Breaking Down Barriers: Roadblocks and Opportunities in Industrial Automation

Walking the floor of Automate 2025, the energy was undeniable. The future of automation unfolding in real time, with cutting edge robotics, cloud connectivity, and smarter systems transforming industries. Yet, while excitement runs high, the experts on the ground are clear: adoption still faces roadblocks. From cybersecurity concerns to cost barriers, companies must navigate a complex path to make automation work at scale.

In conversations at the show, industry leaders shed light on these challenges, and why they remain optimistic about the future.

Cloud Connectivity: A Double-Edged Sword

One of the most consistent hurdles in automation adoption is safe and reliable connectivity between operational technology (OT) and IT systems. As one expert explained, “One of the biggest roadblocks we've seen… is connection to third party clouds.”

Cloud-based solutions have transformed industries from banking to retail, but in industrial environments the stakes are higher. Manufacturers worry about exposing shop floor operations to vulnerabilities when linking to external platforms. “Working closely with IT to ensure safe connectivity down to the shop floor, you know separating the networks and the OT and IT, that will be an ongoing challenge,” he emphasized.

The good news? Security advances are being built into solutions from the ground up. As he put it, “We have systems built in security-wise, certificates… how do we make it robust, how do we make it secure from the Siemens site? That's what we're promoting and that's what we're working with end customers to do.”

The message is clear: companies want cloud-enabled efficiency, but they won’t compromise on safety. This is especially true for highly connected sectors like warehouse automation, where seamless data flow is critical for operations like pick and pack automation.

Custom Machines and the Time–Cost Equation

Another challenge lies in the nature of manufacturing itself. Each business has unique products, processes, and goals. This means many automation projects require custom machine designs. “Historically, it’s taken a lot of effort to design a custom machine,” one speaker noted. “The process… takes some expertise and it takes some time. You need to validate that it’s going to work and be safe… So it’s just time and money has been a bit of a barrier.”

For large players like automotive companies, these costs have been easier to absorb because of high-volume production. But for small and midsize manufacturers, the math often doesn’t add up. That’s changing, however, as modular automation solutions become more accessible. “Fortunately, that is starting to change and it is becoming easier and more affordable to do automation,” he said. “I just expect us to see more and more automation inside small and medium-sized businesses in the future.”

This shift is important not just for traditional assembly lines, but also for specialized areas like paint automation, where custom robotic systems are designed to improve precision, safety, and efficiency.

The Reliability Gap: From Lab Demo to Real World

Automation technology can look flawless in controlled demos, but real-world deployment is another story. One expert pointed out, “You can always make really cool demos that work in well-contained… situations. But then when you get to the dirty work of the real world, you have edge cases and all these other problems.”

The gap between 95–98% reliability and the 99%+ performance that customers demand is where many projects stall. “That’s where you see a lot of the roadblock,” he added. “In the automation industry we eventually overcome that bar, but it takes longer than people expect.”

This highlights why patience and iterative improvement are crucial. Adoption may not be seamless at first, but as systems learn and evolve, reliability climbs. For logistics companies deploying warehouse automation, this reliability threshold is especially critical, downtime in pick and pack automation workflows can directly affect customer trust.

Knowledge Gaps and Underused Integrators

Another major theme from Automate 2025 was the underutilization of system integrators. Many businesses approach automation without expert guidance, leading to wasted investments. As one panelist explained, “You can imagine you have a company that says, ‘Hey, I’d like to automate somehow.’ Right? But there are a dozen different types of robotic systems… So they try and they buy one robot and they find out that’s not really what I want.”

Too often, companies end up with expensive cobots gathering dust in the corner. “Leverage the system integrators who have that experience,” he urged. “They know the business cases. They know how to make that financial return on investment. And they have that engineering experience.”

Yet, there’s also a gap in accessibility. Many integrators won’t consider projects under $200,000, leaving small and midsize businesses underserved. Companies focused on this market see it as both a challenge and an opportunity: “A lot of our customers are really under that 200,000 benchmark project number… we’re trying to focus on those small to medium-sized businesses.”

Education is key. Many manufacturers simply don’t know what’s possible or how to evaluate solutions. “You’re working against this knowledge gap,” one expert noted. “They just know they need automation… You’re working against people that may have not used the right things the past 10 to 15 years.”

Closing this knowledge gap will be critical to accelerating adoption across industries, whether in paint automation, material handling, or large-scale warehouse automation projects.

Cost Concerns: Upfront Investment vs. Long-Term Value

For many businesses, automation still feels like a financial gamble. As one voice put it, “I think people are fearful of the cost, that kind of upfront cost and how much of this equipment is going to cost or are they going to be able to service it over time?”

This fear can stall adoption, even when automation promises long-term savings and competitive advantage. But the landscape is shifting quickly. As more manufacturers enter the market and technologies mature, prices are dropping. “What we’re seeing is now companies are really having to compete with all these new manufacturers, all these new technologies that are out there. And so the price is coming down more than you may think.”

Walking the Floor of the Future

Standing amid the exhibits at Automate 2025, it’s easy to feel that the future has arrived. The solutions on display are more powerful, flexible, and affordable than ever. Still, widespread adoption requires tackling the very real barriers of connectivity, customization, reliability, knowledge, and cost.

The good news? None of these roadblocks are permanent. As one expert emphasized, “We’re super happy to play a part in that… that trend is making it easier.”

The automation journey is no longer reserved for giants like automotive manufacturers. Small and midsize businesses are beginning to step into the fold, leveraging new tools and expert partnerships to modernize their operations.

The road ahead may not be free of obstacles, but the trajectory is clear. Automation is not just the future, it’s increasingly the present. And as the industry continues to innovate, the barriers standing in the way are being dismantled one by one.