This in-depth market data research is split into two key modules: Market Growth Outlook and Competitive Analysis. Each of these modules is further configured into several sub-modules to meet the needs of executives as well as marketing, sales, and product development managers. All of these modules and sub-modules may be purchased as a bundle or separately. A brief description of these modules, sub-modules, and their use cases is included below.
This Total Discrete Automation Systems Market Research delivers current market analysis plus a five year market and technology forecast.
Global Megatrends and Digitalization Drive the Discrete Automation Market
According to ARC Advisory Group’s new report, the automation expenditure for discrete industries in 2023 surged as suppliers continued to convert large backlogs generated by purchases in 2022 and the improved availability of critical components. After a strong start, demand began to drop in the second half of 2023, especially in China, Japan, and the European Union—a trend that continued into 2024 as manufacturers felt the impact of high interest rates and soaring energy costs. The demand for automation equipment benefited from the trend toward digitalization. The market will continue to grow due to technological advancements, automation, operational efficiency improvements, IoT, and manufacturing expansion in emerging economies. Strong market drivers from the recent years will continue to fuel capital expenditures and provide a positive growth environment throughout the forecast period.
Discrete Automation Systems Strategic Issues
In addition to providing a five-year market forecast, the Total Discrete Automation Systems market research provides detailed quantitative current market data and addresses key strategic issues as follows.
Adopt Cloud Native AI Enabled Platforms
Prioritize platforms built on microservices architecture with native cloud deployment and embedded AI/ML capabilities. These modern platforms offer modular scalability, seamless integration, and real-time access for dispersed teams. Cloud-native infrastructure supports flexible deployment, faster innovation cycles, and improved system resilience. AI-driven analytics enable predictive and condition-based maintenance, helping reduce downtime, prevent critical failures, and extend asset life. To ensure long-term value, select vendors with a proven track record in large-scale digital transformation across asset-intensive industries. Their experience typically translates into robust implementation frameworks, mature product roadmaps, and strong support ecosystems. Investing in such platforms not only enhances asset performance and maintenance planning but also improves capital efficiency by deferring costly equipment replacements and aligning asset strategies with business growth.
Utilize Machine Safety as a Differentiator
Machine builders can differentiate their machines from competition by providing machines with advanced safety functions. This enhances customer productivity and helps them comply with safety standards as well as benefits machine builders to stay ahead of competition.
Virtualize Real-Time Control
Virtualization has now entered the realm of real-time control with the release of virtual PLCs by several vendors. The vPLC differs from the software PLC (available since 1995 but hardly used) in that the controller runs in the controlled environment of a container rather than directly on the operating system of the host computer. vPLCs typically are not purchased but rather licensed annually. Most currently just use an annual flat fee. Expect vendors to add new business models in the future that add scalability. vPLCs will be a key part of industrial software-defined automation architectures in the future, but adoption will be slow at first because most users don’t have the “IT-like” architectures in place in the plant that is needed to accommodate vPLCs and make the most of their advantages. For example, vPLCs can easily be integrated into a software-defined architecture, as opposed to a traditional PLC that will always be an external device. Because a vPLC is pure software, it can be purchased, deployed and managed like a software asset using modern IT tools. Concerns about real-time performance are subsiding as proof-of-concept tests identify which applications a vPLC can handle. Currently, estimates put that figure at 70-80 percent. As hardware performance increases, this line will shift.
Market Data Research Available Datasets
Market Growth Outlook
ARC’s market growth outlook service delivers an in-depth market opportunity analysis including five-year market and technology forecasts and 3-year history trend lines where available. Besides providing an in-depth analysis of the market opportunity provided by each technology, this service allows technology suppliers to analyze their own customized markets consisting of multiple technologies. For example, customers can view different market scenarios by adding or removing technology markets from the analysis, providing them a Total Available Market (TAM) view of their own served market. A list of the available market growth outlook services can be seen in the list below.
This service is designed to help accelerate your organization's ability to understand an up-to-date view of the market opportunity provided by your current product portfolio and analyze how your company’s market opportunity would change if you were to acquire or divest a particular product line. The service will also help you identify and capitalize on emerging markets, whether these markets are based on an emerging technology, region, vertical industry, or application. Built upon a proprietary market model and ARC’s field proven primary research, this service helps product and marketing managers optimize their business plans by identifying the opportunities provided by emerging trends. ARC’s reputation as the preeminent independent provider of market growth opportunity analyses for nearly four decades also provides greater weight to your business plans. ARC’s market growth outlook services are available in a variety of formats depending on whether you view your market opportunities via different technologies, industries, or world regions.
In addition, ARC has a strong history of providing customized market opportunity reports and services to meet your specific needs. For example, you may sell your products only to specific industries and/or in only one or two regions. You tell us your served markets and ARC can quickly configure a report or service designed to best serve your served market.
