Only 48% in digital maturity. This is the stark—but useful—picture that emerges from Bonfiglioli Consulting’s Benchmarking Study “What’s Next in Operations?”, published by the magazine Tecnologia & Innovazione in its March 2026 issue.
The two-year study analyzed over 100 companies across 22 industrial sectors—85% of which were composed of C-level executives—measuring their level of maturity in five key areas: Operations, Supply Chain, Sustainability, Digitalization, and Human Resources.
The results show an Italian industry with clear strengths but a structural digital lag:
According to Marco Brandalesi, Principal at Bonfiglioli Consulting, half of the companies in the sample have not launched any artificial intelligence projects—neither analytical, operational, nor generative. The main obstacles? Fear of exposing trade secrets, uncertainty about ROI, and difficulty identifying concrete applications.
"Companies know they’re behind, but they don’t know exactly where they need to make the most progress.“ — Marco Brandalesi
Those who have already introduced AI, on the other hand, are doing so primarily for transactional processes—customer management, supply chain, and supplier relations—with visible returns in terms of speed, flexibility, and market reputation.
Brandalesi’s answer is clear: with managers and people. Before the technological revolution—robots, advanced hardware, electromechanical actuators—reaches the factories, organizations must already be ready. Those who do not prepare now risk finding themselves unprepared in the face of rapid change.
Publication: Technology & Innovation — No. 1, March 2026
Publication Date: March 10, 2026
Author: Susanna Bagnoli, freelance
journalist Interviewee: Marco Brandalesi, Principal at Bonfiglioli Consulting
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