Agentic AI: The Manufacturing Multiplier Amid Tariff Pressures

Why Agentic AI Is the Key to Reducing Costs and Increasing Throughput in the Face of Uncertainty

The Evolution of Next-Gen MES

Manufacturers today are under unprecedented pressure. New tariffs, supply chain instability, and competitive global markets are squeezing margins and forcing leadership to find new ways to do more with less. At the same time, the need for speed, agility, and quality in production has never been greater. Traditional automation, and even modern manufacturing execution systems (MES) solutions, fall short of meeting these demands. 

Enter Agentic AI: intelligent software agents that can autonomously take action across the manufacturing lifecycle — from authoring records to process execution, quality assurance, and continuous improvement. 

This is not the next step in MES; it’s a leap.

Tariffs and the New Cost Pressure Reality

With the recent wave of tariffs and geopolitical disruptions, manufacturers are bracing for dramatic increases in raw material and production costs. While manufacturing has already been navigating ongoing supply chain and labor challenges, global tariffs are undeniably top of mind.  According to a recent Q1 2025 survey by NAM (National Association of Manufacturers), “trade uncertainties surged to the top of manufacturers’ challenges, cited by 76.2% of respondents, jumping 20 percentage points from Q4 2024 and 40 percentage points from Q3 of last year.”

The takeaway is clear: as uncertainty becomes the new norm, manufacturers must adapt.

To remain competitive , manufacturers must now do two things simultaneously:

Increase throughput to meet growing demand and shorten delivery cycles.
Lower cost of goods sold (COGS) without sacrificing quality or compliance.

This paradox is where Agentic AI thrives.

Using Autonomous Agents for Amplified Output

Agentic AI is a new paradigm in smart manufacturing. Unlike traditional AI or chat-based co-pilots that merely surface suggestions, agentic systems take real, autonomous action across digital systems.

Here’s what agents can do for MES:

• Author and update digital batch records from documents or prompts, within minutes, not weeks while supervisory agents ensure compliance through built-in review.
  
  
• Execute manufacturing steps autonomously, in coordination with equipment and systems and without manual intervention.
  
  
• Group and review exceptions, enabling real review-by-exception workflows. This shortens release cycles by up to 80% (McKinsey, 2023).

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• Analyze trends across runs, drafts process enhancements, and proposes improvements proactively — like having a built-in Lean Six Sigma expert at scale.

In short, Agentic AI augments your workforce by introducing intelligent digital teammates.

As the Pressure Builds Adoption is Growing 

In a world where volatility is the norm, Agentic AI offers a path to control, cost-efficiency, and continuous improvement. For companies grappling with increased tariffs, workforce gaps, and scaling challenges, Agentic AI isn’t just a technological upgrade — it’s a strategic imperative. The human-digital workforce of the future has arrived in manufacturing - and just in time.

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