Industry Watch · Published October 9, 2026
Three Observations on Manufacturing Digitalisation in Gansu
After visiting a dozen local manufacturers, digitalisation is less about buying software than filling foundations.
Over the past year we visited more than ten manufacturers in Gansu, from food processing to equipment supply. Their starting points differ widely, but the obstacles repeat. Three observations.
Master data is scarcer than systems
Many firms track material codes in veteran workers' memory, and the same input has three names across departments. The first step is often two months of unifying codes, not development.
Shop-floor data stays on paper. It is not reluctance; capture design ignores how workers actually move.
Budgets are shifting
Budgets used to go to hardware and licences. More companies now pay for implementation and training, which is a healthy shift.
Yet many still equate digitalisation with buying a famous product; once consultants leave, usage collapses.
Talent is the bottleneck
People who understand both the business and the systems are rare. Most firms run on one or two key staff, and a resignation can stall the whole programme.
Some are signing long-term maintenance relationships with local providers rather than one-off delivery, a better fit for reality.
Manufacturing digitalisation is decided less by software choice than by data foundations, organisational habits and continuity of people. All three need patience.
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