2026 Report | FM Outlook | Manufacturing

88% leaders see the workplace as critical

The report explores insights from 1,200+ leaders across 649 manufacturing organisations and examines why cost pressure, execution constraints and limited performance visibility continue to hold organisations back.

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2026 Report | FM Outlook | Manufacturing

The performance gap: How leading manufacturers balance cost optimisation with uptime, reliability and output

81% of leaders in the sector recognise the workplace as a key contributor to production performance, supporting operational continuity, asset reliability and workforce productivity.

62% prioritise cost optimisation above all other workplace objectives.

While 49% focus on health, safety and wellbeing and 42% prioritise employee experience, cost pressure continues to dominate decision-making.

The question is: How can manufacturers improve output, reliability and resilience when investment remains focused on short-term efficiency?

81%

of leaders in the sector recognise the workplace as a key contributor to production performance

62%

of them treat the cost optimisation as their biggest priority

49%

of leaders emphasise health, safety and wellbeing

43%

of respondents prioritise improving employee experience and satisfaction

2026 Report | Manufacturing

Facilities Management Outlook

Manufacturing leaders recognise that facilities and workplace environments directly influence production performance. However, many organisations still struggle to translate that understanding into measurable operational outcomes.

Insights you will find in the report:

Why 81% of manufacturing leaders see the production environment as a key driver of performance, while cost optimisation remains the top priority
How cost pressure, execution constraints and limited performance visibility create the production performance gap
Why leading manufacturers are linking FM investments directly to uptime, asset reliability and production output
How better data and digitalisation can strengthen decision-making and operational performance

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