Operational efficiency and resilience have become top priorities for organizations across manufacturing, logistics, and industrial operations.
Accelerated market dynamics, geopolitical uncertainty, rising costs, and increasing safety requirements are forcing organizations to rethink how they monitor operations and prevent disruptions. Traditional surveillance systems are no longer sufficient to meet these demands. Instead, organizations are turning to AI-powered computer vision to gain real-time insight, improve decision-making, and strengthen operational resilience.
This IDC Spotlight report, sponsored by Axis Communications, explores how scalable computer vision solutions are transforming industrial operations. Written by IDC Research Director Stefanie Naujoks, the paper examines how organizations can move beyond basic video surveillance and apply AI-driven computer vision to improve efficiency, safety, and resilience across complex environments.
Based on IDC research and real-world case studies, the report outlines how computer vision supports a wide range of use cases across factories, warehouses, transportation, and critical infrastructure.
You will learn how:
- Computer vision has evolved from traditional surveillance into a tool for operational intelligence
- Axis Communications enables AI-powered computer vision across edge, server, and cloud environments
- Monitoring production assets and critical infrastructure reduces downtime and maintenance costs
- AI-driven quality inspection identifies defects earlier and reduces rework
- Safety monitoring detects risks such as missing PPE and unsafe behaviors in real time
- Warehouse and transportation operations improve efficiency through visual inspection and optimization
- A platform-based approach supports scalability, cybersecurity, and centralized device management
The whitepaper categorizes computer vision use cases into three levels of complexity. Basic use cases focus on monitoring and detection using AI embedded in cameras. More advanced use cases integrate AI analytics with production systems to trigger automated actions. The most advanced scenarios combine computer vision with enterprise data and AI recommendations to support faster, higher-quality decision-making.
The report also addresses key challenges organizations must overcome, including selecting the right hybrid IT architecture, managing cybersecurity risks from IT and OT integration, and ensuring solutions can scale from pilots to enterprise-wide deployments.
This whitepaper is designed for manufacturing leaders, operations executives, logistics managers, and IT decision-makers seeking practical insight into how AI-powered computer vision can improve efficiency, resilience, and safety across industrial operations.
Download the whitepaper from Axis Communications to learn how scalable computer vision solutions can help organizations reduce costs, prevent disruptions, and build more resilient operations.

