Across industries, IT support is undergoing a quiet revolution. While it once meant a reactive help desk resolving tickets on a first-come, first-served basis, today’s model is more proactive, data-driven, and increasingly powered by AI. For high-tech manufacturing sectors like aerospace, automotive, electronics, and medical devices, this shift is not operational, it’s essential.
At the heart of this evolution are small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs), the backbone of industrial innovation, facing unique challenges: tighter budgets, leaner tech teams, and escalating complexity as they modernise production through Industry 4.0 technologies.
In the UK, these pressures are intensifying. JumpCloud’s recent UK SME IT Trends Report revealed 68% of IT admins say their teams are stretched thinner than ever. At the same time, 75% report they are now responsible for both security and support, an overlap that adds complexity while creating an opportunity for AI and automation to bring meaningful relief.
This isn’t about replacing human expertise. It’s about enabling overstretched IT teams – often responsible for supporting both the factory floor and back-office operations – to work smarter. It’s about improving security, productivity, and uptime across increasingly digitised manufacturing environments.
From reactive support to strategic enablement
In many industrial settings, IT support is still burdened by manual, repetitive tasks: managing device access, provisioning digital tools, resetting passwords, or integrating new production software with legacy infrastructure. These routine processes consume valuable hours that could be spent ensuring security compliance or optimising performance at the edge.
Intelligent automation changes the equation. By offloading predictable and repetitive workflows to AI systems, teams gain time to address higher-value tasks like policy enforcement, risk mitigation, and architecture planning. As a result, IT teams become more strategic and less reactive, something 61% of UK business leaders report say they’re actively striving towards in 2025.
AI is redefining the help desk, not replacing it
Despite alarmist headlines, AI isn’t about removing people from the process. Instead, it’s enabling a hybrid model, one where intelligent systems handle common queries and flag anomalies, while IT experts manage edge cases, system failures, and critical plant support.
In sectors like automotive or electronics manufacturing – where production uptime is non-negotiable, this approach is invaluable. Many SMEs run lean IT operations supporting hundreds of devices, machines, and users across multiple shifts. AI-powered triaging doesn’t just speed up resolution; it reduces errors, prevents burnout, and improves business continuity.
Gartner predicts that 60% of large enterprises will use automation to deliver IT support services by 2026, but SMEs have a head start: they’re more agile and can implement new systems faster, provided the integration is seamless and the ROI is clear.
Gartner forecasts that 60% of large enterprises will use automation to deliver IT support by 2026. But SMEs, especially in manufacturing, have an edge, they’re nimble and often more open to adopting new tools, provided integrations are smooth and ROI is demonstrable.
Smarter metrics for smarter manufacturing systems
If IT support is changing, then the way we measure its effectiveness must evolve too. Instead of focusing solely on volume – tickets closed, calls taken – we need to look at time-to-resolution, first-contact resolution rates, and the accuracy of AI responses.
The JumpCloud report highlights a shift in mindset with 58% of UK SMEs now prioritising user (and operator) satisfaction as a core IT metric – a welcome change. Support systems aren’t just internal plumbing; they’re often the frontline experience employees have with IT. When those experiences are positive, it builds trust and adoption across other IT-led initiatives, like zero-trust security or multi-factor authentication.
Bridging the skills gap with automation
Industrial SMEs face a significant skills gap in cybersecurity, cloud management, and automation, with over 4 in 5 businesses facing shortages of IT and tech skills. AI helps fill that gap by embedding institutional knowledge into tools that guide users and surface best practices. When implemented correctly, automation acts like an extension of the team, not a black box, but a smart assistant that understands workflows and enforces standards.
It’s also an onramp to upskilling – rather than removing jobs, AI-enabled systems allow IT staff to focus on higher-order functions like toolchain integration, threat analysis, and automation design. In fact, a McKinsey report found that organisations using AI for IT operations (AIOps) saw a 40% increase in productivity and a reduction in Level 1 support queries by over 30%.
Building a foundation of trust and transparency
For AI adoption to be successful in IT support, especially in smaller businesses, transparency is core. End users need to trust the system, and IT teams need to understand how decisions are being made. That means choosing automation platforms that are explainable, auditable, and integrate with your existing identity, access, and security frameworks. To achieve this balance, many teams are now exploring solutions designed specifically for AI IT Ticket resolution as a way to improve efficiency while keeping trust intact.
At JumpCloud, we support automation tied to identity and access management, ensuring that support actions, like resetting passwords or provisioning accounts, are always governed by policy. This intersection of support and security is becoming increasingly important as attackers grow more sophisticated. Every misconfigured account or delayed ticket can become a vulnerability.
What comes next for industrial SMEs?
So how can smaller organisations begin to modernise their support function? The key is to start small and focus on quick wins. Automate low-risk, high-frequency tasks, like password resets, onboarding, or group policy management. From there, introduce AI-powered triaging to prioritise tickets and suggest resolutions based on historical data.
Just as important is training – not only for IT staff but for operators and line managers who interact with digital systems daily. When everyone understands how and when to engage with automated support, adoption improves, and friction decreases. Feedback loops, clear documentation, and phased rollouts are essential.
The future of industrial IT support isn’t about cutting corners – it’s about building smarter systems that help SMEs thrive. With the right mix of automation, AI, and human oversight, support functions can evolve from back-office burden to frontline enabler.
The transformation is already underway. The question isn’t whether AI will reshape IT support – it’s how quickly manufacturers can embrace the change. With trust, transparency, and a clear strategy, the support function can become a cornerstone of smart manufacturing success.
