Cost Management Barometer 2026 – Manufacturing Edition
Open ERA Group's original report ↗This is the sector edition of ERA Group's Cost Management Barometer 2026. According to its methodology, it draws on the same dataset as the main report — 1,000 senior decision-makers — while isolating the responses of a sub-set of 339 manufacturing leaders. The research was conducted in Q1 2026 with particular emphasis on EMEA.
The report describes a more measured picture for the manufacturing sector than the previous year. Growth is still expected, but with tighter guardrails around margin, cash and execution. Leaders are described as balancing several levers at once: cost optimisation, technology upgrades, workforce development, product innovation, sustainability and supply chain resilience.
It is relevant for industrial companies that want to see how peers are prioritising for the year. Any percentages in the report refer to the survey dataset and should not be read as expected outcomes in an individual assignment.
Key takeaways
- Sector edition based on a sub-set of 339 manufacturing leaders from the 1,000-respondent dataset.
- Conducted in Q1 2026 with an EMEA focus.
- Covers cost optimisation, technology, workforce, supply chain and resilience together.
- Describes cautious growth with tighter control of margin and cash.
Relevant for
CEO · CFO · COO · Manufacturing
- Source
- ERA Group
- Language
- English
- Length
- 28 pages
- Date
- 2026
Original material from ERA Group. JMF Europe provides a short summary here.