As US manufacturers stare down a widening labour gap, German engineering MNC Siemens is pitching in with scalable digital toolkit for small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SMBs).
In fact, the industrial sector is projected to face 1.9 million unfilled jobs by 2032, according to Deloitte. At the same time, equipment failures are cutting production by as much as 20%. For SMBs, the pressure is mounting as workforce shortages, costly downtime, rising operating costs, supply chain disruptions and challenge of adopting Industry 4.0 technologies collide.
“Small- and medium-sized manufacturers are the backbone of our economy and they are dealing with a different set of challenges compared to enterprise-scale manufacturers,” said Chris Stevens, president, Siemens Digital Industries, US. “Among these are transparency to performance, workforce readiness, technology integration, cybersecurity, and productivity.”
To help SMBs navigate today’s increasingly complex production environment, Siemens is positioning its Siemens Xcelerator portfolio as a path forward.
The open digital business platform delivers solutions as a service, anchored by the new SMB Production Optimization Starter Pack manufacturing software. The package includes the Siemens Industrial Edge Management Cloud and Industrial Edge Virtual Device, giving manufacturers cybersecure tools that allow them to pay only for what they need and scale as their operations grow.
Siemens is lowering the barrier to entry with a three-month free trial, followed by an affordable annual subscription. The offering bundles technical support, self-paced training and access to Siemens’ nationwide network of trusted partners, giving SMBs hands-on help as they modernize.
Those partners, including PROLIM, play a key role in bringing the SMB Production Optimization Starter Pack to market, offering localized support, implementation expertise and tailored guidance to ensure a smooth digital transition.
“PROLIM is thrilled to join forces with Siemens to deliver agile, digital solutions tailored for SMBs facing real production and workforce challenges. Combining the capabilities from Siemens Industrial Edge and PROLIM’s deep domain knowledge makes Industry 4.0 affordable, scalable, and results-driven, helping SMBs excel and remain competitive in today’s fast-changing market,” said Prabhu Patil, founder and CEO of PROLIM.
The SMB Production Optimization Starter Pack is designed to overhaul traditional production monitoring by delivering real-time insights, flexible dashboards and robust reporting.
By shifting manufacturers from reactive troubleshooting to proactive operational management, the modular solution enables faster decisions and improved performance. It is built for quick deployment and scalability, without requiring specialized IT skills or major infrastructure changes.
“Our approach is fundamentally different,” said Bettina Rotermund, head of strategy of Siemens Xcelerator. “This package specifically addresses the unique needs of SMBs, who require simpler, more targeted solutions to master their digitalization journey. This isn't just about technology, it's about making digital transformation easy, delivering results quickly, and scaling operations.”