ARC provides several versions of these reports and services depending on your role in the organization. Executive Views are high level market opportunities designed to help executives quickly identify key trends and market opportunities around the world. In-depth market opportunity analyses provide marketing and product managers more detailed technology specific market information to plan marketing and product development strategies. The following table shows more specific information included in each version.
| Market Growth Outlook Analysis | Use Cases | Target Role |
| Worldwide Market Growth Outlook by Industry & Region with 3-year history where available | In-depth technology-specific strategic growth planning across multiple technologies, applications, regions, and industries | Product & Marketing Managers |
| Worldwide Industry Growth Outlook by Region with 3-year history where available | Strategic technology growth planning for markets defined by a single or multiple vertical industries | Industry Managers |
| Regional/Country Market Growth Outlook by Technology & Industry with 3-year history where available (includes country data) | Strategic technology growth planning for markets defined by a single or multiple world regions | Regional & Country Sales Managers |
| Market Growth Outlook Executive View | Strategic Total Available Market (TAM) growth planning dashboard covering multiple vertical industries, technologies, and world regions | Executives |
Market Competitive Analysis
ARC’s Competitive Analysis services deliver in depth competitive analyses across multiple technologies, applications, regions, and industries. Besides providing an in-depth analysis of the market opportunity provided by each technology, this service allows technology suppliers to analyze their own customized markets consisting of multiple technologies. For example, customers can view different market scenarios by adding or removing technology markets from the analysis, providing them a Total Available Market (TAM) view of their own served market. A list of the available market growth outlook services can be seen in the list below.
This service is designed to help product and marketing managers identify their company’s market positioning across multiple views within their Serviceable Available Market (SAM). Built upon a proprietary market model and ARC’s field proven primary research, this service helps product and marketing managers optimize their business plans by identifying how their company’s market position would change if the company were to acquire or divest a particular product line or technology. ARC’s reputation as the preeminent independent provider of competitive market benchmarking for nearly four decades lends greater weight to your business plans. ARC’s market competitive services are available in a variety of formats depending on whether you view your market opportunities via different technologies, industries, or world regions.
In addition, ARC has a strong history of providing customized market opportunity reports and services to meet the specific needs of our clients. For example, you may sell your products only to specific industries and/or in only one or two regions. You tell us your served markets and ARC can quickly configure a report or service designed to best serve your served market.
ARC provides several versions of these reports and services depending on your role in the organization. Executive Views are high level market competitive analyses designed to help executives quickly assess their SAM by world region, technology, or vertical industry. In-depth competitive market analyses provide marketing and product managers more detailed technology specific benchmarking information to plan marketing and product development strategies. The following table shows more specific information included in each version.
| Competitive Analysis | Use Cases | Target Role |
| Worldwide Competitive Analysis by Technology | In-depth competitive market analysis that quantifies how your company’s market position has changed over time across multiple technologies, applications, regions, and industries | Product & Marketing Managers |
| Worldwide Competitive Analysis by Industry | Strategic technology-based competitive analyses for markets defined by a single or multiple vertical industries | Industry Managers |
| Regional/Country Competitive Analysis by Industry | Strategic technology-based competitive analyses for markets defined by a single or multiple world regions | Regional Sales Managers |
| Competitive Analysis Executive View | Strategic Serviceable Available Market (SAM) analysis dashboard covering multiple vertical industries, technologies, and world regions | Executives |
Worldwide Research Focus Areas
Worldwide Research Focus Areas
Strategic Analysis
- Executive Overview
- Market Trends
- Buyer Strategies
- Supplier Strategies
- Growth Contributors and Inhibitors
Competitive Analysis
- Market Shares of Leading Suppliers
- Market Shares by Region
- North America
- Europe, Middle East, Africa
- Asia
- Latin America
- Market Shares by Industry
- Aerospace & Defense
- Automotive
- Building Automation
- Electronics & Electrical
- Fabricated Metals
- Furniture & Wood Products
- Machinery
- Medical Products
- Plastics & Rubber
- Printing & Publishing
- Semiconductors
- Market Shares by Product Type
- Computer Numerical Controls
- Enterprise Asset Management
- Field Service Management
- General Motion Control
- Human Machine Interface Software
- Low Voltage AC Drives
- Machine Safeguarding Solutions
- Manufacturing Execution Systems for Discrete
- Medium Voltage AC Drives
- Programmable Logic Controllers
Market Forecasts and Histories
- Total Automation for Discrete Business
- Shipments by Region
- North America
- Europe, Middle East, Africa
- Asia
- Latin America
- Shipments by Industry
- Aerospace & Defense
- Automotive
- Building Automation
- Electronics & Electrical
- Fabricated Metals
- Furniture & Wood Products
- Machinery
- Medical Products
- Plastics & Rubber
- Printing & Publishing
- Semiconductors
- Shipments by Product Type
- Computer Numerical Controls
- Enterprise Asset Management
- Field Service Management
- General Motion Control
- Human Machine Interface Software
- Low Voltage AC Drives
- Machine Safeguarding Solutions
- Manufacturing Execution Systems for Discrete
- Medium Voltage AC Drives
- Programmable Logic Controllers
Industry Participants
The research identifies all relevant suppliers serving this market.
For More Information
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