Key Takeaways From The 2025 Global Survey On Industrial Operations And Maintenance Services

Industrial operations and maintenance services providers play a pivotal role as organizations strive to maximize efficiency, reduce downtime, implement digital technologies, achieve net zero targets and maintain compliance in an increasingly competitive and tightly regulated landscape. To better understand how industrial firms are leveraging third-party services providers, Verdantix undertook a global survey of 125 respondents responsible for investment in consultant-led initiatives across 11 industries and 8 economic regions. Our research finds that:

• Industrial firms seek consulting partners for safety, energy and data management initiatives.

  Driven by safety concerns, regulatory pressures and decarbonization efforts, spending on third-party consulting services is set to rise, with 60% of organizations stating plans to increase their budgets for consulting services over the next 12 months. When diving deeper, our data show that demand for external consultants is highest in areas related to EHS and net zero initiatives, as industrial firms navigate evolving regulations and growing decarbonization expectations. Among survey respondents, 62% plan to increase investment in third-party support for HSE compliance and reporting, while 47% anticipate higher spend on energy and emissions management. At the same time, rising focus on AI and the associated need for high-quality data is driving organizations to seek consulting support to better integrate their IT and OT systems, improve data quality and scale AI-driven analytics. The survey finds that industrial data management leads all initiatives in projected double-digit spending increases, with 18% of respondents planning a significant boost in budget over the next 12 months, while 26% expect single-digit increases.

• Implementation of industrial asset maintenance solutions and AI are top use cases for spend on consultants.

  From asset investment planning to predictive maintenance and AI analytics, respondents express a strong intention not only to maintain but also to expand their use of consulting services. Noting specific use cases, 66% of firms are already working with or are planning to work with consultants to develop a vision and roadmap for digitizing asset maintenance management, while 60% rank AI strategy development as one of their top two areas for AI-related consulting support. This signals a clear shift from isolated pilots to enterprise-wide planning, with organizations seeking to scale operations, move from reactive to predictive maintenance strategies, and identify where and how to effectively deploy AI at scale. As firms strive to accelerate digital innovation and generate greater operational value over the next 12 months, they are placing greater emphasis on generative AI, with 48% of firms planning to increase consultant-led implementation investments.

• Consultants must combine technical expertise, cost efficiency and a strong partnership ecosystem to succeed.
  The needs of industrial firms vary substantially in scale, complexity and scope, meaning that consultants must offer tailored strategies grounded in a deep understanding of industry-specific challenges. Our survey finds that over 80% of respondents consider ‘tech proficiency and the availability of advanced technology’ and ‘industry-specific expertise’ as important criteria when selecting services providers to improve asset reliability, operational efficiency and plant safety. But technology alone is not enough. Consultants must also demonstrate the ability to deliver cost-effective projects, support compliance requirements and leverage strong partner ecosystems to offer integrated, end-to-end solutions. This has a clear impact on selection decisions: 87% of firms consider ‘cost-effectiveness and project agility’ important when choosing consultants for industrial operations and maintenance projects. The same percentage also emphasize the importance of a strong technology partner network, while 84% highlight the significance of robust data security and compliance standards.
  

For more information on how firms in asset heavy industries are leveraging services providers, please look out for the upcoming report, Global Corporate Survey 2025: Industrial Operations And Maintenance Services Budgets, Priorities And Tech Preferences’ on our research platform. Can’t wait? Read the 2024 global corporate survey on maintenance services here.