Bridging the Gap: How Manufacturing Professionals Can Unify Operations and Finance for Success

Manufacturing operations have been revolutionized by AI, but finance functions are lagging behind in leveraging these advancements. This gap between operations and financial insight is interesting because it highlights a critical need for alignment in order to maximize efficiency and profitability across the manufacturing sector.

🔍 Why it matters:

Manufacturing professionals, this article highlights the importance of bridging the gap between your operations and financial insights. By leveraging AI in operations without aligning it with financial functions, you may be missing out on opportunities to enhance efficiency and profitability. Understanding this connection can help you make more informed decisions and drive success in the manufacturing sector.

Insight: S&P 500 Industrials moved down 0.3% over the past week, reflecting negative sentiment in the manufacturing sector.

📦 IonQ's $1.8B Investment in SkyWater Signals Quantum Leap for U.S. Manufacturing

The move targets rising U.S. government and defense demand while speeding development toward fault-tolerant quantum systems.
Read the full story at Manufacturing Dive →

🏭 Anduril's $1 Billion Expansion in Long Beach Sparks Manufacturing Growth and Job Opportunities

The expansion strengthens its industrial production scale as U.S. defense drone demand continues rising. Anduril will build a second Southern California campus, adding over 1M sq. ft. of office/industrial R&D space and supporting 5,500 jobs by mid-2027.
Read the full story at Manufacturing Dive →

📦 Navigating the 2026 Supply Chain Shortages: What Manufacturing Pros Need to Know

Procurement teams will need stronger resilience strategies as “highest bidder wins” dynamics intensify amid tariffs and global competition.
Read the full story at Supply Chain Dive →

🤖 Unpacking Automation Trends: Insights for Today's Manufacturing Pros!

This episode blends fun industry banter with a deep dive into smart sensors, safety, and plant-floor automation, featuring an interview with Captron GM Sean Walters.
Read the full story at Plant Engineering →

📊 This Week's Chart

Insight: Manufacturing output increased by 1.2% from February 2025 to December 2025, indicating strengthening production activity across the sector.

Source: Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED)

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See you next week,

The Factory Wire