness to evolving industry demands.
Beyond long-term transformation, collaboration brings immediate business benefits, including:
- Faster Market Access – Working with logistics and supply chain partners helps manufacturers expand their reach and streamline operations.
- Stronger Customer Relationships – Offering integrated services, such as predictive maintenance, enhances equipment reliability and boosts trust.
- Deeper Customer Insights – Sharing data across an ecosystem improves product customization, operational efficiency, and cross-selling opportunities.
Challenges in Building Successful Ecosystems
While ecosystem strategies offer significant benefits, only 10-15% of companies successfully generate more than 5% of their total revenue from these initiatives, as per a McKinsey report. Manufacturers face key challenges such as identifying the right complementary sectors that align with their core capabilities and ensuring they create customer value from the outset. Finding the right partners with shared business objectives and customer service standards is another hurdle, as is balancing governance with the need for innovation.
Steps for Successful Ecosystem Implementation
To build a strong ecosystem, manufacturers must first identify strategic sectors that align with their expertise and market position. Prioritising customer experience is essential, requiring early testing of new offerings with real users to ensure relevance and value. Finding the right partners is crucial—companies should seek collaborators with shared values and complementary capabilities. Maintaining a balance between governance and autonomy allows businesses to innovate while leveraging existing strengths. Effective use of ecosystem-generated data helps refine products and services, enhancing business insights. Finally, manufacturers should measure success beyond revenue, tracking customer engagement, traffic, and long-term valuation impact to assess the true benefits of their ecosystem strategies.
The Future of Manufacturing: Embracing Ecosystem Thinking
As the APAC manufacturing sector continues to evolve, companies that embrace collaborative ecosystems will be better positioned to adapt, innovate, and thrive.
Ecosystem partnerships are a key driver of success for manufacturers looking to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving industry. By fostering strategic alliances, companies can accelerate innovation, enhance operational efficiency, and build resilience against market shifts. With increasing digital adoption, technology regionalization, and growing consumer demand for integrated services, now is the right time for manufacturers to strengthen their ecosystem strategies.
