09/12/2025
Manufacturers in Lithuania are facing greater productivity pressures than ever, and they’re not alone.
A 2024 study in Technological Forecasting & Social Change shows that manufacturers across Europe delay digitalisation not because they don’t see value, but because the path to ROI feels uncertain and investments appear larger than necessary.
The research highlights three systemic barriers:
✔️ Unclear business cases. Companies struggle to quantify ROI even when benefits are measurable.
✔️ Overestimation of required investment. Many assume that meaningful digitalisation requires replacing existing equipment.
✔️ Underuse of existing data. Although manufacturers collect large volumes of operational data, most of it remains disconnected or unused.
One of our clients planned to replace its entire production line to monitor production data. Instead, we connected IoT solutions to existing equipment, achieving the same result at a fraction of the cost. The whole client story is in the video below 👇
The highest returns from digitalisation come from targeted, incremental steps, not large, high-risk transformations.
What actually works?
✅ Define the goal, not the tool.
✅ Evaluate alternatives before committing to heavy investments.
✅ Measure ROI from the first step, not the last.
Digitalisation becomes a risk only when it is not manageable.
If you're exploring where to start or how to avoid unnecessary investment, let’s talk about where your first step should be. Contact us https://centric.lt/
