Upcoming ISG Provider Lens^® report will explore mid-tier and specialist companies helping manufacturers address geopolitical and supply chain complexities

Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm, has launched a research study examining mid-tier and specialist service providers that use AI and analytics to enhance manufacturing companies’ efficiency and resilience amid rising tariffs and logistical challenges.

The study results will be published in a comprehensive ISG Provider Lens^® report, called Manufacturing Industry Services and Solutions — Mid-tier and Specialist IT Firms, scheduled to be released in January 2026. The report will cover companies offering services for design and development, smart factories, supply chain management and digital transformation.

Enterprise buyers will be able to use information from the report to evaluate their current vendor relationships, potential new engagements and available offerings, while ISG advisors use the information to recommend providers to the firm’s buy-side clients.

Global manufacturing is grappling with immense complexity as trade and tariffs, geopolitical tensions and supply chain fragility lead companies to accelerate their digital transformations. Manufacturers are investing in digital supply chain tools such as AI and blockchain to enhance transparency and flexibility. Mid-tier and specialist IT providers play a significant role in these efforts. Mid-tier providers focus on delivering agile engineering and industry-specific innovations to a small number of verticals, while specialists focus on niche capabilities for building tailored, highly responsive solutions.

“The complexity of global manufacturing in 2025 demands agility and resilience,” said Iain Fisher, director, ISG Provider Lens Research. “Mid-tier IT firms and specialists are pivotal to manufacturers’ modernization initiatives, providing innovative solutions that enable clients to use digital tools to navigate economic and geopolitical challenges.”

ISG has distributed surveys to more than 100 mid-tier and specialist IT providers to the manufacturing industry. Working in collaboration with ISG’s global advisors, the research team will produce four quadrants representing the services and solutions enterprises in this industry are buying, based on ISG’s experience working with its clients. The four quadrants are:

• Design and Development Services, evaluating providers assisting manufacturers in the entire production process, including design, quality management and compliance. Providers focus on partnerships with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and original design manufacturers (ODMs), rapid prototyping, digital twins and software testing to enhance adaptability and accelerate development cycles.
• Smart/Digital Factory Services, assessing providers offering Industry 4.0 technologies, including virtual factories and model plants, to enhance efficiency, reduce costs and optimize shop floor operations. The providers are assessed on their ability to integrate OT and IT for smart manufacturing, ensuring operational agility and advanced technology expertise.
• Supply Chain and Aftermarket Services, covering providers offering supply chain and aftermarket services to manufacturing companies. They utilize AI, automation and blockchain to streamline processes, enhance decision-making and optimize CX. This approach makes possible new business models in service lifecycle management and subscription services.
• Technology, Transformation and Consulting Services, evaluating providers offering consulting and digital transformation solutions and services. The providers are assessed on their ability to drive end-to-end transformation, align IT models with evolving business demands and implement diverse strategic solutions globally across the value chain.

A report generated from the study will cover the global manufacturing industry services market and examine products and services available globally. Swadhin Pradhan, assistant director and principal analyst, ISG Provider Lens Research, will serve as author of the report.

A list of identified providers and vendors and further details on the study are available in this digital brochure. Companies not listed as manufacturing industry service and solution providers can contact ISG and ask to be included in the study.

All 2025 ISG Provider Lens^® evaluations feature expanded customer experience (CX) data that measures actual enterprise experience with specific provider services and solutions, based on ISG’s continuous CX research. Enterprise customers wishing to share their experience about a specific provider or vendor are encouraged to complete this online survey. Participants will receive a copy of this report in return for their feedback.

About ISG Provider Lens^® Research

The ISG Provider Lens^® Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG's global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG's enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.

About ISG

ISG (Nasdaq: III) is a global AI-centered technology research and advisory firm. A trusted partner to more than 900 clients, including 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is a long-time leader in technology and business services that is now at the forefront of leveraging AI to help organizations achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm, founded in 2006, is known for its proprietary market data, in-depth knowledge of provider ecosystems, and the expertise of its 1,600 professionals worldwide working together to help clients maximize the value of their technology investments.

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The complexity of global manufacturing in 2025 demands agility and resilience. Mid-tier IT firms and specialists provide manufacturers with innovative solutions that enable clients to use digital tools to navigate economic and geopolitical challenges.