Global Corporate Survey 2024: Industrial Operations And Maintenance Services Budgets, Priorities And Tech Preferences

Access this research

Access all Industrial Transformation Leaders content with a strategic subscription or buy this single report

Need help or have a question about this report? Contact us for assistance

Executive Summary

This report provides senior managers in operations, engineering, maintenance, process safety, and data science and IT roles who are responsible for the selection of third-party managed service providers with a benchmark of peers’ budgets, business priorities and technology preferences. The data collected through the Verdantix survey – from 120 respondents across 11 industries in eight economic regions, with 87% representing firms with revenues greater than $1 billion – also support strategic decision-making and business planning by executives at industrial service providers, helping them understand trends in customer requirements. Budgets for the remainder of 2024 and into 2025 continue to look healthy, with 89% of respondents planning increases in spend. Respondents provided insights into predicted spending changes and consultant-led implementation plans for software and technology in 2024 and 2025.
Summary for decision-makers
Global survey of corporate decision-makers involved in the selection of industrial service providers

Global survey features 120 respondents across three geographies
Industrial firms are relying on third-party consultants to accelerate recently launched internal initiatives
Service providers are mostly supporting EHS and net-zero-related activities, with growing demand for additional services in 2025
Investment in industrial technology implementation and AI will drive consultant demand
IT and OT integration and related services are the leading areas for consultant use
Implementation of innovative and emerging tech will be a top area of spend on service providers
Industrial firms prioritize an independent perspective and technical expertise when selecting a service provider
Figure 1. Revenue of survey respondents’ firms
Figure 2. Survey respondents' business function
Figure 3. Industry breakdown of survey respondents
Figure 4. Geographic location of survey respondents
Figure 5. Current approach to managing department activities
Figure 6. Change in spend on service providers over the next 12 months
Figure 7. Change in spend on service provider activity support over the next 12 months
Figure 8. Stakeholder involvement in vendor selection
Figure 9. Industrial firms' approach to technology initiatives
Figure 10. Technology and software implementations leveraging third-party consultants
Figure 11. Change in spend on consultant-led technology implementation projects over the next 12 months
Figure 12. Issues encountered in recent consultant-led projects
Figure 13. Factors driving industrial firms' use of industrial service providers
Figure 14. Importance of vendor selection criteria
Figure 15. Importance of consultant support during project phases

About the Authors

Josh Graessle

Josh Graessle

Senior Analyst

Josh is a Senior Analyst at Verdantix, covering asset maintenance management, industrial engineering design and construction, and asset management services. He advises softwar...

View Profile
Malavika Tohani

Malavika Tohani

Research Director

Malavika is a Research Director at Verdantix, guiding research that explores how digital technologies and services are reshaping industrial operations to become safer, more ef...

View Profile

Other related content

Industry Events
AI-First Platforms & Applications
Industry Webinar // Tech Roadmap for In...

AI is only as powerful as the data foundation and enabling technologies that support it. While Generative and Agentic AI are gaining momentum in industrial environments, their succ...

Upcoming / 23 September, 2025

Press Release
Industrial Transformation Leaders
New Verdantix Vantage Council Unites In...

London, UK. Verdantix, the independent research and advisory firm, has announced the launch of its Vantage Industrial Asset Management Council, a strategic initiative uniting seni...

12 August, 2025

Webinar
Asset Maintenance Software & Services
Why Software Is The Key To Five-Star Fi...

Our research shows that field service leaders face three critical roadblocks to a superior customer experience: inefficient legacy systems, data silos, and insufficient technolo...

Upcoming / 30 September, 2025

Webinar
AI-First Platforms & Applications
AI In Industrial Operations: Building T...

Frustrated at the AI-washing taking the industrial software world by storm? Join our upcoming webinar for an expert-led analysis of AI’s practical deployment in industrial operatio...

11 September, 2025

Webinar
Corporate Energy Leaders
You’ve Got The Power: How To Save Money...

Did you know that energy consumers are now active players in the energy grid? The old one-way flow from a central power station to your building is a thing of the past. Now, anyo...

28 August, 2025

Blog
Industrial Transformation Leaders
Key Takeaways From The 2025 Global Surv...

Industrial operations and maintenance services providers play a pivotal role as organizations strive to maximize efficiency, reduce downtime, implement digital technologies, achiev...

24 July, 2025